Batavia Downs Casino will honour a decorated World War II hero with the Lt. Col. Matt Louis Urban Memorial Trot on Veterans Day, November 11.

Urban was a United States Army infantry officer who served with distinction in the African and European Theater of Operations in World War II. He was awarded over a dozen combat decorations by the Army. In 1980 he was awarded and presented the Medal of Honor by President Carter.

He served with the 2nd battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry division.

The Guinness Book of World Records in 1989 considered Urban to be the United States Army’s most combat decorated soldier of World War II.

He attended Buffalo East High and graduated from Cornell University in 1941. Urban died in 1995 at age 76.

The seventh race on Friday night, the $8,100 Open Trot, has been named in Urban’s honour.

(Batavia)