Valor Friday

Private Nicholas Minue

Today’s article will feature two men. Nicholas Minue and Rodger Young both earned the Medal of Honor for their actions during World War II. Both men received that award posthumously, having died in their final act of gallantry. They also both gave up NCO rank so that they could go to war and fight.

Private Rodger Young (pictured as a Sergeant)

Minue was the son of ethnically Ukrainian immigrant parents. Born in 1905 in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, he first enlisted in the US Army in 1927. With the Great Depression starting just about the time his first enlistment would be up, a steady government paycheck must have been appealing, as he remained in the service to make it a career. He was a sergeant by the start of the Second World War.

Young was a bit younger, having been born in 1918. From the small north central Ohio city of Green Springs, he spent his childhood hunting. Being rather small, he was denied a spot on his high school football team. The coach was eventually won over by the plucky young man’s enthusiasm and determination, and they allowed him to play in some games. He participated in other sports too, and it was during a high school basketball game that he suffered a serious head injury. By the time of his sophomore year of high school (when he would ultimately drop out), his hearing and eyesight had diminished substantially.

Young was drawn to the Army, but figured his eye and ear problems would preclude his active duty service, he enlisted in the Ohio National Guard in 1939. With the World War breaking out, all of the country’s reserve components would be activated and the Guard federalized. Though he was his company’s shortest man and wore glasses, he was regarded as a fine soldier among his peers.

With the federalization of the Guard, and the reinstatement of the draft, the Army was in need of experienced soldiers to train the millions of men that would soon fill the Army’s ranks. That meant experienced NCOs like Sergeant Minue (who had more than 13 years of service by the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor) would be stuck stateside teaching instead of overseas fighting. Minue busted himself to private so that he could take a combat billet. He was in his mid-30s.

When he was federalized Young was already a corporal and would soon be promoted to sergeant. When his 148th Infantry Regiment was sent to the Pacific to take part in the New Georgia Campaign, Young requested a demotion so that he would be removed from leading an infantry squad. He cited his poor eyesight and bad hearing. His commanding officer thought he was malingering, so ordered a medical exam. The results showed that Young was nearly deaf and recommended he go to hospital for treatment, but he refused. He didn’t want to miss all the fighting, he just didn’t think it wise to be the man in charge.

Minue’s 6th Armored Infantry Regiment (part of the 1st Armored Division) would be sent to the opposite side of the globe. They landed in Oran, Algeria during Operation Torch (the Allied Invasion of North Africa) in November 1942. From there they’d fight through Tunisia and then Italy. Minue didn’t make it that far though, he fell in Tunisia fighting against Germany’s famed Afrika Korps under Field Marshal Rommel on 28 April 1943.

Young, facing the Japanese, similarly made an amphibious landing. His was in the Solomon Islands at New Georgia. He would fall nine days into the Battle of Munda Point on 31 July 1943.

Among the many similarities in the stories of these two men, the way they died is also remarkably the same. Both would die only after costing the enemy far more in blood than he himself had given. They each fell after pressing the advance repeatedly in the face of overwhelming odds. They both inspired their brothers in arms to continue the fight when they could no longer wage a one-man war on the enemy.

Minue’s Medal of Honor citation reads;

For distinguishing himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the loss of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy on 28 April 1943, in the vicinity of Majaz al Bab, Tunisia. When the advance of the assault elements of Company A was held up by flanking fire from an enemy machinegun nest, Pvt. Minue voluntarily, alone, and unhesitatingly, with complete disregard of his own welfare, charged the enemy entrenched position with fixed bayonet. Pvt. Minue assaulted the enemy under a withering machinegun and rifle fire, killing approximately 10 enemy machinegunners and riflemen. After completely destroying this position, Pvt. Minue continued forward, routing enemy riflemen from dugout positions until he was fatally wounded. The courage, fearlessness and aggressiveness displayed by Pvt. Minue in the face of inevitable death was unquestionably the factor that gave his company the offensive spirit that was necessary for advancing and driving the enemy from the entire sector.

Young’s Medal of Honor citation reads;

On July 31, 1943, the infantry company of which Pvt. Young was a member, was ordered to make a limited withdrawal from the battle line in order to adjust the battalion’s position for the night. At this time, Pvt. Young’s platoon was engaged with the enemy in a dense jungle where observation was very limited. The platoon suddenly was pinned down by intense fire from a Japanese machinegun concealed on higher ground only 75 yards away. The initial burst wounded Pvt. Young. As the platoon started to obey the order to withdraw, Pvt. Young called out that he could see the enemy emplacement, whereupon he started creeping toward it. Another burst from the machine gun wounded him the second time. Despite the wounds, he continued his heroic advance, attracting enemy fire and answering with rifle fire. When he was close enough to his objective, he began throwing hand grenades, and while doing so was hit again and killed. Pvt. Young’s bold action in closing with this Japanese pillbox and thus diverting its fire, permitted his platoon to disengage itself, without loss, and was responsible for several enemy casualties.

Anyone who has read Heinlein’s Starship Troopers will be familiar with the name of Rodger Young. It’s the name of Johnny Rico’s ship, and the mustering song to return to the rally point is the Ballad of Rodger Young. While the story of Young was popularized by this song, sadly the ballad as a form of popular music died out decades ago. While the words and tune of the song are no longer familiar, those with a taste for military science fiction will never forget the name of Rodger Young, the nearly deaf and going blind 25-year old NCO who gave up his stripes to fight alongside his fellows.

Category: Army, Historical, Medal of Honor, Valor, WWII