José Mendoza López: born in Mexico, raised in Texas. In the Battle of the Bulge, he fought with the veteran 2nd Infantry Division. On 17 December 1944, waves of Waffen SS armor and men descended on his battalion’s positions in the Krinkelter Forest. When all seemed lost and a German breakthrough imminent, Sergeant López prayed and stuck to his heavy machine gun to defend his adopted homeland. He helped stabilize the line, survived the onslaught, and earned the Medal of Honor, the highest award for bravery in the United States military.
