b. 25/08/1919 Buffalo, New York. d. 04/03/1995 Holland, Michigan.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 14/06 – 03/09/1944 Normandy, France.
Matt L Urban MOH
Urban was born Matthew Louis Urbanowicz on August 25, 1919, in Buffalo, New York. His parents, Stanley and Helen Urbanowicz, were Polish immigrants. He had two older brothers, as well as a younger sibling who died at an early age. Urban shortened his first and last names early in life but had them legally changed after World War II.
Urban went to East High School in Buffalo, where he excelled in three sports. He then went to the prestigious Cornell University, where he joined ROTC and was on the track and boxing teams. He graduated in mid-June 1941 with a bachelor’s degree in history and government. He also received an Army commission, so on July 2, 1941, he shipped off to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to begin his service.
Throughout World War II, Urban served with the 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. He fought in six campaigns in Europe and the Mediterranean, including Operation Torch that began November 8, 1942, in North Africa — service for which he earned two Silver Stars. Urban fought in Sicily and Germany, too. But he earned his Medal of Honor for his actions in France and Belgium in the summer of 1944.
On June 14, 1944 — six days after landing at Normandy with the 2nd Battalion — then-Capt. Urban started a remarkable run of heroic leadership and personal bravery. His unit, Company F, was being decimated by heavy enemy small-arms and tank fire near Renouf, France. Urban knew he had to act quickly, so he picked up a bazooka and moved toward two enemy tanks.
Urban worked his way through hedgerows despite a continuing barrage of fire. When he got close enough, he popped into the enemy’s view and fired the bazooka, destroying both tanks. His actions allowed his company to move forward and take out the rest of the enemies in the area, earning him a Bronze Star. Later that afternoon, Urban was hit in the leg by a 37-mm tank gun when Company F was near the town of Orglandes. However, he refused to be evacuated and continued to lead his unit until they were able to move into defensive positions for the night. At 5 a.m. the next day, Urban remained with his company and directed another attack, even though he was badly wounded. He was injured again during that battle and evacuated to England.
About a month later, Urban was recovering from his wounds when he learned his unit had suffered severe losses. He knew they needed battle-tested leaders to survive, so he voluntarily left the hospital and hitchhiked his way back to his unit, which was now near the town of Saint-Lo.
Shortly before noon on July 25, 1944, Urban arrived at the 2nd Battalion’s command post to find that his unit had left within the hour to attempt to break through German defenses in the area. Limping from his leg wound, Urban made his way to the unit and retook command. As he did so, Company F was having trouble moving forward. Two supporting Allied tanks had been destroyed, while another that was still intact wasn’t moving because it had no commander or gunner.
Urban found a lieutenant in charge of the tanks and began directing a plan of attack; however, that lieutenant and a fellow soldier were immediately killed as they tried to mount the remaining tank. So, Urban — knowing how crucial it was to get that tank moving — dashed through enemy fire despite his bad leg and mounted the tank himself. Even though bullets ricocheted all around him, Urban ordered the tank forward and, using its machine gun himself, delivered devastating fire back on the enemy. The battalion’s soldiers took notice of his bravery and leadership, and it galvanized their courage. They were able to attack and destroy the enemy position.
Urban’s heroic actions were far from over. On August 2, he was wounded in the chest by shell fragments but again refused evacuation. Four days later, at only 24 years old, he took the lead over the 2nd Battalion after its initial commander was killed in action. Nine days after that, he was again wounded but still chose to stay with his men on the battlefield. On September 3, 1944, the 2nd Battalion was tasked with finding a point to cross the Meuse River near Heer, Belgium; however, the Germans were hoping to stop the Allied advance there. They were waiting with a heavy concentration of their own forces.
As the 2nd Battalion moved toward the crossing point it had located, they were held back by fierce enemy artillery, small-arms and mortar fire. Urban moved quickly from his command post to the battalion’s lead position and reorganized the attacking elements. He then personally led the charge toward the enemy’s strongpoint. As the men moved across open terrain, Urban was hit in the neck — a life-threatening injury that tore out one of his vocal cords. Urban could barely talk above a whisper, but he still refused to be evacuated until his men had won the battle and secured the crossing point over the river.
Urban’s courage and extraordinary actions became legendary to the soldiers in his battalion, as well as among the enemy. In fact, he’d earned the nickname “The Ghost” from the Germans because he kept coming back to the fight. Army doctors gave Urban no hope for survival once he was finally evacuated from the battlefield, but he recovered undeterred by their prognoses, even though his vocal cords remained damaged and left him with a permanent raspy voice.
Urban was promoted to the rank of major in October 1944. He became a lieutenant colonel before medically retiring from the Army in February 1946. Urban moved to Port Huron, Michigan, where he served for several years as the town’s recreation and community centers director. During the 1960s, he met his wife, Jennie, and they had a daughter, Jennifer. In 1972, the family moved to Holland, Michigan. According to Cornell University, over the course of his civilian career, Urban coached several sports programs and trained athletes who became Olympians and Golden Glove champions. He was eventually appointed the chair of the Michigan Olympic Boxing Committee.
Meanwhile, Army Staff Sgt. Earl G. Evans, who served with Urban in Europe and Africa, was released from a German prisoner of war camp in July 1945. Upon Evans’ return home, he recommended Urban for the Medal of Honor, but his letter apparently got lost and never made it to the correct authorities. Thankfully, though, a copy of it had been filed in Urban’s official records.
