Today I am thinking about Ernest Prussman, who earned the Medal of Honor posthumously for his courage and leadership on this day in Brittany, France when he took part in the Battle of Brest, as part of the 13th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division. American forces were clearing the Brest peninsula, west of the Normandy beaches, in order to open the ports for Allied supplies.

Prussman advanced ahead of his company and single-handedly captured a number of Germans and destroyed a machine gun nest before he was killed. He was buried at the Brittany American Cemetery. I could only find one photo of Prussman. (It sounds like his statue sculptor – read below – had the same issue.)

Prussman grew up in Brighton, Massachusetts and in 2018 the town dedicated a statue to him. Boston College donated to the statue fund. You can read about the statue and ceremony here, and take a moment to remember Prussman’s sacrifice for his buddies and his country.