Show THE TH E SOLDIERS I 1 E S MEDAL M E DA m 7 3 ma a qi P Y 2 g t al 6 wa 2 77 11 R 50 N g al ni J raf 5 2 Z V by ELMO SCOTT WATSON III HK old saying about peace hath its ita victories no less e 88 renowned than war flar ha haa taken on a new meaning since the establishment of a new army award this la Is the soldiers medal and under the provision ot of an ac act t ot of congress approved july 2 1 1020 one of these aliese medals will be presented by the president under such rules and regulations as he may proscribe but not in the name of congress to any person who wh while le serving in n any capacity willi w LL the he t united unite d states army shall distinguish himself or herself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy under the P provisions r ovis lons of t the I 1 le act a soldiers medal may not be awarded for heroism performed prior to july 2 there Is a further requirement that a recommendation must have hava been made within two years yeara of the act of heroism sm made the basis ot of the recommendation anil and that an award if made roust must be approved cithia three years of the date of an act of heroism only one soldiers medal like our other awards for valor and distinction will be issued to t 0 any one person but for or each succeeding deed or act sufficient to warrant the award of the so Bolc diers llera meal an oak leaf cluster will be authorized zed for attaching to the suspension ribbon according to the secretary of war the soldiers medal will rank fourth in precedence among our several medals awarded for valor and distinction 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 in n point of design meets the approval of the count rys highest tribunal in this field of art the design Is octagonal in contour and aid 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 wt the inscription soldiers medal for valor the medal la Is worn suspended from a ribbon on of blue with thirteen alternate red and white stripes tr ipes the following classes of persons according to the war department are eligible for the medal it if P performing er forming in 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 the officers reserve corps and the enlisted reserve corps not in active duty under circumstances directly related to their attendance on occasions of military duty members of the united states slates navy and marine corps while serving serring with the army of the united states members of the military navy and air forces of for alga governments while serving with the army of the united states civilians are not eligible tor for the award of the soldiers medal distribution of the soldiers medal was begun in 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 general ot of the array army from the quartermaster general tor 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 or the deed had been presented to the winners the 37 medals were sent to the corps area commander of the officer or soldier for formal present presentation atlon with suitable ceremonies typical citations describing feats for which soldiers medals have been awarded are joel 0 holmes olmes Il captain ordnance department united states army for heroism on july 11 1020 1920 during the explosions at the lake denmark naval ammunition depot near dover N J captain holmes one of a party of eight men entered the burning area at a in to search for first 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 in close pr proximity mity to burning magazines and exposed to fr frequent explosions of large caliber shells and s mall arms aring ammunition while there was still possibility of more serious detonations deto nations and at the risk of their lives they located the body of lieutenant bott and with great difficulty succeeded in removing it from the wreckage to a point outside the danger zone capt john r harris ordnance department and master sergt christian J vogt of unity WIS stationed ct at Plea tinny arsenal new jersey both received citations similar to that of captain 1101 mes augustus L L baker contract surgeon argeon nia ma 5 1 0 3 V U 5 I 1 the eight men man who received the soldiers medal at governors island ind 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 har master sergt christian 0 J vogt technical sergt arlle arlie L downey sergt sergi clayton H fox corp maxwell and master sergt ben ban jamin jaman roth general ely Is shown pinning medal to coat of sergeant roth after these men had received the medals the sixteenth infantry parsed in review before them 2 the Sold soldiers lers medal obverse on the left an and d reverse reverie on the right jor medical corps reserve united states army for heroism on july 10 1020 1926 during the explosions at the lake denmark Denmar lr naval nav al ammunition depot near dover N J doctor baker the contract surgeon for Pica tinny arsenal was in his office in dover N J when he felt the concussion 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 other serious detonations deto nations they reached the injured woman rendered first aid and dispatched 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 roas filled with flying shells stones and fragments ot of buildings and was effected shortly before the third heavy explosion occurred bedfor A similar milar citation was issued to technical sergt arlle arlie L downey finance department of kokomo kokomos ind now on duty at governors island new york benjamin roth army serial no 11 master sergeant air corps united states array army for heroism while serving as airplane mechanic with the SO 0 byrd antarctic expedition just prior to the collapse of the barrier cliff sergeant roth with exceptional bravery and devotion to duty continued his work as mechanic upon the material which was stored upon that portion of the cliff which was la in constant danger of giving way by his big display of fearlessness and his devotion to duty sergeant roth brought great credit to himself the expedition and the united states army clayton n 11 fox army serial no R then corporal detached enlisted mens list RS united states army for heroism while on recruiting duty in newark N J on october 12 1028 corporal fox for at a groat great personal risk grappled with and subdued a notorious gunman and escaped convict who was endeavoring to make ills his escape after a daylight holdup on market street in which the proprietor had been shot by the bandit corporal fox who was stationed in front of the recruiting oillie on market street was attracted by the report of gun gu shots in a shop close by and immediately run ran to the scene with the assistance of 0 a passerby passer by corporal fox intercepted the bandit still in possession of his gun subduing him only after a severe struggle and then held him captive until tile the arrival of the pollee police the prompt and fearless atlon action on the part of corporal fox reflects great credit upon himself and the military ser vide 11 maxwell weinstein carmy serial no n R r 15 sergeant regimental band fifteenth in fentry united states army for heroism la in entering a burning building at the risk of his iffe during the evening of february 1 1918 at Tien stin 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 oil governors island new york harbor april 21 1031 during which maj gen hanson R N ely commanding the tha second corps area pinned the soldiers medal on the uniform of each another soldiers medal was presented at governors island to private henry 0 keefer ot of the guard company Kee keefers fers feat was performed when off duty he saw a prisoner snatch a sen arys shotgun scurry onto a barge tied up at the dock and barricade himself in the deck house keefer seizing a gun from tho the hands of a hesitant guard dashed forward shouting to the fugitive to surrender then finding the gun in his hands jammed and useless lie he nevertheless continued to advance ills bluet worked out came the prisoners weapon falling with a clatter to the tha deck keefer jerked the nian man from his hiding place and marched him back to the guard house other citations are herbert E thompson army serial no private ninetieth attack squadron air corps united states army for heroism displayed at the airdrome port fort crockett galveston calveston texas january 27 1031 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 struck the roof crashed to the ground and burst into flames although dazed by being struck by flying alyin g debris private thompson succeeded in reaching the crashed airplane seeing the pilot la in the cockpit in an unconscious condition and the passenger seng er lying prostrate on the ground some distance away and realizing that there was in immediate me danger of the gasoline tank exploding exploding he ha rendered most valuable assistance in helping to extricate the pilot and removing him from the danger zono zona william A If atheny second lieutenant air corps united states army for heroism when an LB 0 airplane crashed and burned near managua nicaragua august 30 10 1929 1029 the airplane piloted by dwight canfield and hath eny one of four being ferried to the canal zone crashed due to leaking gasoline and lire fire in one of oc the motors doth both officers were thrown free of the airplane at the time of tile the crash and matheay Mat heuy after running a few steps looked back and saw lieutenant canfield Cantle ld on the ground near the burning plane and unable to move at great personal risk knowing that both of them were drenched with gasoline lie he ran bach and assisted lieutenant canfield to his feet the clothing of both catching fire ile he then attempted to extinguish the flames from tile the of lieutenant canfield in the wet grass after which he extinguished tile the flames from froin his own clothing lieutenant Al atheny rec elvel painful and severe burns antl anil lieutenant canfield Canil eld tiled liter later from rom the burns received the heroism displayed by lieutenant Til matheny atheny reflects great credit so au himself and the military service 11 40 0 by atra Now Nv atlon |