Answer: Shrapnel struck the knife on his back, which sliced his left shoulder.
Step-by-step explanation:
Earl W. Chellis Jr., was an Army veteran, D-Day survivor and a Purple Heart recipient two times over.
He was one of the first men on Omaha beach during the D-Day invasions of Normandy in 1944 when he was just 19.
Just a few minutes after landing he was struck by shrapnel which caused the knife he was carrying on his back to slice through his shoulder. Upon seeing this a medic insisted that he go back to England to get treated.
Mr Chellis refused and said THAT HE HAD JUST ARRIVED AND WOULD NOT BE GOING BACK SO SOON. He stayed and he fought on with that injury, a feat which earned him a Purple Heart. He evidently survived D-Day and got to celebrate his birthday the next day.