A Chicago soldier in Italy is alive today thanks to the heroism of Sgt. George S. Paudel of 6332 60th Place, Ridgewood.
The soldier is Pvt. George Kurtovich, who was bleeding to death from a stomach wound at Cassino when Sergeant Paudel noticed him and fought through 200 yards of withering fire to drag back the wounded man.
“Without thought of his own danger,” declares a War Department report, “Sergeant Paudel began a dangerous crawl to his buddy. Snipers found him in their sights. A bullet zipped across his nose, tearing open the skin. Another bullet ripped into his forearm. Still, he kept going.”
Paudel reached the wounded man and then began the task of dragging him back across the bullet-swept field and up a steep embankment.
“The enemy covered the whole position with fire,” continues the report. “They could not attempt traveling. Paudel kept a dangerous vigil over the man he rescued. Finally, darkness and the litter-bearers came. The two men were evacuated.”
A graduate of Newtown High School, Sergeant Paudel, 23, enlisted four years ago and has been overseas since October 1943.
