Lucian Adams

Lucian Adams
Lucian Adams, Medal of Honor recipient
Born	(1922-10-26)October 26, 1922 Port Arthur, Texas
Died	March 31, 2003(2003-03-31) (aged 80) San Antonio, Texas
Place of burial	Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1943 – 1945
Rank	Staff Sergeant
Unit	3rd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Medal of Honor Bronze Star Purple Heart
Other work	Veterans Administration

Staff Sergeant Lucian Adams (October 26, 1922 – March 31, 2003) was a United States Army soldier during World War II who received the Medal of Honor for single-handedly destroying enemy machine gun emplacements to re-establish supply lines to U.S. Army companies. He also received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his heroic actions in Italy.

Lucian Adams was born on October 26, 1922, in Port Arthur, Texas. He was one of twelve children from a large Mexican American family. He attended Port Arthur High School. Adams enlisted in the Army in February 1943 after spending two years in a wartime plant making landing craft- Just like the ones that would carry him to the shores of Italy then France in the American invasion of Europe.

In the summer of 1944, the 3rd Infantry Division landed near St Tropez in the South of France and began advancing into central France. By late October, Adam's company was near the town of Saint-Die in the Mortagne forest, moving down a country road to open a supply line to two assault companies of his battalion that were cut off by the Germans.When stopped by heavy enemy fire, Adams, was sent forward to scout the German position and reported three enemy machine-gun nests to his company commander. He was then told "You go on out there and make a breakthrough to get those GIs".

Carrying a borrowed Browning Automatic Rifle, Adams began walking with his men down the road, which was heavily wooded on both sides. They had advanced just ten yards before the German machine guns opened fire, killing three men immediately and wounding six others. The rest of the men except Adams took cover. Adams pressed forward moving from tree to tree straight through enemy fire to kill the first gunner with a grenade. When another German popped up from a foxhole a few yards away, Adams killed him with fire from the BAR. Charging into the fire of the second machine gun, he killed its gunner with another grenade and forced its two supporting infantrymen to surrender. He then ran deeper into the woods; killing five more Germans. He then began taking fire from the third machine gunner who missed his mark; Adams didn't. He killed the gunner, and by the time Adams finished his one-man rampage, he had cleared the woods of enemy soldiers. Adams' men began calling him the Tornado from Texas.