thirty yards, and forcing the enemy to surrender.
During this exploit, he received several wounds in
the arm, and later in the same day, while charging
another nest, he was killed. Next of kin, Mrs.
Carrie C. Heriot, mother, R. F. D. No. 1, Provi-
dence, S. C.

HILL, RALYN Corporal

Company H, 129th Infantry. For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the
call of duty in action with the enemy near Danne-
voux, France, October 7, 1918. Seeing a French
airplane fall out of control on the enemy side of the
Meuse River with its pilot injured, Corp. Hill volun-
tarily dashed across the foot bridge to the side of the
wounded man and, taking him upon his back,
started back to the lines. During the entire exploit
he was subjected to murderous fire of enemy
machine guns and artillery, but he successfully ac-
complished his mission and brought his man to a
place of safety, a distance of several hundred yards.
Home address, Mrs. Edna Hill, mother, Oregon, 111.

HILTON, RICHMOND H. . . . Sergeant

Company M, 118th Infantry. For conspicuous

gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call



of duty in action with the enemy at Brancourt,
France, October 11, 1918. While Sergt. Hilton's
company was advancing through the village of
Brancourt it was held up by intense enfilading fire
from a machine gun. Discovering that this fire
came from a machine-gun nest at the edge of the
town, Sergt. Hilton, accompanied by a few other
soldiers, but well in advance of them, pressed on
toward this position, firing with his rifle until his
ammunition was exhausted and then with hia pistol,
killing six of the enemy and capturing ten. In the
course of this daring exploit, he received a wound
from a bursting shell which resulted in the loss of
his arm. Home address, J. C. Hilton, father, West-
ville, S. C.

HOFFMAN, CHARLES F. . Gunnery Sergeant
49th Company, 5th Regiment, U. S. M. C. For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and
beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy
near Chateau-Thierry, France, June 6, 1918. Im-
mediately after his company had reached its objec-
tive on Hill 142 several hostile counterattacks were
launched against the line before the new position
had been consolidated. Sergt. Hoffman was at-
tempting to organize a position on the north slope
of the hill when he saw 12 of the enemy, armed with
five light machine guns, crawling toward his group.
Giving the alarm, he rushed the hostile detachment,
bayoneted the two leaders, and forced the others to
flee, abandoning their guns. His quick action,
initiative and courage drove the enemy from a
position from which they could have swept the hill
with machine-gun fire and forced the withdrawal of
our troops. Home address, 20 Dresden Street,
Brooklyn, N. Y.

JOHNSTON, HAROLD I Sergeant

Company A, 365th Infantry. For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepedity above and beyond the call
of duty in action with the enemy near Pouilly,
France, November 9, 1918. When information was
desired as to the enemy's position on the opposite
side of the river Meuse, Sergt Johnston, with
another soldier, volunteered without hesitation, and
swam the river to reconnoiter the exact location of
the enemy. 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 re-
turn. This was accomplished after a severe strug-
gle, which so exhausted him that he had to be as-
sisted from the water, after which he rendered his
report of the exploit. Home address, Mrs. Belle
Renshaw, mother, 1148 Speer Boulevard, Denver,
Colo.

KARNES, JAMES E Sergeant

Company D, 117th Infantry. For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call
of duty in action with the enemy near Estrees,
France, October 8, 1918. During an advance, Sergt.
Karnes' Company was held up by a machine gun,
which was enfilading the line. _ Accompanied by
another soldier, he advanced against this position,
and succeeded in reducing the nest by killing three
and capturing seven of the enemy and their guns.
Home address, Mrs. Emily Karnes, mother, 2501
North Broadway Avenue, Knoxville, Tenn.

KATZ, PHILIP C Sergeant

Company C, 363d Infantry. For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the
call of duty in action with the enemy near Eclisfon-
taine, France, September 26, 1918. After his com-
pany had withdrawn for a distance of two hundred
yards on a line with the units on its flanks, Sergt.
Katz learned that one of his comrades had been left
wounded in an exposed position at the point from
which the withdrawal had taken place. Voluntarily
crossing an area swept by heavy machine-gun fire,
he advanced to where the wounded soldier lay and



MEDAL OF HONOR



21



carried him to a place of safety. Home address,
Mrs. Jennie Katz, mother, 71 Parker Avenue, San
Francisco, Cal.

