Alejandro R Ruiz
26 Jun 1923 - 20 Nov 2009
26 Jun 1923 - 20 Nov 2009
ZUI this article from the Visalia (California) Times-Delta:
Visalia native Alejandro Ruiz and his U.S. Army platoon were caught in an ambush in Okinawa, Japan, during World War II. Trapped in a ravine, the soldiers were pinned down by Japanese fire.
Ruiz's response? He picked up a gun and ran toward the Japanese, said his daughter, Celia Ruiz. When the weapon jammed, the private clubbed two soldiers with the weapon, ran back, tested several guns and charged a second time, she said.
"He miraculously escaped serious injury," she said.
For his bravery during the 1945 incident, Alejandro Ruiz received the Medal of Honor — the highest award for valor in action — from President Harry Truman.
Alejandro Ruiz died Friday from heart failure complications in Yountville. He was 85 years old.
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ALEJANDRO RENTERIA RUIZ
Private First Class, US Army; 165th Infantry, 27th Infantry Division
Born: Loving, New Mexico, 26 June 1923
Died: Yountville, California, 20 November 2009
