Fellow Americans:

Lt. Col. Matt Louis Urban has the distinction, along with Capt. Audie Murphy, of being the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II. According to the Total Army Personnel Command in Alexandria, Virginia, both Urban and Murphy each received 29 decorations, including the Congressional Medal of Honor. In 2000, the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp that honored Audie Murphy as well as three other American combat heroes of World Wars I and II.

Urban's story is unusual in that he received the Congressional Medal of Honor not only because of one, two, or three displays of battlefield courage above and beyond the call of duty but also because he uniquely "distinguished himself by a series of bold, heroic actions, exemplified by singularly outstanding combat leadership, personal bravery, and tenacious devotion to duty, during the period from 14 June to 3 September 1944," as stated in his Congressional Medal of Honor citation, in at least five separate battles at Renouf, Orglandes, and St. Lô in France as well as in Heer, Belgium, during which he was wounded several times and for which he received seven Purple Hearts.

By signing this petition, you and your fellow Americans are requesting that in the year 2005 the United States Postal Service issues a commemorative stamp to honor this national, one-of-a-kind, World War II combat hero, a Polish American who was born in Buffalo, NY in 1919 and laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery in March, 1995. Let's honor him for his unmatched combat achievements while the memory of World War II is still alive. Thank you.