That letter remained there until a request for information about it was submitted in June 1978. The Army eventually reviewed the Medal of Honor recommendation and agreed. More than 35 years after that summer in 1944, Urban was notified he would be awarded the nation’s highest military honor for valor. He received it on July 19, 1980, from President Jimmy Carter during a ceremony at the White House. It was attended by his wife and daughter, as well as hundreds of his fellow 9th Infantry Division soldiers. Urban’s other awards include the Croix de Guerre with Bronze Star from France, the Belgian Fourragere and seven Purple Hearts for the wounds he suffered throughout the war. All of his accolades make him one of the most decorated soldiers in U.S. history, on par with famed Army Maj. Audie Murphy.
Urban retired from his civilian career in 1989, but he remained active in the Red Cross. According to Cornell, he also directed camps that served underprivileged children; was a Cub Scout leader, Boys Club director and a Boy Scouts chairman; and was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Michigan Amateur Softball Association.
Urban died on March 4, 1995, in Holland, Michigan, as the result of complications from a collapsed lung brought on by one of his war wounds. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The 2nd Battalion’s headquarters building at Fort Jackson was named for Urban in 2017. A duplicate of his Medal of Honor is housed at the Michigan Heroes Museum in Frankenmuth, Michigan.
MOH CITATION:
Lt. Col. (then Capt.) Matt Urban, 112-22-2414, United States Army, who distinguished himself by a series of bold, heroic actions, exemplified by singularly outstanding combat leadership, personal bravery, and tenacious devotion to duty, during the period from 14 June to 3 September 1944 while assigned to the 2d Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. On 14 June, Capt. Urban’s company, attacking at Renouf, France, encountered heavy enemy small-arms and tank fire. The enemy tanks were unmercifully raking his unit’s positions and inflicting heavy casualties. Capt. Urban, realizing that his company was in imminent danger of being decimated, armed himself with a bazooka. He worked his way with an ammo carrier through hedgerows, under a continuing barrage of fire, to a point near the tanks. He brazenly exposed himself to the enemy fire and, firing the bazooka, destroyed both tanks. Responding to Capt. Urban’s action, his company moved forward and routed the enemy. Later that same day, still in the attack near Orglandes, Capt. Urban was wounded in the leg by direct fire from a 37-mm tank gun. He refused evacuation and continued to lead his company until they moved into defensive positions for the night. At 0500 hours the next day, still in the attack near Orglandes, Capt. Urban, though badly wounded, directed his company in another attack. One hour later he was again wounded. Suffering from two wounds, one serious, he was evacuated to England. In mid-July, while recovering from his wounds, he learned of his unit’s severe losses in the hedgerows of Normandy. Realizing his unit’s need for battle-tested leaders, he voluntarily left the hospital and hitchhiked his way back to his unit near Saint-Lo, France. Arriving at the 2d Battalion Command Post at 1130 hours on 25 July, he found that his unit had jumped off at 1100 hours in the first attack of “Operation Cobra.” Still limping from his leg wound, Capt. Urban made his way forward to retake command of his company. He found his company held up by strong enemy opposition. Two supporting tanks had been destroyed and another, intact but with no tank commander or gunner, was not moving. He located a lieutenant in charge of the support tanks and directed a plan of attack to eliminate the enemy strongpoint. The lieutenant and a sergeant were immediately killed by the heavy enemy fire when they tried to mount the tank. Capt. Urban, though physically hampered by his leg wound and knowing quick action had to be taken, dashed through the scathing fire and mounted the tank. With enemy bullets ricocheting from the tank, Capt. Urban ordered the tank forward and, completely exposed to the enemy fire, manned the machine gun and placed devastating fire on the enemy. His action, in the face of enemy fire, galvanized the battalion into action and they attacked and destroyed the enemy position. On 2 August, Capt. Urban was wounded in the chest by shell fragments and, disregarding the recommendation of the battalion surgeon, again refused evacuation. On 6 August, Capt. Urban became the commander of the 2d Battalion. On 15 August, he was again wounded but remained with his unit. On 3 September, the 2d Battalion was given the mission of establishing a crossing-point on the Meuse River near Heer, Belgium. The enemy planned to stop the advance of the Allied Army by concentrating heavy forces at the Meuse. The 2d Battalion, attacking toward the crossing-point, encountered fierce enemy artillery, small-arms, and mortar fire which stopped the attack. Capt. Urban quickly moved from his command post to the lead position of the battalion. Reorganizing the attacking elements, he personally led a charge toward the enemy’s strongpoint. As the charge moved across the open terrain, Capt. Urban was seriously wounded in the neck. Although unable to talk above a whisper from the paralyzing neck wound, and in danger of losing his life, he refused to be evacuated until the enemy was routed and his battalion had secured the crossing-point on the Meuse River. Capt. Urban’s personal leadership, limitless bravery, and repeated extraordinary exposure to enemy fire served as an inspiration to his entire battalion. His valorous and intrepid actions reflect the utmost credit upon him and uphold the noble traditions of the United States Army.
BURIAL LOCATION: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.
SECTION 7A, GRAVE 40.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: FAMILY.
DUPLICATE MEDAL HELD AT MICHIGAN HEROES MUSEUM, FRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN.
