CHAPTER XXXII

AMERICAN HEROES

EROES were in every division of the American troops fighting in France. Decorations were far too few

to do justice to those whose heroisms wrested strong positions from the enemy, rescued wounded comrades and, by the flaming torch of their example, fired others to deeds of glorious sacrifice. Only a fraction of these heroisms could be recognized by citations and decorations.

The highest form of recognition established by the United States Government is the Congressional Medal of Honor. Seventy-eight of these prized decorations were awarded among the 1,200,000 soldiers who engaged in battles against the Teutonic Allies.

Of the seventy-eight who won the honor, which is given only to those who achieve an act of supreme courage, or as it is officially expressed in general orders, to those who in action have fought with "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty," seventy-six were Americans, one was an Englishman, and one was a Norwegian. For every 15,400 soldiers who were in action one received the Medal of Honor.

The table that follows gives the statistical story of the. Medal of Honor by divisions:

Fifty-seven of the number were enlisted men and twentyone were officers. The division which made the best showing in the awards was the 30th, the National Guard organization of the Carolinas and Tennessee. Second honors go to the 89th Division, which is the selective draft unit of western Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, South Dakota, and New Mexico; the third largest is in the 33d, or National Guard, Division of Illinois. Fourth honors go to the famous 2d

AMERICAN PARTICIPATION IN THE ALLIED OFFENSIVES OF 1918

Division of regulars, which includes the marines, while fifth place is shared by the two New York divisions, the 27th and 77th.

The other awards were two to soldiers of the Tank Corps and one to Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr., an aviator.

The table by states shows that New York leads with nine, Illinois is second with seven, and California, Missouri, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Tennessee share third honors with six each. Thirty-nine of the medals went to men of the

National Guard divisions, twenty-three to soldiers of the selective draft organizations, thirteen to regular army and marine units, two to the Tank Corps, and one to the Air Service.

The names of the soldiers, alphabetically arranged, to whom the Medal of Honor was awarded, follow:

ADKINSON, JOSEPH B., Sergeant, Company C, 119th Infantry, 30th Division, Atoka, Tenn.-Bellicourt, France, September 29, 1918. When murderous machine-gun fire at a range of fifty yards had made it impossible for his platoon to advance, and had caused the platoon to take cover, Sergeant Adkinson alone, with the greatest intrepidity, rushed across the fifty yards of open ground directly into the face of the hostile machine gun, kicked the gun from the parapet, into the enemy trench, and at the point of the bayonet captured the three men manning the gun. The gallantry and quick decision of this soldier enabled the platoon to resume its advance.

ALLEX, JAKE, Corporal, Company H, 131st Infantry, 33d Division, Chicago.-At Chipilly Ridge, France, August 9, 1918. At a critical point in the action, when all the officers with his platoon had become casualties, Corporal Allex took command of the platoon and led it forward until the advance was stopped by fire from a machine-gun nest.

He then

advanced alone for about thirty yards in the face of intense fire and attacked the nest. With his bayonet he killed five of the enemy, and when it was broken used the butt end of his rifle, capturing fifteen prisoners.

ALLWORTH, EDWARD S., Captain, 60th Infantry, 5th Division, Crawford, Wash.-Cléry-le-Petit, France, November 5, 1918. While his company was crossing the Meuse river and canal at a bridge-head opposite Cléry-le-Petit, the bridge over the canal was destroyed by shell-fire and Captain Allworth's command became separated, part of it being on the east bank of the canal and the remainder on the west bank. Seeing his advance units making slow headway up the steep slope ahead, this officer mounted the canal bank and called for his men to follow. Plunging in, he swam across the canal under fire from the enemy, followed by his men. Inspiring his men by his example of gallantry, he led them up the slope, joining his hard-pressed platoons in front. By his personal leadership he forced the enemy back for more than a kilometer, overcoming machine-gun nests and capturing a hundred prisoners, whose number exceeded that of the men in his command. The exceptional courage and leadership displayed by Captain Allworth made possible the re-establishment of a bridge-head over the canal and the successful advance of other troops.

ANDERSON, JOHANNES S., Sergeant, Company B, 132d Infantry, 33d Division, Chicago, Ill.-Consenvoye, France, October 8, 1918. While his company was being held up by intense artillery and machine-gun fire, Sergeant Anderson, without aid, voluntarily left the company and worked his way to the rear of the nest that was offering the most stubborn resistance. His advance was made through an open area and under constant hostile fire, but the mission was successfully accomplished, and he not only silenced the gun and captured it, but also brought back with him twenty-three prisoners.

BARGER, CHARLES D., Private, First Class, Company L, 354th Infantry, 89th Division, Stotts City, Mo.-Bois de Bantheville, France, October 31, 1918. Learning that two daylight patrols had been caught out in "No Man's Land" and were unable to return, Private Barger and another

stretcher bearer, upon their own initiative, made two trips five hundred yards beyond our lines, under constant machinegun fire and rescued two wounded officers.

BARKELEY, DAVID B., Private, Company A, 356th Infantry, 89th Division, San Antonio, Texas.-Pouilly, France, November 9, 1918. When information was desired as to the enemy's position on the opposite side of the River Meuse, Private Barkeley, with another soldier, volunteered without hesitation and swam the river to reconnoitre the exact location. He succeeded in reaching the opposite bank, despite the evident determination of the enemy to prevent a crossing. Having obtained his information, he again entered the water for his return, but before his goal was reached he was seized with cramps and drowned.

BARKLEY, JOHN L., Private, First Class, Company K, 4th Infantry, 3d Division, Blairstown, Mo.-Cunel, France, October 7, 1918. Private Barkley, who was stationed in an observation post half a kilometer from the German line, on his own initiative repaired a captured enemy machine gun and mounted it in a disabled French tank near his post. Shortly afterward, when the enemy launched a counter-attack against our forces, Private Barkley got into the tank, waited under the hostile barrage until the enemy line was abreast of him, and then opened fire, completely breaking up the counter-attack and killing and wounding a large number of the enemy. Five minutes later an enemy 77-millimeter gun opened fire on the tank point blank. One shell struck the driver wheel of the tank, but this soldier nevertheless remained in the tank, and after the barrage ceased broke up a second enemy counter-attack, thereby enabling our forces to gain and hold Hill 253.

BART, FRANK J., Private, Company C, 9th Infantry, 2d Division, Newark, N. J.-Médéah Farm, France, October 3, 1918. Private Bart, being on duty as a company runner, when the advance was held up by machine-gun fire voluntarily picked up an automatic rifle, ran out ahead of the line, and silenced a hostile machine-gun nest, killing the German The advance then continued, and, when it was gunners. again hindered shortly afterward by another machine-gun