Bernard Pius Bell (December 29, 1911-January 8, 1971) was
awarded the Medal of Honor for his part in a World War II battle
in which he took more than 30 German soldiers prisoner. Bell was
born at Grantsville, Calhoun County, but his family moved to
Point Pleasant a year later. He enlisted in the Army in 1942 and
earned the rank of technical sergeant, serving with Company I,
142nd Infantry, 36th Infantry Division. In early December 1944,
the division’s task was to assist the French army in liberating
the city of Colmar from German forces. On December 18, 1944,
Bell and his eight-man squad set out to capture an enemy-
occupied schoolhouse near Mittelwihr. After securing the
schoolhouse, Bell and his squad held their position against
persistent enemy attack. During the fight, Bell exposed himself
to enemy fire to maintain possession of the schoolhouse and
killed more than 20 German troops and took 33 captive. President
Harry Truman awarded him the Medal of Honor in August 1945. Bell
worked for the Veteran’s Admin