Samuel Weinstein’s courage and resolve epitomize America’s Greatest Generation.

He enlisted in the Army in 1943 at age 19, one of nine children raised during the depths of the Depression. He wanted to be a paratrooper but was denied because the gear he had to carry weighed more than his wiry 119-pound frame.

Instead, he became a rifleman and saw combat in France as a member of Company E of the 103rd Infantry Division. It didn’t take long for Weinstein to distinguish himself.

On Jan. 4, 1945, near Behren, France, heavy fire forced his patrol to withdraw. Weinstein, by that time a sergeant, dragged a wounded soldier to cover, where he administered first aid. He carried him over 200 yards of exposed terrain through small arms fire to safety.

Weinstein placed the injured soldier on a passing tank and directed it to an aid station. He then returned to the fight. Months of combat ensued, and on patrol near Offuviller, France, Weinstein was shot in the mouth by a German sniper.

He dropped his rifle and ran across the road. Remembering what he had learned in basic training to “keep your piece with you at all times,” he ran across the road, retrieved his rifle, and again found cover.

By this time his tongue was swelling, and he could not breathe. The medics got him to an aid station, performed a tracheotomy, and saved his life. Weinstein had a trachea tube for roughly six months. He was hospitalized in Europe and the U.S. He lost several teeth from the sniper’s bullet, and his wounds required reconstructive surgery.

“My father is a true patriot and loves his country,” said his daughter and nominator, Lori Bruggeman. “Family is the most important thing to him. He grew up during the Depression and learned great work ethic and passed that on to his children.”

After recovering from his wounds, Weinstein became a sheet metal worker and spent about 40 years in the heating and air conditioning business. He is a survivor of lung and prostate cancer and at age 98, recently recovered from a fractured pelvis and hip replacement.

Although he continues to battle lung cancer, Weinstein lives independently. He has high praise for the VA Hospital for taking care of him not just after World War II but throughout the years.

“If I had to sum up my father in a few words … he is a survivor and my hero,” Bruggeman said.

This article has been reprinted with permission from Honoring American’s Veterans.

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