Clyde Choate, 81; Illinois Legislator Won Medal of Honor
Clyde Choate, 81, an Illinois legislator who earned a Medal of Honor for single-handedly turning back a German tank attack in World War II, died Oct. 5 at a hospital in Carbondale, Ill.
One of 12 children of an Illinois coal miner, Choate joined the Army as a private and rose to staff sergeant. On Oct. 25, 1944, in Bruyeres, France, Choate ordered his men to retreat from an attack of German infantry supported by a tank. But he faced the enemy tank alone and destroyed it with two separate bazooka blasts, preventing the Germans from advancing.
When President Harry S. Truman awarded Choate the Medal of Honor, he suggested the young veteran run for office. He did so in 1946 and remained a prominent Democratic state legislator for 30 years.
Known for his down-to-earth manner, kindness and honesty, Choate served as both majority and minority leader of the Illinois General Assembly.
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