Unbelievable Temperature Swing in Small Wisconsin Town

North of LaCrosse, WI, and south of Eau Claire, WI, is a town called Black River Falls, population, about 3,550. It started out as a lumber town and today lumber is still a big thing there, but tourism and agriculture are bigger. And this past Saturday is bigger yet.

That's the day they record a temperature swing from 6 degrees to 49 degrees! A 43-degree change in one day. Not bad, not bad at all. It was caused by the huge evergreen forest nearby (the evergreens hold in the heat).

Looking up the town, tho, I found out something inspiring. Black River Falls is the home to a Medal of Honor recipient Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr, a Ho-Chunk Native American. According to the US ARMY, it was November 5th, 1950...

A Chinese assault force made a coordinated attack...from the rear, caught many asleep, and killed them on the spot. Others they shot in the head. Red Cloud gave Company E its first alarm from his position on the ridge and a group of Chinese burst suddenly from brush about 100 feet away and rushed him.

Red Cloud sprang up and with his rifle poured intense and accurate fire into the onrushing enemy.

He kept up this fire with "utter fearlessness," according to the citation, and when enemy rounds socked into his body he fell, and, refusing help, got himself up, wrapped an arm around a small tree, and continued his point-blank fire until he fell for the last time.

Later, American officers found Chinese dead in front of Red Cloud's body.

To me, THIS is why the internet was invented. Writing a story about temperatures, and I end up learning about a United States hero.

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