Sanford H. Winston, wounded in the hand and both knees, grasped an automatic rifle and charged the enemy
Sanford H. "Sandy" Winston, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who was a highly decorated WWII hero and later served as a spokesman for the old Department of Health, Education and Welfare, has passed away at 90. On May 12, 1945, Col. Winston - then 1st Lt. Sanford Weinstein - was ordered to lead two rifle platoons in a frontal assault on a fortified hill on a formation known as Skyline Ridge. Japanese forces opened fire at close range with mortars, rifles and machine guns. Despite being wounded in the hand and both knees, Winston threw aside his carbine and "grasped an automatic rifle from one of the dead and dashed forward through intense hostile fire to close with the enemy. Firing from the hip as he ran, he reached a point 25 yards from the attackers and, standing upright despite the withering enemy fire which tore his helmet from his head and cut his canteen from his belt, killed at least ten of the enemy including the crew of a machine gun which he destroyed with a grenade."
(washingtonpost.com)
Sanford H. "Sandy" Winston, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who was a highly decorated WWII hero and later served as a spokesman for the old Department of Health, Education and Welfare, has passed away at 90. On May 12, 1945, Col. Winston - then 1st Lt. Sanford Weinstein - was ordered to lead two rifle platoons in a frontal assault on a fortified hill on a formation known as Skyline Ridge. Japanese forces opened fire at close range with mortars, rifles and machine guns. Despite being wounded in the hand and both knees, Winston threw aside his carbine and "grasped an automatic rifle from one of the dead and dashed forward through intense hostile fire to close with the enemy. Firing from the hip as he ran, he reached a point 25 yards from the attackers and, standing upright despite the withering enemy fire which tore his helmet from his head and cut his canteen from his belt, killed at least ten of the enemy including the crew of a machine gun which he destroyed with a grenade."
(washingtonpost.com)
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