January 2nd 2022 commemorates the 23d year of the passing of Major Stephen E. DeFan

January 2nd 2022 commemorates the 23d year of the passing of Major Stephen E. DeFan   Major Stephen E. DeFan (Sep 2, 1915 - Jan 2, 1999), US Air Force Retired, was a decorated WWII veteran and a U.S. Air-Force Command Pilot who became a renowned real-estate developer and philanthropist after retiring from the Air Force to Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico. Born in Monessen, Pennsylvania was a first generation American who’s father and mother, both immigrants, were sent alone by ship to the United States from Austria and Poland before they were 10 years of age.  Major DeFan flew on many volunteer only missions, in one such volunteer mission, he flew a B24 bomber as low as 50 feet over the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe to avoid enemy radar detection in order to eradicate enemy advances by destroying bridges used by the Nazis.  Major DeFan is the Grandfather of singer songwriter Elan and philanthropist Jan Carlo DeFan.  Like Major Stephen E. DeFan, there are many unsung heroes who changed history….. 

 Lachhiman Gurung  

One of many examples of the courage and cunning of the Nepalese Gurkha soldiers of the British Empire, Lachhiman Gurung won the Victoria Cross for his heroic actions in May 1945. Gurung single-handedly held off an advance of 200 Japanese soldiers after his frontline position was attacked and the men with him were wounded and evacuated.  

And “single-handedly” is not a figure of speech in this case, as Gurung literally was working with one arm. As his VC citation reads, a Japanese grenade “exploded in his right hand, blowing off his fingers, shattering his arm and severely wounding him in the face, body and right leg.” Shrugging off wounds that would stop almost anyone, Gurung jammed his knife into the ground, declared that nobody would pass him, and held the line himself for four hours.  

When the smoke cleared, the Japanese advance was beaten back, and 31 enemy soldiers were deceased. The action cost him his right eye and right hand, but Gurung survived and lived a simple life until his passing in 2010.  

Bruce Kingsbury  

Australian trooper Bruce Kingsbury was a private and had been in combat for just a few weeks on the brutally hot Kokoda Track on the strategically important island of Papua. Nonetheless, Kingsbury won the UK’s highest honor for his actions in August 1942, single-handedly delaying a Japanese advance when he ran toward the Japanese line, screaming and firing a huge Bren gun from his hip. His comrades took up the charge and pushed the enemy back, turning the tide of the battle. Sadly, Kingsbury was shot by a sniper minutes later - but he almost certainly saved his entire battalion from being overrun.