Francis Currey was born on June 29, 1925 in Loch Sheldrake, New York. He was orphaned at twelve and raised on a farm outside of Hurleyville, New York, by foster parents. In 1943, Currey graduated from high school and a week later, at the age of 17, he joined the Army.
By mid-December 1944, Francis Currey was fighting at “Battle of the Bulge”.
On December 21, 1944, he was an automatic rifleman with the 3D Platoon defending a strong point near Malmedy, Belgium, when the enemy launched a powerful attack.
Over the next few hours, the automatic rifleman assigned to the 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division, used his M-1 and Browning automatic rifle – along with a bazooka, two machine guns, and dozens of grenades – to stop the assault. Moving to another position, he noticed three Germans inside an enemy-held house, he fired, killing all three with his automatic rifle.
During the attack, he used a bazooka and anti-tank grenades which caused four enemy tank crews to abandon their tanks and retreat, and also enabled him to rescue five comrades who had been pinned down in a building by enemy fire. Miraculously, Currey survived the ordeal, and for his heroic actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
After the war, Currey was discharged from the Army. He returned home and worked as a benefits counselor at a veterans hospital in Albany, NY. This true American hero passed away on October 8, 2019, at age 94. We honor his service. 🇺🇸❤💐Fallen, but not forgotten! 🙏🌹
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