Born in Richmond, Virginia in 1916, Ernest Dervishian was the son of Armenian immigrants. He enlisted in the Army in September 1941. By 1944 he had risen to technical sergeant (T/SGT). In May 1944, Dervishian was helping lead platoon-sized operations in the field as forces approached Rome. While leading a small group of Soldiers in advance of his company, T/SGT Dervishian and his men encountered Germans holding several strong defensive positions. During the next several hours, Dervishian repeatedly led his eight men in assaults on the Germans, engaging in close combat. His indomitable courage and leadership resulted in the elimination of six German positions and the capture of more than 50 prisoners. Dervishian received the Medal of Honor for his actions along with a battlefield promotion to second lieutenant. He left the service with that rank at the war’s end and returned to Richmond, where he lived and worked the rest of his life. Ernest Dervishian represents the many Americans who answered the call to service and whose prodigious courage, tactical skill, and battlefield adaptation helped turn the tide of war in Western Europe.