Paul Rosamond

June 6, 1944 known as D-Day was the day that the Allied Forces began to take back the country that the Germans held. By mid-September they had driven the Germans back to a little village in France called Pont'O'Mousson. On the other side of this little town there was a river and then a hill that was about 500 acres in size and heavily wooded at the top. The US troops had control of that hill until the following day.

On September 14, 1944, young 21-year-old Paul Rosamond found himself in a heavy fog unlike he had ever seen. The Germans, having been in that area and being very familiar with it, took the chance and counter attacked our US troops. They had the advantage and were making good use of it. Paul, trying to keep from being captured, was shot in the head, leaving a hole in his helmet that he could stick his fingers through. Next, a grenade went off beside him filling his thigh with grenade shrapnel. Before he knew what was going on, pain shot through his arm and hand as a rifle round put a hole in his arm and shot off his thumb and index finger. Bleeding badly, he knew he did not have the time to crawl back to his troops who were now at the base of the hill by the river, a half a mile away. Paul stood and ran as far as his energy would take him and then would lie down to rest for a moment. While lying there trying to keep going and stay conscious because of the loss of blood, a rifle grenade was fired at him. The grenade exploded beside him filling his back with shrapnel. This was his 4th serious injury, but he got back up and ran to where his troops were.

Paul Rosamond received four purple hearts for the wounds that he received that day. He is a living example of courage. He served his country with everything he had defending a country who needed our help. Well-done sir, and well-done to all those individuals who serve our country!


Story told by Class Pastor, Joshua Clements, Deuteronomy 31 :6