This is one of my favorite Medal of Honor stories. Read the citation at the bottom.
This is the image in particular that I love, even though it is just part of his very courageous action that day:
He struggled to his feet and returned to the howitzer, which was burning furiously. Ignoring repeated warnings to seek cover, Sgt. Davis rammed a shell into the gun. Disregarding a withering hail of enemy fire directed against his position, he aimed and fired the howitzer which rolled backward, knocking Sgt. Davis violently to the ground. Undaunted, he returned to the weapon to fire again when an enemy mortar round exploded within 20 meters of his position, injuring him painfully. Nevertheless, Sgt. Davis loaded the artillery piece, aimed and fired. Again he was knocked down by the recoil. In complete disregard for his safety, Sgt. Davis loaded and fired 3 more shells into the enemy.
The cannon is on fire, not really ready to be fired, and he fires it anyway. It knocks him on his ass (one of the rounds broke his back, which he did not realize until the action was over, at which point he fainted, which is not in this story), he gets up and DOES IT AGAIN. AND AGAIN, 4 MORE TIMES. Beautiful.
What they also did not mention here is that the rounds–this is my recollection, but I believe an accurate one–were flechette, anti-personal rounds. His heroism may well have kept their remote position from being overrun.
That’s the way you do it.