The Day of Days, June 6th, 1944, John J. Pinder, a Technician Fifth Grade was carrying a radio. Just that, a radio. Look, we love the idea of slaying bodies just as much as the next guy, but having solid communications, well that's a pretty big deal when the landing troops are trying to adjust the fire of the naval gunfire or establish communication with other units.Landing about 100 yards offshore, John J. Pinder had to wade through waist-deep water with a big ass heavy radio. That doesn't sound so bad right? Until you start to really contemplate what that meant. Radio is heavy, slows down his movement. Waist deep water, folks don't exactly move fast in waist deep water, so he's even slower. Also, there are guys with machine guns trying to kill him. So you've got a slow-moving man with an essential piece of equipment, making his way towards the shore as all sorts of hell is being unleashed around him. Got it? Understand the picture? Good.As he made his way to shore, he was struck by an enemy round. But he kept going. John never waivered and delivered the radio to the shore. Job was done, right? Nope. Despite being in a relatively safe position after having delivered the first radio, John J. Pinder ventured out once again to the shoreline to retrieve other communication gear. He delivered that as well.

Friendly forces could now accurately call for fire to rain down on the defenders of the beach. Naval gunfire was devastating, a lesson the Nazis learned in Italy. Removing the ability to communicate was essential for the defenders of the beach to turn away the Allied invasion. That's why these radios were so vital. That's why John kept risking his life to get them to the men who needed them most.[caption id="attachment_17767" align="aligncenter" width="504"]

Man-portable radio, most likely carried by John J. Pinder on D-Day. Weight approx. 15 pounds.[/caption]On his third trek out to retrieve more vital equipment, John J. Pinder was struck again by enemy fire. This, coupled with his other grievous wounds resulted in the death of John J. Pinder. For his unselfishness and dedication to duty, John J. Pinder was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on the beaches of Normandy. One last thing we'd like to mention, Pinder was a professional baseball player as well, a pitcher who threw his last game August 28th, 1941 with a win over the Tallassee Indians, 7-1.Read more stories of American Grit:

KENNETH A. WALSH: ACES HIGH

JOHN HANCOCK: LARGE AND IN CHARGE

KRIS PARONTO: CARGO SHORTS ARE FOR KILLING BAD GUYS