The Army veteran considered the nation's most decorated soldier died Saturday in a Holland, Mich., hospital.
Retired Lt. Col. Matt Urban, 75, was a World War II hero who earned seven Purple Hearts, the Legion of Merit, the Croix de Guerre with a Silver Star, and the Congressional Medal of Honor, died of a collapsed lung, according to a hospital nursing superviser.Urban collapsed while working in his office Feb. 24 and had been on life support systems at Holland Hospital until his death Saturday morning.
Since retiring as Holland recreation director five years ago, Urban had traveled nationwide to speak to veterans groups. He wrote an autobiography, "The Matt Urban Story: Our Most Decorated Combat Soldier."
Urban's raspy voice was the result of a bullet wound to the neck. He was shot during a gun battle between U.S. and German infantry.
After his neck wound, Army doctors gave Urban no hope for survival. But he recovered two years later with damaged vocal cords.
Urban received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Jimmy Carter years after he was recommended for the honor. Officials learned years after the recommendation that they mistakenly overlooked awarding the medal to Urban.