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Willy F. James Jr.
United States Army Medal of Honor recipient / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Willy F. James Jr. (March 18, 1920 – April 8, 1945) was a United States Army private first class who was killed in action while running to the aid of his wounded platoon leader during World War II. In 1997, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration for valor, for his actions on April 7, 1945, in the vicinity of Lippoldsberg, Germany.[1]
Willy F. James Jr. | |
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![]() Grave at Netherlands American Cemetery | |
Born | (1920-03-18)March 18, 1920 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
Died | April 8, 1945(1945-04-08) (aged 25) near Lippoldsberg, Nazi Germany |
Place of burial | |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1942–1945 |
Rank | Private First Class |
Unit | G Company, 413th Infantry Regiment, 104th Infantry Division |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Medal of Honor Bronze Star Purple Heart |
James and six other Black Americans who served in World War II were awarded the Medal of Honor on January 12, 1997. The Medal of Honor was posthumously presented to James by President Bill Clinton on January 13, 1997, during a Medals of Honor ceremony for the seven recipients at the White House in Washington, D.C. The seven recipients are the first and only Black Americans to be awarded the Medal of Honor for World War II.[2][3]