08/17/2026
METAL OF HONOR MONDAY
Today we honor Army Staff Sgt. Stanley Bender, an infantryman whose courage under unimaginable fire helped turn the tide for his brothers‑in‑arms during World War II.
Born in Carlisle, West Virginia, in 1909 to Lithuanian immigrant parents, Bender grew up in a coal‑mining family that understood hard work and sacrifice. He left school after seventh grade, moved with his family to Chicago during the Great Depression, and spent a decade driving trucks before enlisting in the Illinois National Guard in 1939. He would go on to fight across North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and France with the 3rd Infantry Division.
On Aug. 17, 1944, Bender’s company was pinned down by devastating German machine‑gun fire. What he did next remains one of the most fearless acts recorded in WWII:
He climbed onto a disabled tank standing fully exposed for more than two minutes as bullets snapped past him to locate the enemy guns that had halted the advance. After spotting them 200 yards away, he ordered covering fire and led his men down an irrigation ditch through a storm of machine‑gun fire and gr***des.
Then, alone, he advanced across open ground under both enemy and friendly fire.
He walked 40 yards without cover and destroyed the first machine‑gun nest. He pushed through gr***de blasts toward the second position, whose crew fired at him twice. He kept walking. He reached the emplacement and killed the crew.
Bender signaled his men forward, then continued another 35 yards to eliminate an enemy rifleman and help clear the remaining strongpoint. His audacity ignited the entire assault company the men surged out of their positions, overrunning the enemy roadblock, knocking out antitank guns, killing 37 Germans, capturing 26 more, and seizing three bridges over the Maravenne River.
He was 35 years old at the time one of the oldest soldiers in the assault.
After the war, Bender continued serving veterans through the VA, remained active in the American Legion and VFW, and lived a life defined by quiet service. He passed away in 1994, and his Medal of Honor is displayed today at the West Virginia State Museum. Bridges in both West Virginia and France bear his name.
Staff Sgt. Stanley Bender’s courage didn’t just break an enemy line it inspired an entire company to victory.
We honor his bravery.
We remember his sacrifice.
Semper Fidelis.
