Staff Sergeant Maynard H. "Snuffy" Smith

On May 1, 1943, during his first combat mission over Nazi-occupied France, Staff Sergeant Maynard H. "Snuffy" Smith's B-17 Flying Fortress sustained heavy enemy fire, igniting a massive onboard fire. Despite being wounded, Smith extinguished the flames, treated an injured crewmember, manned defensive guns against repeated fighter attacks, and jettisoned exploding ammunition from the aircraft. His extraordinary courage saved the aircraft and its crew, allowing them to return safely to England. Smith became the first enlisted member of the Army Air Forces to receive the Medal of Honor during World War II.