OBITUARY: Honor due a hero from two nations!

We tend to fall short when it comes to honoring our war veterans ... during all wars; and I'm as guilty as the next. But Medal of Honor winners have always held a special attention for me. Since I currently pastor in Mexico, I was caught by the following report from The Arizona Republic.

Silvestre Herrera, 91, a Mexico-born recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, died Monday at his Glendale home, authorities said.

Herrera, who rose in courage and earned a place in history, also wore Mexico's highest honor for valor on the field of battle, making him the only person to earn both.

In 1945, Herrera, an Army private from Arizona, was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving his platoon from machine-gun fire near Mertzwiller, France, not far from the German border.

The private first class with the 36th Infantry Division took out one emplacement, then charged through a minefield toward a second, losing both feet to explosions. The entire eight man German crew threw down its weapons and surrendered.

Visit the Army's "full list" of WWII (g-l) here to see Herrera's official citation.

What people dont see in the photo at the top-left of this post is President Truman congratulating Herrera for his heroism; what is also not seen is the wheelchair this Mexican-American hero had been confined to as a result of his heroism.

Medal of Honor, Silvestre Herrera