Biography
Funk joined the Army from Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania in June 1941, and by January 29, 1945 was serving as a first sergeant in Company C, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. On that day, at Holzheim, Belgium, he encountered a group of more than 80 German soldiers, most of whom had previously been captured by American forces but, with the help of a German patrol, had managed to overwhelm their guards. Despite being greatly outnumbered, Funk opened fire and called for the captured American guards to seize the Germans' weapons. He and the guards successfully killed or re-captured all of the German soldiers. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor on September 5, 1945.
Funk was discharged in June 1945. After the war, he worked for the Veteran's Administration, retiring in 1972. He died at age 76 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia.
Read more about this topic: Leonard A. Funk, Jr.
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