Sam W Pollard, Feb. 20, 1921 to Feb. 16, 2009 Began his career as a postal carrier in 1950, retired in 1980. To everyone who met him he appeared to be just like any other postal carrier. He did his job delivering mail on a rural route he raised his family, he lived his life in the small farming community of Parma Idaho. He never talked about his service in the US Army, few if any would have suspected that behind the large steel framed eye glasses, under the postal hat was a true hero, a man that saved many lives. Sam enlisted in the US Army in 1942 and was assigned to the 3rd Division, Company F, 7th Infantry Regiment. The Distinguished Service Cross citation read; For extraordinary heroism in action on May 25 1944, in Cisterna di Litteria, Italy. As acting mortar section leader, Sergeant Pollard, on his own initiative, organized a nine-man patrol to clean out a sniper nest. Instructing his men to provide cover, he assaulted the first house with a Thompson submachine gun and took four prisoners. Sergeant Pollard then proceeded to search every house on the street, braving intense machine gun, machine pistols, and rifle fire. Aware that an enemy force was delivering heavy fire from the last house on the street, Sergeant Pollard nevertheless charged across 20 yards of open space, discharging his gun as he ran. With streams of bullets barely missing him, he entered through a large hole in the house and wounded three enemy soldiers. Putting a new magazine in his weapon, he fired through an open doorway and captured 20 more of the enemy. After turning the prisoners over to guards, Sergeant Pollard led four men on an other area of the street. As he came to the last house, he observed three soldiers descending into a ditch and disappear into a large tunnel. Going forward to the mouth tunnel alone, Sergeant Pollard fired into the tunnel and called on the enemy to surrender. Enemy soldiers numbering 107 filed out and surrendered, bringing the total of prisoners to 134. A common man who preformed uncommon act's of bravery, returned home after the war, and lived a honorable life. RIP Sam W. Pollard, a nation owes you more then we can repay, but you never sent a bill, you never asked for payment. God Bless You
