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Show THE SOLDIER'S MEDAL v- , Ihr f t w V ----4-.tV -;- )-'! V- FrJ , If- V'-'s- t: h'i( Kf M P b Hi fr . "4 til I h "s? I tlV "x 4 By ELMO SCOTT WATSON n3? HE old saying about "Peace hath Its victories no less renowned than war" has taken on a new meaning since the establishment of a new army award. This is the Soldier's medal and under the provision of I an ac' conBress. approved July mJKfk 2, 192G, one of these medals will be jllfc'(v3 presented by the President, under 5SNgMW such rules and regulations as he IWra may proscribe, but not in the name WJ of congress, to any person who, while serving in any capacity with igSr the United States army shall dis-' dis-' ' tlnguish himself or herself by hero- Ism not involving actual conflict with an enemy. Under the provisions of the act a Soldier's medal may not be awarded for heroism performed per-formed prior to July 2, 1926. There is a further requirement that a recommendation must have been made within two years of the act of hero-Ism, hero-Ism, made the basis of the recommendation, and that an award If made must be approved within three years of the date of an act of heroism. Only one Soldier's medal, like our other awards for valor and distinction, will be Issued to any one person, but for each succeeding deed or act sufficient to warrant the award of the Soldier's meal, an oak leaf cluster will be authorized au-thorized for attaching to the suspension ribbon. According to the secretary of war, the Soldier's medal will rank fourth in precedence among our several medals awarded for valor and distinction. distinc-tion. The design approved by the secretary of war early this year was submitted by Gaetana Cecere of New York city. It was selected from among several by the commission of fine arts, and so ln point of design meets the approval of the country's highest tribunal in this field of art. The design is octagonal in contour and the medals are struck off from bronze. The obverse Illustrates an eagle, displayed, standing on a fasces between two groups of stars. The reverse bears the shield between two sprays of leaves, with the inscription, "Soldier's Medal For Valor." The medal Is worn suspended from a ribbon of blue, with thirteen alternate red and white stripes. The following classes of persons, according to the War department, are eligible for the medal. If performing an act of heroism subsequent to July 2, 1926: All members of the United States army; all members of the National Guard not in federal service and of the organized reserves, including in-cluding the officer's reserve corps and the enlisted reserve corps, not in active duty, under circumstances circum-stances directly related to their attendance on occasions of military duty; members of the United States navy and marine corps while serving serv-ing with the army of the United States; members mem-bers of the military, navy and air forces of foreign for-eign governments while serving with the army of the United States. Civilians are not eligible for the award of the Soldier's medal. Distribution of the Soldier's medal was begun ln April of this year shortly after the design of it was approved by the army authorities. Forty of these medals had been awarded up to that date, 37 of which had been received by the adjutant adju-tant general of the army from the quartermaster-general for forwarding to their winners. Until the design had been approved and manufacture of the medal begun by the quartermaster corps, certificates incorporating the citation for the deed had been presented to the winners. The 37 medals were sent to the corps area commander of the officer or soldier for focmal presentation with suitable ceremonies. Typical citations describing feats for which Soldier's medals have been awarded are: "Joel G. Holmes, captain, ordnance department, depart-ment, United States army. For heroism on July 11, 1926, during the explosions at the Lake Denmark Den-mark naval ammunition depot, near Dover, N. J. Captain Holmes, one of a party of eight men, entered the burning area at 6 :30 a. m. to search for First Lieut. George W. Bott, Jr., United States army, who was known to have been in the powder factory at the time of the first explosions late the preceding afternoon. "Throughout the search they were ln close proximity to burning magazines and exposed to frequent explosions of large-caliber shells and small-arms ammunition. While there was still possibility of more serious detonations and at the risk of their lives they located the body of Lieutenant Bott and with great difficulty succeeded suc-ceeded in removing it from the wreckage to a point outside the danger zone." Capt. John P. Harris, ordnance department, and Master Sergt. Christian J. Vogt of Unity, Wis., stationed at Picatinny arsenal, New Jersey, both received citations similar to that of Captain Holmes. "Augustus L. L. Baker, contract surgeon (ma- - Photos by SIGNAL CORPS. (J. S 1 The eight men who received the Soldier's medal at Governors Island, N. Y., on April 21, 1931. The medals, awarded for various acts of heroism, were pinned on the men by MaJ. Gen. Hanson E. Ely, commanding the Second Corps area. Left to right: MaJ. Augustus L. L. Baker (Res), Capt. Joel G. Holmes, Capt. John P. Harris, Har-ris, Master Sergt. Christian J. Vogt, Technical Sergt. Arlie L. Downey, Sergt. Clayton H. Fox, Corp. Maxwell Weinstein, and Master Sergt, Benjamin Ben-jamin Roth. General Ely is shown pinning medal to coat of Sergeant Roth. After these men had received the medals, the Sixteenth Infantry passed in review before them. 2 The Soldier's medal, obverse on the left and reverse on the right. $- Jor, medical corps reserve), United States army. For heroism on July 10, 1906, during the explosions explo-sions at the Lake Denmark naval ammunition depot, near Dover, N. J. Doctor Baker, the contract con-tract surgeon for Picatinny arsenal, was in his office in