Matt Louis Urban (August 25, 1919 – March 4, 1995) was a United States Army lieutenant colonel and one of the most decorated American soldiers of World War II. Urban performed valiantly in combat on many occasions despite being wounded in action several times. He received over a dozen personal decorations for combat from the U.S. Army, including seven Purple Hearts. In 1980, he received the Medal of Honor and three other U.S. decorations and one foreign decoration for his actions in France and Belgium in 1944. Early years Matt Urban was born Matthew Louis Urbanowicz in Buffalo, New York. His father Stanley was a Polish immigrant and a plumbing contractor. His mother Helen was born in Depew, New York. Urban was baptized at Corpus Christi Church and lived at 1153 Broadway while growing up. He attended East High School in Buffalo, and graduated in 1937. He had three brothers: Doctor Stanley (Urbanowicz) Urban, Arthur (Urbanowicz) Urban, and Eugene, who died in 1927 from appendicitis. In the fall of 1937, Urban enrolled at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He majored in history and government with a minor in community recreation. He graduated on June 14, 1941, with a Bachelor of Arts degree; during his last year, he used the name Matty L. Urbanowitz. While at Cornell University, he was a member of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), the track and boxing teams, and the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity. Military service The U.S. Army service records for Urban use both "Matt Urban" and "Matty Louis (L.) Urbanowitz". The name "Matt Louis Urban" was engraved on the front of his original white Arlington National Cemetery headstone. His current and private grave monument at Arlington National Cemetery uses the name "Matt L. Urban". Urban was commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry in the U.S. Army on May 22, 1941, and entered active duty on July 2, 1941, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He first assignment was as a platoon leader of D Company, 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. While at Fort Bragg, he founded the newsletter for the 60th Infantry. World War II Urban served as a first lieutenant and captain in six campaigns during World War II, and was severely wounded his seventh time while charging an enemy machine gun position on 3 September 1944, in Belgium. He was promoted to first lieutenant on February 1, 1942,