Private First Class Jose F. Valdez (January 3, 1925 - February 17, 1945) was a United States Army soldier who posthumously received the Medal of Honor — the United States' highest military decoration — for his actions near Rosenkranz, France, in the Battle of the Colmar Pocket during World War II.
Valdez was a Mexican-American born and raised in Gobernador, New Mexico (today a ghost town). Though he never lived in Utah, he joined the United State...
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Private First Class Jose F. Valdez (January 3, 1925 - February 17, 1945) was a United States Army soldier who posthumously received the Medal of Honor — the United States' highest military decoration — for his actions near Rosenkranz, France, in the Battle of the Colmar Pocket during World War II.
Valdez was a Mexican-American born and raised in Gobernador, New Mexico (today a ghost town). Though he never lived in Utah, he joined the United States Army upon the outbreak of World War II at a recruiting station in Pleasant Grove, Utah in June 1944 (thus officially listed as a Utah Congressional Medal of Honor recipient). After completing his basic training, he was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division.
The 3rd Infantry Division, which was under the command of Major General John W. O'Daniel, fought from North Africa through Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany during World War II. On January 23, 1945, the 3rd Infantry Division was attacking German forces in Alsace as part of the Allied...
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