Dover, N. J., when he felt the concussion concus-sion of the first explosion and immediately left for the arsenal. "Upon learning that an injured woman was lying in the road near the point where the two heaviest explosions had occurred. Doctor Baker, accompanied by two other men, proceeded toward that point. While there was probability of otlier serious detonations they reached the Injured woman, rendered first aid, and dispatched dis-patched the patient to the hospital. The rescue was made at a time when there was a continuous roar of exploding magazines and when the air was filled with flying shells, stones, and fragments frag-ments of buildings, and was effected shortly before the third heavy explosion occurred." A similar citation was issued to Technical Sergt. Arlie L. Downey, finance department, of Kokomo, Ind., now on duty at Governors Island, New York. "Benjamin Roth (army serial No. R-345904), master sergeant, air corps, United States army. For heroism while serving as airplane mechanic with the 192S-30 Byrd Antarctic expedition. Just prior to the collapse of the Barrier cliff, Sergeant Ser-geant Roth, with exceptional bravery and devotion devo-tion to duty, continued his work as mechanic upon the material which was stored upon that portion of the cliff which was in constant danger dan-ger of giving way. By his display of fearlessness and his devotion to duty, Sergeant Roth brought great credit to himself, the expedition and the United States army." "Clayton H. Fox (army serial No. R-114790) (then) corporal. Detached Enlisted Men's list (RS) United States army. For heroism while on recruiting duty In Newark, N. J., on October 12, 192S. Corporal Fox, at a great personal risk, grappled with and subdued a notorious gunman and escaped convict, who was endeavoring to make bis escape after a daylight holdup on Market Mar-ket street, in which the proprietor had been shot by the bandit. "Corporal Fox, who was stationed in front of the recruiting office on Market street, was attracted at-tracted by the report of gun shots in a shop close by and immediately ran to the scene. With the assistance of a passer-by, Corporal Fox intercepted inter-cepted the bandit, still in possession of his gun, subduing him only after a severe struggle and then held him captive until the arrival of the police. The prompt and fearless action on the part of Corporal Fox reflects great credit upon bimself and the military service." "Maxwell Weinstein rarmy serial No. R-025-515), sergeant, Regimental band, Fifteenth Infantry, In-fantry, United States army. For heroism ln entering a burning building at the risk of his life during the evening of February 1, 1928, at Tienstin, China, and rescuing a woman, who was In an unconscious condition on the second floor of her home, carrying her down a burning stairway to safety." All of the above officers and enlisted men were honored at a ceremony on Governors Island, New York harbor, April 21, 1931, during which Maj. Gen. Hanson E. Ely, commanding the Second Sec-ond Corps area, pinned the Soldier's medal on the uniform of each. Another Soldier's medal was presented at Governors Gov-ernors Island to Private Henry G. Keefer of the Guard company. Reefer's feat was performed when, off duty, he saw a prisoner snatch a sentry's sen-try's shotgun, scurry onto a barge tied up at the dock, and barricade himself In the deck house. Keefer, seizing a gun from the hands of a hesitant hesi-tant guard, dashed forward, shouting to the fug!- fc tive to surrender. Then finding the gun ln his hands jammed and useless, he nevertheless continued con-tinued to advance. His bluff worked. Out came the prisoner's weapon, falling with a clatter to the deck. Keefer jerked the man from his hiding hid-ing place and marched him back to the guard house. Other citations are: "Herbert E. Thompson (army serial No. G231-531), G231-531), private, Ninetieth Attack squadron, air corps, United States army. For heroism displayed dis-played at the airdrome, Fort Crockett, Galveston, Galves-ton, Texas, January 27, 1931. While stacking ammunition boxes in the target building, Private Thompson was warned by a fellow soldier of the approach of a low-flying airplane. As he reached the doorway of the building, the airplane air-plane struck the roof, crashed to the ground and burst Into flames. "Although dazed by being struck by flying debris, Private Thompson succeeded ln reaching the crashed airplane. Seeing the pilot in the cockpit in an unconscious condition and the passenger pas-senger lying prostrate on the ground some distance dis-tance away, and realizing that there was immediate imme-diate danger of the gasoline tank exploding, he rendered most valuable assistance in helping to extricate the pilot and removing him from the danger zona," "William A. Matheny, second lieutenant, air corps, United States army. For heroism when an LB-6 airplane crashed and burned near Managua, Nicaragua, August 30, 1929. The airplane, piloted pilot-ed by Lieut. Dwight Canfield and Lieut. Matheny, Math-eny, one of four being ferried to the Canal Zone, crashed, due to leaking gasoline and fire in one of the motors. Both officers were thrown free of the airplane at the time of the crash, and Lieut. Matheny, after running a few steps, looked back and saw Lieutenant Canfield on the ground near the burning plane and unable to move. At great personal risk, knowing that both of them were drenched with gasoline, he ran back and assisted Lieutenant Canfield to his feet, the clothing of both catching fire. He then attempted to extinguish the flames from the clothing of ' 4 Lieutenant Canfield in the wet grass, after which he extinguished the flames from his own clothing. cloth-ing. Lieutenant Matheny received painful and severe burns and Lieutenant Canfield died later from the burns received. The heroism displayed J by Lieutenant Matheny reflects great credit on himself and the military service." ( by Western NowsuaDar Union. |