Charles Coolidge Jr. Medal of Honor Heroism at La Croix de Metz

Feb 06 , 2026

Charles Coolidge Jr. Medal of Honor Heroism at La Croix de Metz

The rain fell heavy, swallowing the blood and grit beneath a darkened sky. Men scrambled through the French woods, bullets peppering every shadow. At the heart of that chaos stood First Sergeant Charles Coolidge Jr.—alone, relentless, unbroken. His voice cut like a razor through the din, pulling his men forward, inch by bloody inch.

The Soul Behind the Rifle

Charles Coolidge Jr. was forged in the flame of rural Tennessee, where faith and hard work were the currency of survival. Raised in a humble household grounded in Lutheran teaching, he carried a quiet conviction: courage wasn’t the absence of fear, but defiance in its face.

His personal code was carved from scripture and sacrifice:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

This creed became his backbone as Europe tore itself apart in the summer of 1944. He never sought glory; instead, he bore solemn responsibility—for each man beside him, for the mission, and for the weight of freedom carried in his hands.

The Battle That Defined Him

The date was August 9, 1944. Coolidge served as First Sergeant of a company in the 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division—“Texas Division,” hell-bent on breaching the German lines near La Croix de Metz, France.

The enemy’s fire was merciless. Machine guns barked from entrenched positions. Mortars rained death from above. Nightmarish terrain stretched like a death trap, dotted with barbed wire and shattered trees.

Coolidge’s rifle cracked overhead as he led his men through the carnage. When the company commander fell, wounds pinning soldiers to the dirt, Coolidge didn’t hesitate. He stepped up, rallying the bloodied survivors.

Under blistering fire, he organized an aggressive assault on a seemingly impregnable hill. Slinging grenades, leading assaults, personally silencing multiple enemy nests, he drove the hostile forces from their stronghold.

Exhausted and bleeding, he refused to quit. His determination was the line between annihilation and survival— a steady trench in the shifting chaos.

His citation for the Medal of Honor states:

“First Sergeant Coolidge’s extraordinary heroism and leadership inspired his men to hold the hill despite repeated counterattacks and heavy casualties.”

During the action, he suffered multiple wounds but stayed at the front until the objective was secure. When the fight was over, survivors counted 35 German dead attributed to his patrol alone.

Recognition Carved in Valor

The Medal of Honor arrived after Coolidge’s relentless service, the highest tribute for his gallantry. Every decoration came with the cost of witnessing friends fall under hailstorms of bullets.

General George S. Patton remarked on the soldiers of the 36th Division, praising their grit. Though not speaking of Coolidge by name, the praise reflected the unit’s backbone—their tough-as-nails noncoms like Coolidge who stood firm in hell’s grip.

Comrades recalled his steadiness in terror’s grip:

“Charles was the anchor. He never let us falter, even when the world was a shrieking pit of fire.” — Private James W. Hopkins, 142nd Infantry Regiment

Blood, Faith, and Legacy

Coolidge's story is raw proof that leadership is more than orders—it's bearing scars others don’t see and pushing forward when surrender feels like the only oxygen left. He fought not for medals but for the men who trusted him with their lives.

He embodied the bitter edge of combat’s sacrifice and the redemptive promise of faith in a broken world.

His life teaches us that courage is hammered by pain and shaped by the choice to stand when falling over seems easier. His battlefields are reminders that valor often requires embracing darkness—with a flicker of something greater pushing you on.

“Without sacrifice, freedom is a hollow word.” Coolidge’s boots left marks deeper than the mud of the French countryside. They carved a legacy of grit, honor, and hope for every soldier walking the perilous line between survival and surrender.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7

Charles Coolidge Jr. finished his fight with relentless faith, a soldier’s legacy inked in courage and the enduring light of redemption.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citations for World War II 2. 36th Infantry Division Historical Society, Combat Actions in France, 1944 3. Veterans Affairs, Charles Coolidge Jr. Military Service Record 4. Patton Memorial Foundation, Patton’s Leadership and the 36th Infantry Division 5. Oral History Collection, Veterans Interviews, 142nd Infantry Regiment, WWII