KAUFMAN, BENJAMIN .... Sergeant
Company K, 308th Infantry. For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call
of duty in action with the enemy in the Forest of
Argonne, France, October 4, 1918. Sergt. Kaufman
took out a patrol for the purpose of attacking an
enemy machine gun which had checked the advance
of his company. Before reaching the gun he became
separated from his patrol, and a machine-gun bullet
shattered his right arm. Without hesitation he ad-
vanced on the gun alone, throwing grenades with
his left hand and charging with an empty pistol,
taking one prisoner and scattering the crew, bring-
ing the gun and prisoner back to the first-aid sta-
tion. Home address, Mrs. Anna Kaufman, mother,
2113 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y.

KELLY, JOHN J Private

78th Company, 6th Regiment, U. S..M. C. For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and
beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy at
Blanc Mont Ridge, France, October 3, 1918. Pri-
vate Kelly ran through our own barrage 100 yards in
advance of the front line and attacked an enemy
machine gun nest, killing the gunner with a grenade,
shooting another member of the crew with his pistol,
and returned through the barrage with 8 prisoners.
Home address, Mrs. B. L. Kelly, mother, 6149
Kimball Avenue, Chicago, 111.

KOCAK, MATEJ Sergeant

Deceased. Company C, 5th Regiment, U. S. M.
C. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
above and beyond the call of duty in action with
the enemy near Soissons, France, July 18, 1918.
When the advance of his battalion was checked by
a hidden machine-gun nest, he went forward alone,
unprotected by covering fire from his own men and
worked in between the German position in the face
of fire from an enemy covering detachment. Lo-
cating the machine-gun nest, he rushed it, and with
his bayonet drove off the crew. Shortly after this,
he organized 25 French colonial soldiers, who had
become separated from their command, and led
them in attacking another machine gun which was
also put out of action.

LATHAM, JOHN CRIDLAND . . Sergeant
Machine Gun Company, 107th Infantry. For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and
beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy
near LeCatelet, France, September 29, 1918. Be-
coming separated from their platoon by a smoke
barrage, Sergt. Latham, Sergt. Alan L. Eggers and
Corp. Thos. E. O'Shea, took cover in a shell hole
well within the enemy's lines. Upon hearing a call
for help from an American tank which had becone
disabled thirty yards from them, the three soldiers
left their shelter and started toward the tank under
heavy fire from German machine guns and trench
mortars. In crossing the fire-swept area, Corp.
O'Shea was mortally wounded, but his companions,
undeterred, proceeded to the tank, rescued a
wounded officer and assisted two wounded soldiers
to cover in the sap of a nearby trench. Sergt.
Latham and Sergt. Eggers then returned to the
tank in the face of the violent fire, dismounted a
Hotchkiss gun and took it back to where the
wounded men were, keeping off the enemy all day
by effective use of the gun, and later bringing it with
the wounded men, back to our lines, under cover of
darkness. Home address, Mrs. Mary Garrison,
aunt, Knotts View, Windomere, Westmoreland,
England.

LEMERT, MILO .... First Sergeant
Deceased. Company G, 119th Infantry. For



conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and
beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy
near Bellicourt, France, September 29, 1918. See-
ing that the left flank of his company was held up,
he located the enemy machine-gun emplacement,
which had been causing heavy casualties. In the
face of heavy fire, he rushed it single-handed, killing
the entire crew with grenades. Continuing along
the enemy trench in advance of the company, he
reached another emplacement, which he also
charged, silencing the gun with grenades. A third
machine-gun emplacement 9pened upon him from
the left and with similar skill and bravery, he de-
stroyed this also. Later, in company with another
Sergeant, he attacked a fourth machine-gun nest,
being killed as he reached the parapet of the em-
placement. His courageous action, in destroying
in turn four enemy machine-gun nests, prevented
many casualties among his company, and very
materially aided in achieving the objective. Home
address, Mrs. Nellie V. Lemert, wife, Crossville,
Tenn.

LOMAN, BERGER Private

Company H, 132nd Infantry. For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the
call of duty in action with the enemy near Consen-
voye, France, October 9, 1918. When his Company
had reached a point within one hundred yards of its
objective, to which it was advancing under terrific
machine-gun fire, Private Loman voluntarily and
unaided, made his way forward, after all others had
taken shelter from the direct fire of an enemy
machine gun. He crawled to a flank position of the
gun, and, after killing or capturing the entire crew,
turned the machine gun on the retreating enemy.
Home address, Mrs. Anna Loman, mother, 1838
North Spaulding Avenue, Chicago, 111.

