Page:Eyewitness Statement of Tex Gray, Company D, Second Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division - NARA - 305378.jpg



Late in the day of 21 February when our company had cleared much of the enemy resistance and we had approached their final lines I was moving in a trench trying to close in on a bunker when enemy fire wounded me in the shoulder. The trench was so narrow that the only way I would have been able to get out would have been by pushing up on the shoulder that was wounded. And I couldn't do this so I was trapped and enemy fire was still coming in at me. Just then I saw Sgt Hooper running across the field toward me with bullets hitting all around him. When he got to me he set his rifle down and I noticed it wasn't even loaded. He got into the trench to help me out and the bullets were landing right next to us. Just then someone tossed him a .45 caliber pistol and he caught it. But he set it down so that he could lift me up. Just as he did, a VC sprang up out of nowhere and aimed his rifle right at Sgt Hooper's head. But Sgt Hooper grabbed the pistol and shot the VC about five times. The .45 tore gaping holes in the VC and there wasn't much left of him. Then Sgt Hooper carried me back to safety after saving my life twice.