Walter Ehlers
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Staff Sergeant Walter Ehlers joined the Army in 1940 and served in North Africa and Sicily. He was called to England to train troop replacements and prepare for D-Day. On June 6, he led his squad onto the shores west of Omaha Beach. While half of the first wave of troops were killed or wounded, Ehlers got all 12 of his men into the trenches safely. On June 9, the squad was near Goville, France. Coming under fire, Ehlers led his men to neutralize several enemy machine gun and mortar positions, killing several Germans himself while under fire. Ehlers was wounded, but continued on, even carrying one wounded soldier to safety. He refused evacuation, preferring to stay and lead his unit. Several months later, while recovering from yet another wound, Ehlers read about his Medal of Honor in the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. He also received three Purple Hearts, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and a promotion to 2nd Lieutenant. After the war, Ehlers worked for the Veterans Administration for 29 years. Before Ehlers died this past February at age 92, he was the last living Medal of Honor recipient from the D-Day Invasion.