This Day in History: Joseph Muller's bravery at Okinawa

On this day in 1908, a hero is born.  Joseph Edward Muller would go on to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions in World War II.

Like so many other heroes in that generation, Muller came from modest beginnings. The Massachusetts native was the 4th of 11 kids, and he’d struggled to help his family as a young man, at least in part because his father had died of the flu when he was just ten years old.

“I didn’t see much of my brother during the depression years,” one of his brothers would later say. “Unable to find work, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, moving from camp to camp.”

Muller’s heroism came on May 15, 1945, in Okinawa. His platoon had become pinned down by the enemy. Or, at least, they were until Muller swung into action.

He directed his men to various points where they would be able to fire on the enemy once he’d flushed them out, then he ran forward.

“[T]hrough the vicious machine-gun and automatic fire,” his Medal citation describes, “crawling forward alone, he suddenly jumped up, hurled his grenades, charged the enemy, and drove them into the open where his squad shot them down.”

One of the enemy tried to re-man a machine gun, but Muller wasn’t going to let that happen. He again hurled himself at the Japanese soldiers, killing four of the enemy singlehandedly.

The conflict continued the next morning when the enemy renewed their attack just before dawn.

Muller again threw himself into harm’s way, working to flush out the enemy. Then he turned back to his foxhole, ready to rejoin his men.

His Medal citation describes what happened next.

“As he moved into his foxhole shared with two other men, a lone enemy, who had been feigning death, threw a grenade. Quickly seeing the danger to his companions, Sgt. Muller threw himself over it and smothered the blast with his body.”

His fellow soldiers could not believe what they had just witnessed.

“A Jap faking death jumped up and threw a grenade in the foxhole before we could get him,” one described. “Muller threw himself down on it just as it went off. He died a little later. We can thank him that we are still alive.”

Muller’s family would receive his Medal of Honor a little over a year later. His state sent a representative to that ceremony. Massachusetts was proud!

“[B]y his outstanding service and fearless sacrifice,” a state’s representative said, “Sgt. Muller has earned the everlasting gratitude of all those who today and through all future generations shall enjoy the blessings of freedom. Sgt. Muller’s record will be made a part of the permanent military archives of this commonwealth so that future generations may know how heroically our American tradition of bravery was exemplified by a son of Massachusetts.”

Another story of selflessness from the Greatest Generation. Rest in peace, Sir.

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Primary Sources:

• Bridge Bears Name of World War II Hero (Transcript Telegram; July 25, 1985) (p. 20)

• Duane Vachon, Greater love Hath No Man—Sgt. Joseph E. Muller, U.S. Army, WW II, Medal of Honor (1908-1945) (Hawaii Reporter; Sept. 27, 2015)

• Holyoke Hero Who Snuffed Grenade with Body Honored (The Republican; July 19, 1946) (p. 1)

• Medal in Place of Honor (The Republican; April 29, 2004) (p. A1)

• Medal of Honor citation (Joseph E. Muller; WWII)

• Meredith Passa, The Hero Behind the Muller Bridge (The Republican; Feb. 8, 1996) (p. 3)

• Mother of Holyoke Hero Gets Congressional Medal (Morning Union; Aug. 19, 1946) (p. 1)

• Sgt. Joseph E. Muller (Naval History and Heritage Command)

• Threw Himself on Grenade: Dedicate Plaque to Heroic Sgt. Muller on New South Hadley-Holyoke Bridge (Transcript Telegram; Dec. 18, 1961) (p. 17)