Lester Boudreaux - American Hero

This information was sent to me by email from Uncle Lester's son Frank Boudreaux who has done extensive research into his dad's Army records.
"Without a doubt he was a true American Hero!" - Paul Martel
"Here's the detailed info on my Dad's awards
He was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Medal with three Bronze Stars, Occupation Medal, World War II Victory Medal  and Army Combat infantry badge. .
He was assigned to 5th Platoon,Company C, 394th Infantry Regiment, attached to an armored unit and they were honored with the Belgian Fouragere and the Distinctive Unit Citation."
- Frank Boudreaux - July 31, 2007
Click image to go to Awards Page.
After my mother died I found Uncle Lester's dogtag and what survived of his medals. I also found his discharge papers. (click to enlarge)
I bought the book Blood for Dignity and have begun to read it. I scanned some parts of the book which pertained to my Uncle Lester so click on this sentence to see them. Below are my comments about the book and what should have been written about my Uncle Lester.
Lester Boudreaux was characterized in the book Blood for Dignity as a wild, crazy cajun who was eager to engage Germans in combat and who had no trouble killing them. Uncle Lester died in 1947 shortly after the war in the year that I was born. He was a young man when he went off to fight the Nazis in World War II, and I can imagine that he was a colorful character. But the fact is that he was a hero, a fact which was not even mentioned in the book. Perhaps his youthful antics were more memorable.

When we were young we had been told how Uncle Lester had put his life at risk to save another soldier, how he had gone out on the battlefield under enemy fire and how he had gotten shot in the stomach, how in spite of his wounds, he had pulled the soldier back to safety, and that is why he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Why this was not mentioned in the book, I am not sure, but we were always taught that our Uncle Lester was courageous in battle and willing to sacrifice his own life to save another - truly an American Hero!
- Paul Martel July 2007