On Dec. 7, 1944, Pfc. Dirk Vlug was manning a critical roadblock on a strategically important road in the Philippines when the Japanese launched an assault against his position with 5 tanks

On Dec. 7, 1944, American troops from the 77th Infantry Division made an amphibious landing just 3.5 miles from Ormoc City. Eight days later, on Dec. 15, Vlug was manning a roadblock along the main road into the city when five Japanese tanks attacked his position with machine guns and 37 mm heavy guns. Preventing those Japanese tanks from getting to the battle raging at Ormoc Bay was crucial, so Vlug took matters into his own hands. Specifically, he picked up a rocket launcher.

As bullets whizzed by, he singlehandedly loaded the launcher and destroyed the first tank with one round, killing everyone inside. It caused the crew of the second tank to dismount and assault him, but after he shot one of them with his sidearm, the rest of the crew ran back to their tank. Once they were inside, Vlug destroyed it with another shot. Three more tanks tried to move along the road, but as they lumbered ahead, Vlug simply flanked them and took out one more with a single shot.

The remaining tanks concentrated their fire on Vlug in a desperate attempt to survive their encounter with him, but the private just moved in closer to get a better shot. After destroying that fourth tank, he hit the last Japanese tank so hard, it fell into the embankment next to the road. The entire encounter was over in just 30 minutes.

"Through his sustained heroism in the face of superior forces, Private First Class Vlug alone destroyed five enemy tanks and greatly facilitated successful accomplishment of his battalion's mission," according to his Medal of Honor citation.

Vlug survived World War II and was discharged on June 14, 1945, returning to his hometown in Michigan and joining the Michigan National Guard. In 1946, he was notified that he would receive the Medal of Honor for his heroic stand against five Japanese tanks in the Philippines. It was presented to him by President Harry S. Truman on June 7, 1946, at the White House.

https://www.military.com/history/medal-of-honor-recipient-who-took-5-tanks-philippines-and-won.html