World Battle II and Korean Battle veteran Robert T. Bates and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, stand with Orem Excessive Latinos in Motion holding a portray of Jose F. Valdez, Utah’s solely Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient, on the state Capitol in Salt Lake Metropolis Friday. Spenser Heaps, Deseret Information
Work of the late Jose F. Valdez, Utah’s solely Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient, are pictured throughout a ceremony on the Capitol in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, April 14, 2023. The work had been commissioned by the VFW Put up 4918 and are being distributed to native colleges upon request. Spenser Heaps, Deseret Information
Robert T. Bates, 96 and a veteran of each World Battle II and the Korean Battle, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, stand as the colours are offered throughout a ceremony honoring the late Jose F. Valdez, Utah’s solely Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient, on the Capitol in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, April 14, 2023. Spenser Heaps, Deseret Information
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, shakes arms with Robert T. Bates, 96 and a veteran of each World Battle II and the Korean Battle, throughout a ceremony honoring the late Jose F. Valdez, Utah’s solely Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient, on the Capitol in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, April 14, 2023. Spenser Heaps, Deseret Information
Jose Valdez was a whole lot of miles from residence when over 200 German troopers performed a counterattack on his patrol close to Rosenkranz, France.
The top of World Battle II was nonetheless months away, and Valdez and his unit had already fought in North Africa and Italy. Valdez was on patrol obligation with a handful of different males on Jan. 25, 1945. When an enemy tank got here into view, Valdez single-handedly compelled it to withdraw by taking pictures it along with his automated rifle. When three German troopers superior towards the patrol quickly after and opened hearth, Valdez returned hearth, killing all three.
That might solely be the start of his heroics that night time. The Germans shortly launched a full-fledged assault. With two corporations of soldiers advancing, Valdez volunteered to cowl his fellow troopers as they withdrew.
"Sticking round was nearly definitely a dying sentence, however Valdez volunteered anyway so he might present cowl hearth as his teammates fled, one after the other, via a hail of enemy gunfire again towards American traces," states a Division of Protection abstract about Valdez.
Work of the late Jose F. Valdez, Utah’s solely Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient, are pictured throughout a ceremony on the Capitol in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, April 14, 2023. The work had been commissioned by the VFW Put up 4918 and are being distributed to native colleges upon request.
Spenser Heaps, Deseret Information
Valdez was shot via the abdomen — an damage that paralyzed him from the waist down. He pushed via the ache, persevering with to fireplace till all the opposite members of his patrol had been secure. He additionally used a area phone to name for artillery and mortar hearth and corrected the vary till he had shells falling inside 50 yards of his place.
Valdez would maintain off about 200 enemy troopers for a complete of quarter-hour till they withdrew. He then dragged himself again to American traces, however died lower than three weeks later from his accidents on Feb. 17, 1945. Valdez was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his bravery the next yr.
Almost 80 years later, Utahns gathered on the state Capitol Friday to honor Valdez, who is taken into account the primary Hispanic Utah resident to earn the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest navy award for valor. The award has solely been given to three,525 individuals since its creation in 1861.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who spoke on the honorary ceremony, mentioned Valdez's actions are the stuff of a Hollywood film.
"You'll — whereas watching the film — be emotionally gripped, to begin with. You would be on the sting of your seat. You may also even have the response: 'There isn't any method this story might be true, that one man couldn't have performed all that he did, one man couldn't and wouldn't have put a lot in danger so many instances and towards all odds,'" Lee mentioned. "This sort of heroism would not come throughout on daily basis; it is uncommon."
Robert T. Bates, 96 and a veteran of each World Battle II and the Korean Battle, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, stand as the colours are offered throughout a ceremony honoring the late Jose F. Valdez, Utah’s solely Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient, on the Capitol in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, April 14, 2023.
Spenser Heaps, Deseret Information
Valdez was buried with full navy honors in New Mexico's Santa Fe Nationwide Cemetery. He was born to a big Mexican-American household in northern New Mexico, and his household moved to Nice Grove within the '40s to assist construct the Geneva Metal mill, which supported World Battle II's shipbuilding trade.
Throughout the honorary ceremony Friday, a variety of colleges had been issued portraits of Valdez to hold in his reminiscence. Lee mentioned though there is no strategy to repay the sacrifices veterans like Valdez have made, there may be nonetheless immense worth in remembering these sacrifices.
"By telling their tales and honoring them — though it would not deliver them again, it would not undo their sacrifice — it makes their sacrifice extra significant, as a result of it shares their story," he mentioned.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, shakes arms with Robert T. Bates, 96 and a veteran of each World Battle II and the Korean Battle, throughout a ceremony honoring the late Jose F. Valdez, Utah’s solely Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient, on the Capitol in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, April 14, 2023.
Spenser Heaps, Deseret Information