Paul Luther Bolden (June 15, 1922 – May 21, 1979) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. Biography Bolden joined the Army from Madison, Alabama in October 1942, and by December 23, 1944, was serving as a Staff Sergeant in Company E, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division. On that day, at Petit-Coo, Belgium, he and Technical Sergeant Russell N. Snoad advanced on a German-held house. While his comrade provided covering fire from across the street, Bolden tossed grenades through a window, rushed to the door, and began firing. Wounded by the greatly superior number of German soldiers inside, he retreated from the house. Realizing that the Germans would not surrender, he returned to the house despite his serious wounds and killed the remaining soldiers. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor eight months later, on August 23, 1945. Snoad, who was killed in the fighting, was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his valor in combat. Bolden reached the rank of Master Sergeant before leaving the Army. He died at age 56 and was buried in Moon Cemetery, Owens Cross Roads, Alabama. An 18-mile stretch of Alabama State Route 53, from Research Park Boulevard in Huntsville to just south of Ardmore, is designated as the "Paul Luther Bolden Memorial Highway" in his honor. Medal of Honor citation Bolden's official Medal of Honor citation reads: He voluntarily attacked a formidable enemy strong point in Petit-Coo, Belgium, on 23 December 1944, when his company was pinned down by extremely heavy automatic and small-arms fire coming from a house 200 yards to the front. Mortar and tank artillery shells pounded the unit, when S/Sgt. Bolden and a comrade, on their own initiative, moved forward into a hail of bullets to eliminate the ever-increasing fire from the German position. Crawling ahead to close with what they knew was a powerfully armed, vastly superior force, the pair reached the house and took up assault positions, S/Sgt. Bolden under a window, his comrade across the street where he could deliver covering fire. In rapid succession, S/Sgt. Bolden hurled a fragmentation grenade and a white phosphorus grenade into the building; and then, fully realizing that he faced tremendous odds, rushed to the door, threw it open and fired into 35 SS troopers who were