| Show THO we me fal DAL J 7 Is X SO 0 X IV IJ X NEI r s 4 W N 7 mw 0 DIN AC A C by ELMO SCOTT WATSON HE old saying about peace hath bath its victories no less renowned than war viar has taken on a new meaning since the establishment of a new army award this Is the soldiers medal and under the provision of an act of congress approved july 2 1926 one of these medals will be presented by the president under such rules and regulations as he way proscribe but not cot in the name of congress to any person who while serving in any capacity with the united states army shall distinguish tIng himself or herself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy under the provisions of the act a soldiers medal may not be awarded for heroism performed prior to july 2 1920 1926 there Is a further requirement that a recommendation must have been made within two years of the act of heroism 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 soldiers 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 soldiers 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 tor for valor and distinction the design approved by the secretary of war early this year was nas submitted by gaetana cecere of new york city it was selected from among several by the commission of fine arts and so sa in point of design meets the approval of the count rys 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 bete exi two groups of stars the reverse bears the shield between two sprays of leaves with the tb inscription soldiers medal for valor 11 the medal Is worn suspended from a ribbon of t blue with thirteen alternate red and white t stripes cripes the following classes of persons according to the ithe war department are eligible for the medal it if performing an act of heroism subsequent to t july 2 1920 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 riot not in active duty under circumstances directly related to their it attendance an occasions of military duty members of the united states navy and marine corps while serving with the army of the united states members of the military navy and air forces of 0 foreign governments while serving with the army of the united states civilians civilian are not eligible tor for the award of the soldiers medal distribution of ef 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 bad been awarded up to that 4 date 37 of which had been received by the adjutant general of the army from the ter 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 the deed had been presented to the winners the 37 medals were sent to t the corps area commander of the officer or soldier for presentation with suitable ceremonies typical citations describing teata feats for which somers soldiers medals have been awarded are joel G holmes captain ordnance department united states army for heroism oa ea july 11 1926 during the explosions at the lake denmark naval ammunition depot near dover N J captain holmes one of a party of eight men mc entered the burning area at a m 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 lat late elthe the preceding afternoon throughout the search they were in close proximity to burning magazines and 1 I exposed to t frequent explosions of large caliber shells and small arms 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 P harris ordnance department and waster master sergt christian J vogt of unity als wis stationed at arsenal new jersey both received citations similar to that of captain lI holmes olmes I 1 augustus L L eaker baker contract sargeon me m 2 P 61 r 3 SIGNAL irmal LL USA 5 A sta 1 the eight men who received the soldiers 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 master sergt christian J vogt technical sergt arlie L downey sergt clayton H pox fox corp maxwell weinstein and master sergt benjamin 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 soldiers medal obverse on the left and reverse on the right OD 8 jor medical corps reserve united states army for heroism on july 10 1020 1926 during the explosions at the lake denmark naval ammunition depot near dover N J doctor baker the contract surgeon for arsenal was in his mee in dover N J when khen lie 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 dear 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 g roar of exploding magazines and when the al air r was filled with flying shells stones and fragments of buildings and was effected shortly before the third heavy explosion occurred A similar citation was issued to technical sergt arlle arlie L downey finance department of kokomo kokomos ind now on duty sit at governors island new york Benj benjamin arnin roth both army serial no R master sergeant air corps united states army for heroism while serving as airplane mechanic with the 1928 30 3 byrd antarctic expedition just prior to the collapse of the barrier c 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 in constant danger 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 11 fox army serial no R then corporal detached enlisted mens list RS united states army for heroism while oo on recruiting duty in newark N J on october 12 1923 1928 corporal fox at a great personal risk grappled with mith and subdued a notorious gunman and escaped convict who was endeavoring to make his bla 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 office on market street was at traded by the report of gun shots in a shop close by and immediately ran to the scene with the assistance of 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 the arrival of the police the prompt and tearless fearless action on the part of corporal fox reflects great credit upon himself and the military tary service maxwell weinstein carmy serial no R sergeant regimental band fifteenth infantry united states army for heroism in entering a burning building at the risk of hla his life during the evening of february 1 1928 at Tien stin stia china and rescuing a woman wh who 0 was la 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 nanson hanson E ely commanding the second corps area pinned the soldiers medal on the uniform of each another soldiers medal was presented at governors island to private henry G keefer of the guard company keefers Kee 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 the hands bands of a hesitant guard dashed forward shouting to the fugitive to surrender then finding the gun in his hands jammed and useless he nevertheless continued to advance ills his bluff worked oat came the prisoners weapon falling with a clatter to the deck keefer jerked the man from his hiding biding 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 tal at the airdrome fort crockett galveston ves texas january 27 1931 while stacking ammunition boxes in the target building private 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 debris private thompson succeeded in reaching the crashed airplane seeing the pilot in the cockpit in an unconscious con condition didon and the passenger lying prostrate on the ground some distance away and realizing that there was immediate danger of the gasoline tank exploding he rendered most valuable assistance in helping to extricate the pilot and removing him from the danger zono zona william A matheny atheny ll second lieutenant air corps corp united states army for heroism when sit an LM LB 6 airplane crashed and burned near managua nicaragua august 30 1929 the airplane piloted by dwight cangelo and matheny 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 matheny Mato eny after running a few steps looked back and saw lieutenant CaD camfield field 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 bis feet the clothing of both catching fire ile he then attempted to extinguish the flames from the clothing of lieutenant canfield tn in the net et grass after which he extinguished the flames fames from his own cloth log lieutenant matecny received painful and severe burns and lieutenant canfield died later from the burns received the he heroism displayed by lieutenant matheny reflects great credit on himself and the military service sen ice a by pastara newspaper union |
