| Show 1 HES 0 L D ae ra MEDAL 7 0 A it 1 I 1 4 A r X 0 I 1 lot P kj A 4 1 4 1 X T 0 A 4 V r v i k 41 T I 1 4 I 1 v X r af P T t A I 1 4 X A v IN it V if N 4 arg 4 by ELMO SCOTT WATSON HE old saying about lace ilace huth its victories no less renoA renowned ned than war I 1 has taken on a new meaning since the establishment of a new army award anard this Is the soldiers medal and under the provision of an act of 0 congress approved july 2 1020 one of these medals III be presented by tle the president Ident under such rules and regulations as he be may proscribe but not in the name of con cingros gros to any person 00 ft ho while aa in any capacity esith ft ath the united states army shall dis ting or herself by heroism not involving actuel conflict alth ft ath an enemy under the provisions of the act a soldiers medal may not be awarded for heroism per formed prior to july 1 2 there Is a further requirement that a recommendation must have been made within tv 0 years of the act of hero ism made the basis cf of tie tl e recommendation and that an hward if made must be approved within three years of the dite of an act of heroism only onil one soldiers medal like our other awards an arils for valor and distinction will voll be issued to any one person but tor for each succeeding deed or act sufficient to warrant the award of the soldiers meal an 0 OIK tk leaf cluster will be au ou theorized thorl zed for attaching to the suspension ribbon according to the secretary of the soldiers medil w III rank fourth in precedence among our several medals awarded for valor and tion the design approved by the secie tary of war aar birly this 3 ear was submitted by gaetana cecere of new lork ork city it aas as selected from among several by the commission of fine arts and so in point of de design ign meets the lie approval of the country ig s highest tribunal in this field of art hie design Is octagonal in atour and the medals arc are struck off from bronze the obverse illustrates an eagle displayed standing on a fasces befi between Neen two groups of stars the reverse bears the shield be between teen two tio sprays of leaves ii I 1 ith fit the ion sol alers llers nea 11 for alor the medil Is worn from a ribbon of blue with thirteen alternate red and white stripes the following classes of persons according to lie the ilar department are eligible for the medal if it performing an act of 0 heroism subsequent to july 1 2 1020 all members of the united states army all members of tie national guard not in fideli enice en ice and of the organized reserves in eluding the officer s rescue resen e corps and the enlisted resene corps not in lit ketive duty under circum stances direct iv related to their attendance on occasions lons of military duty members of the united states navy and marine corps while serving with the army of the united states mem mern bers her of the military navy and air forces of for eign g ivern ments while bile serving with the army of tl it e states civilians are not eligible for the agard of the soldiers tri edal distribution of the soldier soldiers s medal was begun in april of the year shortly utter after the design of it was approved by the army authorities FO foty 7 of these medals had teen been awarded up to that date 37 of which had been rec received elved by the tant general of the army from the quartermaster general tor for tom forward ard ng 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 I 1 een presented to the winners the 37 medals medah were sent to the corps area commander of the or soldier tor for formal presentation with suitable ceremonies topical citations describing feats for which soldier a aredas iata been a added are joel 0 G holmes captain ordnance depart went united states army for heroism on july 11 1926 during the explosions at the lake den mark naval ammunition depot near dover N J captain holmes one of 0 a party of eight men entered the burning area at 0 30 a m to search for first george W bolt bott jr united states army who in was as known to have been in the factory at the time of the first explosions late the preceding afternoon throughput throughout the i sarch vere ere in close proximity to burning magazines and exposed to frequent explosions of large caliber shell and sall arms ammunition alle there was still possibility of more serious detonations and at the risk of their lives they located the body of lieutenant bott and 2nd alth great difficulty succeeded in removing it from the NN wreckage to a point outside the danger zone capt john P harris ordnance department and master sergt christian i NO vogt t of 11 stationed tation ed at Plea tinny arsenal new jersek belli both received citations similar to that of captain apt aln bolmes algustus L L baler baker contract surgeon ma I 1 athe the eight men who received the soldiers medal at governors liland island N Y on april 21 1931 the medals awarded for various acts of heroism lero ism were pinned oi 01 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 ris master sergt christian J vogt technical sergt arlie L downey sergt claton H fox corp maxwell n and master sergt ben jamin roth general ely is shown pinning medal modal to coat of sergeant rah after these men had received the medals the sixteenth infantry passed in review before them 2 athe the Sold soldiers lees medal obverse on an the left and reverse on the right jor medical corps reserve united baates army for heroism on july 10 1920 during the explosions at via lake denmark naval ammunition depot near dover IN I 1 doctor baler the con tract surgeon for I 1 lea tinny arsenal was in his office in dover doi er X J nhen he felt the concussion of the first explosion and immediately