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TAPS
Fading light dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky,
Gleaming bright.
From afar drawing nigh,
Falls the night.
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, From the hills,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.
Then good night, Peaceful night,
Till the light of the dawn
Shineth bright,
God is near, do not fear,
Friend, good night. |
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BORN:
August 27, 1916 at Braddock Township, PA
Entered Service in the US
Army from Wilkinsburg, PA
Earned the Medal of Honor during World War II For heroism on
January 29, 1945 at Holzheim, Belgium
DIED: November
20, 1992 at the age of 76
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When the company
executive officer became a casualty, First Sergeant Funk
immediately assumed his duties, forming headquarters soldiers into
a combat unit for an assault in the face of direct artillery
shelling and harassing fire from the right flank. Under his
skillful and courageous leadership, this miscellaneous group
attacked 15 houses, cleared them, and took 30 prisoners without
suffering a casualty. His company quickly overran Holzheim,
netting 80 prisoners, who were placed under a four-man guard,
while the rest of the under-strength unit went about mopping up
isolated points of resistance. An enemy patrol succeeded in
capturing the guards and freeing the prisoners, when First
Sergeant Funk walked around the building and into their midst. He
was ordered to surrender by a German officer who pushed a pistol
into his stomach. Outnumbered and facing almost certain death, he
pretending to comply and began to unsling his submachine gun from
his shoulder and then, with lightning motion, brought the muzzle
into line and riddled the German officer. He turned upon the other
Germans, firing and shouting to the other Americans to seize their
weapons. In the ensuing fight 21 Germans were killed, many
wounded, and the remainder captured.
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