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Dirk John Vlug (August 20, 1916 – June 25, 1996) 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

Vlug joined the Army from Grand Rapids, Michigan in April 1941. On December 15, 1944, while serving as a private first class in the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, near Limon in the Philippine province of Leyte, Vlug single-handedly destroyed five enemy tanks. For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor on June 26, 1946. He left the army and joined the Michigan National Guard in May 1949, retiring with the rank of Master Sergeant in January 1951.

Vlug died at age 79 and interred in Greenwood Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II

References

1. Hall of Valor
2. WWII Army Enlistment Records
3. tara (2020-08-21). "This Day in History: Dirk J. Vlug's one-man attack on enemy tanks". Taraross. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
4. "Dirk J. Vlug | World War II | U.S. Army | Medal of Honor Recipient". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
5. Michigan Department of Military & Veterans Affairs Archived October 18, 2012, at the Wayback Machine

External links

• "Dirk J. Vlug". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 2007-09-18.
• "Medal of Honor recipients - World War II (T–Z)". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on June 7, 1997. Retrieved June 8, 2009.

• 1916 births
• 1996 deaths
• American people of Dutch descent
• United States Army personnel of World War II
• United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
• People from Grand Rapids, Michigan
• United States Army soldiers
• World War II recipients of the Medal of Honor
• People from Maple Lake, Minnesota
• Military personnel from Minnesota