b. 21/02/1921 South Haven, Minnesota. d. 15/05/2006 Bowey, Minnesota.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 05/02/1945 Munoz, Philippines.
Donald E Rudolph MOH
He was awarded the medal while serving as a technical sergeant and acting as leader of his platoon on Luzon island in the northern Philippines; his actions took place on February 5, 1945.
While giving first aid to wounded men on the battlefield, Rudolph noticed that his unit was pinned down by Japanese gunfire from a ditch. Crawling to the ditch, using his rifle and grenades to protect himself, he then killed three enemy soldiers concealed there. He then continued to work his way across open ground to a line of pillboxes that were also firing and immobilising his company.
He threw a grenade into the firing slit in the first of the pillboxes, charged toward it and threw another grenade into the structure, killing the enemy machine gunners and silencing their fire. After ordering several riflemen to cover his advance, he proceeded to attack and neutralise seven further pillboxes in quick succession.
Later, when an enemy tank attacked his platoon, he advanced under covering fire, opened its hatch and dropped a white phosphorus grenade inside, killing the crew and negating its threat. His medal citation concludes that through “his outstanding heroism, superb courage, and leadership, and complete disregard for his own safety, […] Rudolph cleared a path for an advance which culminated in one of the most decisive victories of the Philippine campaign.”.
He was promoted to Second Lieutenant after the battle, and was presented with the medal on August 23, 1945, by President Harry S. Truman. He continued his army career in the reserves until 1963, then worked in the Veterans Administration until his retirement in 1976.
MOH CITATION:
Second Lt. Rudolph (then TSgt.) was acting as platoon leader at Munoz, Luzon, Philippine Islands. While administering first aid on the battlefield, he observed enemy fire issuing from a nearby culvert. Crawling to the culvert with rifle and grenades, he killed three of the enemy concealed there. He then worked his way across open terrain toward a line of enemy pillboxes which had immobilized his company. Nearing the first pillbox, he hurled a grenade through its embrasure and charged the position. With his bare hands he tore away the wood and tin covering, then dropped a grenade through the opening, killing the enemy gunners and destroying their machine gun. Ordering several riflemen to cover his further advance, 2d Lt. Rudolph seized a pick mattock and made his way to a second pillbox. Piercing its top with the mattock, he dropped a grenade through the hole, firing several rounds from his rifle into it, and smothered any surviving enemy by sealing the hole and the embrasure with earth. In quick succession he attacked and neutralized six more pillboxes. Later, when his platoon was attacked by an enemy tank, he advanced under covering fire, climbed to the top of the tank, and dropped a white phosphorus grenade through the turret, destroying the crew. Through his outstanding heroism, superb courage, and leadership, and complete disregard for his own safety, 2d Lt. Rudolph cleared a path for an advance which culminated in one of the most decisive victories of the Philippine campaign.
BURIAL LOCATION: FORT SNELLING NATIONAL CEMETERY, SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.
SECTION DS, SITE 22, LOT S.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: FAMILY.