left for the arsenal ur on learning that an injured woman was lying in the road near the point where inhere the hem lest explosions had occurred doctor baker accompanied by two other men proceeded dec toward that point alle there a as probability of other serious they reached the injured woman rendered first aid and dis patched the patient to the hospital the rescue was as made at a time when there was a continuous roar of exploring magazines and when the air was filled with alln shells stones 1 and frag marits of buildings and was effected shortly before the third heavy explosion occurred A similar citation was ft as issued to technical sergt arlle arlie L rowney downey finance department of kokomo kokomos ind noi on duty at governors island N mcw ew york benjamin roth army serial no 0 o R 11 master sergeant air corps united states army 1 lor or heroism while title serving as airplane mechanic with the 1928 30 nt arctic expedition just prior to the collapse of the barrier cliff ser geant roth both with exceptional bravery and devotion to duta dut continued his work vork as mechanic upon the material which was ans stored upon that portion of the cliff which was vas in constant dan ger of giving way uny by his display of fearlessness and his devotion to duty sergeant roth brought great credit to himself the expedition and the ui ut tied baates army clayton 11 1 I ox army serial io no R 1147 4 00 then corporal detached enlists men alen i list RS united states army for heroism while on recruiting duty in ne newark aara N J on october 12 19 1928 Corp corpora orai fox at a great personal rasi risk grappled iab with and subdued a notorious gunman aej escaped convict iho was as endeavoring end savoring eav oring to make his escape after a daI daylight Ight holdup on mar nar ket street in which the proprietor had been shot by the bandit I 1 corporal fox who he as stationed in front of the recruiting office on market street was at traded by the report of gun shots in a it shop close by and immediately ran to it taj scene with the assistance of a passer by corporal fox inter cepter 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 aton action on 01 th tho P part of corporal fox lox reflects great credit upon himself and the military service 11 maxwell axwell einstein army serial io no rr R 5 sergeant regimental band liftee rth infantry united states army for heroism in entering a burning building at tha th risk of his hi life during the evening of february 1 1 1028 2 at Tien stin china and rescuing a woman who was in an tin unconscious condition on the second door floor of her home carrying her down a burning burnid stairway to safety all of the above off officers leers and enlisted men were honored at a ceremony on governors island tid new ew york harbor april 21 11 1931 during which aich mij gen hanson R ely commanding the second corps area pinned the soldiers medal on the uniform of each another soldiers medal was presented nt at governors island to G 0 keefer of the guard company leefers feat was performed when off duty he be saw a prisoner snatch a sen shotgun shot gua scurry onto a barge tied op up at the dock and barricade himself in the deck house keefer seizing a gun from the hands of a hesitant guard dashed forward shouting to the fugitive to surrender then finding the gun in hia his hands jammed and useless he nevertheless continued linued to advance ilia ills bluff worked out came the prisoners weapon falling with a clatter to the deck keefer jerked the man from his bid in place and marched him back to the guard house other citations are herbert E thompson army serial no 0 11 1 private attack squadron tir corps united states army for heroism dh dig played at the fort Crocket Cro cLett 4 calve iton texas january 27 1931 wille stacking ammunition boxes lu in the target building private thompson was warned by a fellow soldier of the approach of a low flying airplane As he rr reached ached the doorway of the building the airplane struck the roof crashed to the ground and burst into flames although dazed by belne bein struck by flying debris private thompson succeeded su ceedee ded in re reaching achin the crashed airplane seeing the plot pilot in th the cockpit in an unconscious condition and the pas lying prostrate on the ground some distance away avay and realizing that there aas as immediate danger of the gasoline casol lne tank exploding he rendered most valuable assistance in helping to extricate the plot and ra movin him from the dan danger er rone your guillin lU ILLin A Il matheny Atheny second lieutenant air corps united states army for heroism he when aa I 1 B 0 airplane crashed and burned near Alan agit it nicaragua august 30 1929 12 the airplane piloted by dwight C canfield a a and n d matheny en y one of four being ferried to the canal zone cra crashed shed 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 li matheny atheny after running a few steps looked back and saw lieutenant cancell on the ground near the burning plane diane and unable to more move at great personal risk kno knowing that both of them were drenched with gasoline he ran back and assisted lieutenant canfield to his feet the cl othin of both catching fire he ile then attempted to extinguish the names flames from the clothing ot 0 lieutenant canfield in the wet inet grass after which he extinguished the dameg from his own olyn cloth ing lieutenant Mat matheny heity received painful an severe burns and lieutenant canfield died late later from the burns receded received the heroism dif displayed played by lieutenant Bl matheny atheny reflects creat great c chilt ailt en e himself and the military service Q by western newspaper unlock |