LUKE, FRANK, JR. ... Second Lieutenant
Deceased. 27th Aero Squadron, First Pursuit
Group. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
above and beyond the call of duty in action with the
enemy near Murvaux, France, September 29, 1918.
After having previously destroyed a number of
enemy aircraft within seventeen days, he volun-
tarily started on a patrol after German observa-
tion balloons. Though pursued by eight German
planes which were protecting the enemy balloon
line, he unhesitatingly attacked and shot down in
flames three German balloons, being himself under
heavy fire from ground batteries and the hostile
planes. Severely wounded, he descended to within
fifty meters of the ground, and flying at this low
altitude near the town of Murvaux, opened fire upon
enemy troops, killing six and wounding as many
more. Forced to make a landing, and surrounded
on all sides by the enemy, who called upon
him to surrender, he drew his automatic pistol
and defended himself gallantly until he fell dead
from a wound in the chest. Next of kin, Frank
Luke, father, 2200 West Monroe Street, Phoenix,
Ariz.

McMURTRY, GEORGE G Major

308th Infantry. For conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in
action against the enemy at Charlevaux, in the
Forest D'Argonne, France, October 2 to 8, 1918.
Capt. McMurtry commanded a battalion which
was cut off and surrounded by the enemy, and,
although wounded in the knee by shrapnel on Octo-
ber 4 and suffering great pain, he continued through-
out the entire period to encourage his officers and
men with a resistless optimism that contributed
largely toward preventing panic and disorder among
the troops who were, without food, cut off from
communication with our lines. On October 4 dur-
ing a heavy barrage, he personally directed and
supervised the moving of the wounded to shelter
before himself seeking shelter. On October 6, he
was again wounded in the shoulder by a German



HEROES ALL



grenade, but continued personally to organize and
direct the defense against the German attack on the
position until the attack was defeated. He con-
continued to direct and command his troops, refus-
ing relief, and personally led his men out of the posi-
tion after assistance arrived, before permitting him-
self to be taken to the hospital on October 8th.
During this period, the successful defense of the
position was due largely to his efforts. Home ad-
dress, 812 Fifth Avenue, New York City.

MALLON, GEORGE H Captain

132nd Infantry. For conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in
action with the enemy in the Bois de Forgese,
France, September 26, 1918. Becoming separated
from the balance of his company because of a fog,
Capt. Mallon, with nine soldiers, pushed forward
and attacked nine active hostile machine guns cap-
turing all of them without the loss of a man. Con-
tinuing on through the woods, he led his men in
attacking a battery of four 155MM Howitzers
which were in action, rushing the position and cap-
turing the battery and its crew. In this encounter,
Capt. Mallon personally attacked one of the enemy
with his fists. Later, when the party came upon
two more machine guns, this officer sent men to the
flanks while he rushed forward directly in the face
of the fire and silenced the guns, being the first one
of the party to reach the nest. The exceptional
gallantry and determination displayed by Capt.
Mallon resulted in the capture of one hundred pris-
oners, eleven machine guns, four 155MM Howitzers
and one anti-aircraft gun. Home address, Mrs.
F. E. G. Mallon, wife, 1931 Hallock Street, Kansas
City, Kan.

MANNING, SIDNEY E Corporal

Company G, 167th Infantry. For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the
call of duty with the enemy near Breuvannes,
France, July 28, 1918. When Corporal Manning's
platoon commander and platoon sergeant had both
become casualties soon after the beginning of an
assault on strongly fortified heights overlooking the
Ourcq River, Corp. Manning took command of his
platoon, which was near the center of the attacking
line. Though himself severely wounded, he led for-
ward the 35 men remaining in the platoon, and
finally succeeded in gaining a foothold on enemy
position, during which time he had received more
wounds and all but seven of his men had fallen.
Directing the consolidation of the position, he held
off a large body of the enemy only 50 yards away
by fire from his automatic rifle. He declined to
take cover until the line had been entirely consoli-
dated with the line of the platoon on the flank, when
he dragged himself to shelter, suffering from nine
wounds in all parts of the body. Home address,
Mrs. Lizzie Manning, mother, Flomaton, Ala.

MESTROVITCH, JAMES I. . . . Sergeant
Deceased. Company C, lllth Infantry. For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and
beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy at
Fismetter, France, August 10, 1918. Seeing his
Company Commander lying wounded thirty yards
in front of the line, after his company had with-
drawn to a sheltered position behind a stone wall,
Serg. Mestrovitch voluntarily left cover and
crawled through heavy machine gun and shell fire
to where the officer lay. Sergt. Mestrovitch took
the officer upon his back and crawled back to a
place of safety, where he administered first aid
treatment, his exceptional heroism saving the
officer's life. Next of kin, Peter I. Mestrovitch,
brother, 1928 Tulare Street, Fresno, Cal.

