On 7 Nov 1942, Sgt Herbert Thomas led his squad through dense jungle on Bougainville in the face of tremendous hostile fire, advancing toward the center of the enemy’s position and wiping out two Japanese machine gun crews in one fell swoop. Discovering a third, Thomas positioned his men around it, pulled the pin on a grenade and launched it. The grenade bounced off a thick overhead vine and landed among his men. Thomas, who only a few years before had sprinted to fame as a collegiate football player, sprinted to save the lives of his Marines, diving on the grenade and covering the explosion with his body.