Melvin E Biddle
Melvin was born on the 28th of November 1923 in Daleville, Indiana, where he grew up with his two brothers and three sisters. After graduating high school, he went to work in the Delco Remy plant in Anderson, Indiana, which produced automotive starters and alternators. Melvin was then drafted into the US Army in January of 1943 at the age of 19 and he would go on to volunteer to be in the parachute infantry. By the 23rd of December, 1944, Melvin had been deployed as a replacement and had already spent a week fighting in the Battle of the Bulge when he then displayed actions that would later earn him the Medal of Honor. The 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 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 three snipers with unerring marksmanship. Courageously continuing his advance an additional 200 yards, he discovered a hostile machine-gun position and dispatched its two occupants. He then located the approximate position of a well-concealed enemy machine-gun nest, and crawling forward threw hand grenades which killed two Germans and fatally wounded a third. After signaling his company to advance, he entered a determined line of enemy defense, cooly and deliberately shifted his position, and shot three 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 two 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 two 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.
Ten days after his actions in the Ardennes, Melvin was struck in the neck by shrapnel that missed his jugular but still sent him to a hospital in England for several weeks. Once recovered, he returned to his unit, only to learn from an article in Stars and Stripes that he would be receiving the Medal of Honor. On the 12th of October 1945, Melvin, now a Corporal, received the Medal of Honor from President Truman in an outdoor ceremony at the White House. Melvin recalled that the President, who had served in World War 1, told him that people didn’t believe him whenever he said he would rather have the Medal than be President. Not wanting to be court-martialed, Melvin refrained from telling Truman that he would trade places with him.
A year after the ceremony, Melvin married his childhood sweetheart, Leona Allen, and they had two daughters. He went to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Indiana for twenty-six years and also served on the city council for the city of Anderson. Melvin lived a very private life and was a practicing Jehovah’s Witness. On the 16th of December 2010, the 66th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge, Melvin Earl Biddle died at the age of 87 due to congestive heart failure. No military observances were given at the request of his family due to their beliefs and he is buried in the Anderson Memorial Park in Anderson, Indiana: Plot 3/467/G. His wife of 64 years joined him almost four years later.
