Matt Louis Urban (August 25, 1919 – March 4, 1995) was a United States Army lieutenant colonel and one of the most decorated American soldiers of World War II. Urban performed valiantly in combat on many occasions despite being wounded in action several times. He received over a dozen personal decorations for combat, including seven Purple Hearts. In 1980, he received the Medal of Honor and three other U.S. decorations and one foreign decoration for his actions in France and Belgium in 1944.
Early years
Matt Urban was born Matthew Louis Urbanowicz in Buffalo, New York. His father Stanley was a Polish immigrant and a plumbing contractor. His mother Helen was born in Depew, New York. Urban was baptized at Corpus Christi Church and lived at 1153 Broadway while growing up. He attended East High School in Buffalo, and graduated in 1937. He had three brothers: Doctor Stanley (Urbanowicz) Urban, Arthur (Urbanowicz) Urban, While at Cornell University, he was a member of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), the track and boxing teams, and the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity.
Military service
The U.S. Army service records for Urban use both "Matt Urban" and "Matty Louis (L.) Urbanowitz". The name "Matt Louis Urban" was engraved on the front of his original white Arlington National Cemetery headstone. His current and private grave monument at Arlington National Cemetery uses the name "Matt L. Urban".
Urban was commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry in the U.S. Army on May 22, 1941, and entered active duty on July 2, 1941, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina., 9th Infantry Division ("Old Reliables").
North Africa
Urban first went into combat when he made the beach landing under fire with another soldier on a raft on November 8, 1942, the first day of the invasion of North Africa, of the North Africa Campaign.
While serving with the Second Battalion, 60th Infantry, he was wounded in action seven times. A member of his unit, Sergeant Earl G. Evans, wrote "the major, only a lieutenant at the time, was wounded in Maknassy, Tunisia and refused to be evacuated. He followed up this refusal by taking out a combat patrol. At another time in Tunisia, our battalion successfully halted a German counterattack, and it was through the major's efforts that we succeeded. As our outfit was falling back, the major held his ground and grabbed the closest German. He killed him with a trench knife, took the German's machine pistol, and fired at the onrushing enemy." Urban's company and battalion successfully spearheaded 4,000 men with pack-mules single file by night, which caught the Germans off guard and caused them to retreat from Troina to the next line of defense at Randazzo.
A battle would have cost hundreds of American lives.
On August 2, Urban was wounded in the chest by a shell fragment that narrowly missed his heart. He again refused to be evacuated to a hospital. On August 6, Wolf was killed in action near Cherbourg, France, and Urban, only 24 years old, assumed command of the battalion. Urban was wounded again by shrapnel on August 15, but remained with his unit.
Belgium
thumb|left|[[60th Infantry Regiment (United States)|60th Infantry soldiers alongside of a Sherman "Rhino" tank in Belgium]]
On September 2, 1944, the 2nd Battalion was assigned to a regiment of another infantry division.
Germany
While getting a pass to Scotland in December, he returned instead to the 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry, which was at Camp Elsenborn, Germany. The U.S. Army then completed the necessary recommendation process to award Urban the Medal of Honor. In 1980, by the direction of the President, the Department of the Army awarded Matt Urban the Medal of Honor, in the name of the Congress. The citation for the medal which was not personally awarded to Urban before this occasion was signed by General Charles de Gaulle in June 1944.
Death
thumb|Urban's grave at Arlington National Cemetery
Urban died on March 4, 1995, in Holland, Michigan, at the age of 75. The cause of death was a collapsed lung, reportedly due to his war injuries. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Military awards and honors
Urban's military awards include fourteen individual decorations for combat: the Medal of Honor, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, three Bronze Star Medals (two for heroism), and seven Purple Hearts. Urban received the following military decorations and awards:
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|colspan="12"|Combat Infantryman Badge
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|colspan="6"| Medal of Honor
|colspan="6"| Silver Star<br>with bronze oak leaf cluster
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|colspan="4"|Legion of Merit
|colspan="4"|Bronze Star Medal<br>with Valor device and two bronze oak leaf clusters
|colspan="4"|Purple Heart<br>with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters
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|colspan="4"|American Defense Service Medal
|colspan="4"|American Campaign Medal
|colspan="4"|European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal<br/>with " silver star and one " bronze star
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|colspan="4"|World War II Victory Medal
|colspan="4"|Croix de Guerre<br>with Star<br>(France)