A group working to ensure the legacy of Jose Valdez, a war hero from Pleasant Grove, Utah, is remembered. They aim to 'inspire our kids' and put his framed prints in schools, primarily looking for placements in schools.
SALT LAKE CITY — More than 81 years ago, Army Pfc. Jose Valdez died after suffering severe injuries on a battlefield in France, one of many casualties of World War II.
His legacy lives on — he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery that day in 1945 — and now his boosters are making a final push to ensure he's remembered. They seek homes for the seven framed prints of the man that remain, ideally in schools, and gathered on Monday to spread the word.
"This is a way to inspire our kids because a lot of kids, they don't know the impressive things their fellow Utahns have done," said Kraig Thorne, commander of the Timpanogos post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in American Fork. Valdez was from Pleasant Grove, and Thorne and his post are helping spearhead the effort for the Utah County-based group. U.S. Rep.
Mike Kennedy, a Republican and the 3rd District representative, attended Monday's tribute at the Utah Capitol as did a contingent of kids from Mountainville Academy, a charter school in Alpine, where one of the prints is headed. Boosters of Army Pfc. Jose Valdez, a Medal of Honor recipient, seek homes for seven prints of the man that remain.
One print, shown here with students from Mountainville Academy during a ceremony Monday at the Capitol in Salt Lake City, will go to the Alpine school. "He stood his ground fighting for the American dream and for our freedoms," Kennedy said.
"I believe that in our own way that our country needs to also remember these individuals and stay the ground that we're on and make sure that we don't forget our veterans, not just for one afternoon or for one ceremony, but forever. "Valdez is one of just five Utahns who have earned the Medal of Honor and the only Latino among them.
He received the honor for his heroic efforts near Rosenkrantz, France, on Jan. 25, 1945, fighting off a German attack. While on a patrol, Valdez, just 20, fended off an attacking German tank and shot and killed three German soldiers nearing the group. As more Germans launched an offensive, Valdez provided cover for his fellow soldiers, sustaining a bullet wound to his stomach but continuing his efforts until the patrol members were back behind friendly lines.
He continued the efforts, calling for artillery help via a field telephone, holding off some 200 enemy soldiers for 15 minutes until they withdrew. Paralyzed from the waist down, he dragged himself back to American lines but d
Medal Of Honor Jose Valdez Wartime Sacrifice School Placement Utah County
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