On 9 Nov 1943, PFC Henry Gurke was in a foxhole on Bougainville with another BAR-man, up against an enemy intent on taking out their two-man position. The shower of Japanese grenades was growing intense. Gurke knew his companion’s automatic weapon had more fire power and could provide the most resistance, so when a hostile missile dropped into their hole, he thrust his comrade aside and threw himself over the explosion. The man whose life Gurke saved continued to defend the position and survived the Pacific Campaign.