Melvin E. Biddle
Encyclopedia
Melvin Earl "Bud" Biddle (November 28, 1923 – December 16, 2010) was a United States Army
soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor
—for his actions in World War II
.
, to Owen J. and Blanche Olive (Bowen) Biddle. He had two brothers, Ralph and Lee, and three sisters, Marie, Carolyn, and Eileen. A life-long resident of the area, Biddle attended elementary school in Daleville and graduated from Anderson High School in nearby Anderson, Indiana
. He worked for Delco Remy in Anderson until being drafted into the U.S. Army.
in Company B of the 1st Battalion, 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment. On that day and the following day during the Battle of the Bulge
, near Soy, Belgium, he reconnoitered
the German
lines alone, killed three enemy sniper
s, and silenced four hostile machine gun emplacements. A week later, he was wounded in the neck by shrapnel which just missed his jugular vein
. After recovering in England for several weeks, he headed back to his unit and on the way learned through an article in Stars and Stripes
that he would be awarded the Medal of Honor.
For his actions during the battle near Soy, Biddle was awarded the Medal of Honor at the White House
on October 30, 1945, by President Harry Truman. When presenting the medal to Biddle, Truman whispered "People don't believe me when I tell them that I'd rather have one of these than be President."
Biddle was later promoted to corporal
. In addition to the Medal of Honor, he also received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart
.
After leaving the military, Biddle returned to Indiana and worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs
. He helped distribute loans and benefits to veterans for 26 years until his retirement. He also served on the Anderson City Council.
Biddle rarely spoke of his Medal of Honor action. He gave occasional interviews and appeared at events honoring veterans but preferred to lead a more private life. He was an avid golfer and a member of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars
post.
Biddle died of congestive heart failure
on December 16, 2010, at Saint John's Medical Center in Anderson following a sudden illness. Aged 87 at his death, he was buried in Anderson's Memorial Park Cemetery on December 20. In deference to his family's beliefs as Jehovah's Witnesses
, Biddle requested that his funeral be free of military observances. His death date was the 66th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge, in which he earned the Medal of Honor, and he was Indiana's last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
—for his actions in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Early life
Biddle was born on November 28, 1923, in Daleville, IndianaDaleville, Indiana
Daleville is a town in Salem Township, Delaware County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,647 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Muncie, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Daleville is located at ....
, to Owen J. and Blanche Olive (Bowen) Biddle. He had two brothers, Ralph and Lee, and three sisters, Marie, Carolyn, and Eileen. A life-long resident of the area, Biddle attended elementary school in Daleville and graduated from Anderson High School in nearby Anderson, Indiana
Anderson, Indiana
Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison county. Anderson is the headquarters of the Church of God and home of Anderson University, which is...
. He worked for Delco Remy in Anderson until being drafted into the U.S. Army.
Military service
By December 23, 1944, Biddle was serving in Europe as a private first classPrivate First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
in Company B of the 1st Battalion, 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment. On that day and the following day during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, near Soy, Belgium, he reconnoitered
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
lines alone, killed three enemy sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
s, and silenced four hostile machine gun emplacements. A week later, he was wounded in the neck by shrapnel which just missed his jugular vein
Jugular vein
The jugular veins are veins that bring deoxygenated blood from the head back to the heart via the superior vena cava.-Internal and external:There are two sets of jugular veins: external and internal....
. After recovering in England for several weeks, he headed back to his unit and on the way learned through an article in Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
that he would be awarded the Medal of Honor.
For his actions during the battle near Soy, Biddle was awarded the Medal of Honor at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
on October 30, 1945, by President Harry Truman. When presenting the medal to Biddle, Truman whispered "People don't believe me when I tell them that I'd rather have one of these than be President."
Biddle was later promoted to corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
. In addition to the Medal of Honor, he also received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
.
Later years and personal life
On December 1, 1946, Biddle married his childhood sweetheart, Leona Elsie Allen. The couple had two daughters, Elissa and Marsha.After leaving the military, Biddle returned to Indiana and worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
. He helped distribute loans and benefits to veterans for 26 years until his retirement. He also served on the Anderson City Council.
Biddle rarely spoke of his Medal of Honor action. He gave occasional interviews and appeared at events honoring veterans but preferred to lead a more private life. He was an avid golfer and a member of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
post.
Biddle died of congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
on December 16, 2010, at Saint John's Medical Center in Anderson following a sudden illness. Aged 87 at his death, he was buried in Anderson's Memorial Park Cemetery on December 20. In deference to his family's beliefs as Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
, Biddle requested that his funeral be free of military observances. His death date was the 66th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge, in which he earned the Medal of Honor, and he was Indiana's last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.
Medal of Honor citation
Biddle's official Medal of Honor citation reads:He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy near Soy, Belgium, on 23 and 24 December 1944. Serving as lead scout during an attack to relieve the enemy-encircled town of HottonHottonHotton is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg.thumb|left|The Faber watermill on the Ourthe river.Hotton is known for its speleothem caves, known as the Caves of Hotton. A small Commonwealth war cemetery is also situated just outside of Hotton....
, he aggressively penetrated a densely wooded area, advanced 400 yards until he came within range of intense enemy rifle fire, and within 20 yards of enemy positions killed 3 snipers with unerring marksmanship. Courageously continuing his advance an additional 200 yards, he discovered a hostile machine-gun position and dispatched its 2 occupants. He then located the approximate position of a well-concealed enemy machine-gun nest, and crawling forward threw hand grenadeHand grenadeA hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s which killed two Germans and fatally wounded a third. After signaling his company to advance, he entered a determined line of enemy defense, coolly and deliberately shifted his position, and shot 3 more enemy soldiers. Undaunted by enemy fire, he crawled within 20 yards of a machine-gun nest, tossed his last hand grenade into the position, and after the explosion charged the emplacement firing his rifle. When night fell, he scouted enemy positions alone for several hours and returned with valuable information which enabled our attacking infantry and armor to knock out 2 enemy tanks. At daybreak he again led the advance and, when flanking elements were pinned down by enemy fire, without hesitation made his way toward a hostile machine-gun position and from a distance of 50 yards killed the crew and 2 supporting riflemen. The remainder of the enemy, finding themselves without automatic weapon support, fled panic stricken. Pfc. Biddle's intrepid courage and superb daring during his 20-hour action enabled his battalion to break the enemy grasp on Hotton with a minimum of casualties.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II