MILES, L. WARDLAW .... Captain

308th Infantry. For conspicuous gallantry and

intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in

action with the enemy near Reullon, France, Sep-



tember 14, 1918. Capt. Miles volunteered to lead
his company in hazardous attack on a commanding
trench position near the Aisne Canal, which other
troops had previously attempted to take without
success. His company immediately met with in-
tense machine-gun fire, against which it had no
artillery assistance but Capt. Miles proceeded the
first wave and assisted in cutting a passage through
the enemy's wire entanglements. In so doing he
was wounded five times by machine-gun bullets,
both legs and one arm being fractured, whereupon
he ordered himself placed on a stretcher and had
himself carried forward to the enemy trench in order
that he might encourage and direct his company,
which by this time had suffered numerous casualties.
Under the inspiration of this officer's indomitable
spirit his men held the hostile position and consoli-
dated the front line after an action lasting two
hours, at the conclusion of which Capt. Miles was
carried to the aid station against his will. Home
address, Mrs. L. Wardlaw Miles, Princeton, N. J.

MILLER, OSCAR F Major

Deceased. 361st Infantry. For conspicuous gal-
lantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of
duty in action with the enemy near Gesnes, France,
September 28, 1918. After two days of intense
physical and mental strain, during which Maj.
Miller had led his battalion in the front line of the
advance, through the forest of Argonne, the enemy
was met in a prepared position south of Gesnes.
Though almost exhausted, he energetically reorgan-
ized his battalion and ordered an attack. Upon
reaching open ground, the advancing line began to
waver in the face of machine-gun fire from the front
and flanks and direct artillery fire. Personally lead-
ing his command group forward between his front
line companies, Maj. Miller inspired his men by
personal courage and they again pressed on toward
the hostile position. As this officer led the renewed
attack, he was shot in the right leg, but he never-
theless staggered forward at the head of his com-
mand. Soon afterwards he was shot in the right
arm but he continued the charge, personally cheer-
ing his troops on through the heavy machine-gun
fire. Just before the objective was reached he re-
ceived a wound in the abdomen, which forced him
to the ground, but he continued to urge his men on,
telling them to push on to the next ridge and leave
him where he lay. He died from his wounds a few
days later. Next of kin, Mrs. Oscar F. Miller,
wife, 1727 West 51st Street, Los Angeles, Cal.

NEIBAUR, THOS. C Private

Company M, 167th Infantry. For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call
of duty in action against the enemy near Landers
St. Georges, France, October 16, 1918. On the
afternoon of October 16, 1918, when the Cote de
Chatillon had just been gained after bitter fighting,
and the summit of that strong bulwark in the
Krienhilde Stellung was being organized, Private
Neibaur was sent out on patrol with his automatic
rifle squad to enfilade enemy machine-gun nests. As
he gained the ridge, he set up his automatic rifle and
was directly thereafter wounded in both legs by
fire from a hostile machine gun on his flank. The
advance wave of the enemy troops counter-attack-
ing had about gained the ridge, and although prac-
tically cut off and surrounded, the remainder of his
detachment being killed or wounded, this gallant
soldier kept his automatic rifle in operation to such
effect that by his own efforts and by fire from the
skirmish line of his company at least one hundred
yards in his rear, the attack was checked. The
enemy wave being halted and lying prone four of
the enemy attacked Private Neibaur at close
quarters. These he killed. He then moved alone
among the enemy lying on the ground about him, in
the midst of the fire from his own lines, and by cool-
ness and gallantry captured eleven prisoners at the
point of his pistol and, although painfully wounded,



MEDAL OF HONOR



23



brought them back to our lines. The counter attack
in full force was arrested, to a large extent, by the
single efforts of this soldier whose heroic exploits
took place against the skyline in full view of his
entire battalion. Home address, James C. Neibaur,
father, Sugar City, Idaho.

O'SHEA, THOS. E Corporal

Deceased. Machine Gun Company, 107th Infan-
try. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
above and beyond the call of duty in action with
the enemy near Lecatelet, France, September 29,
1918. Becoming separated from their platoon by a
smoke barrage, Corp. O'Shea, with two other sol-
diers, took cover in a shell hole wall within the
enemy's lines. Upon hearing a call for help from
an American tank which had become disabled
thirty yards from them, the three soldiers left their
shelter and started toward the tank, under heavy
from from German machine guns and trench mor-
tars. In crossing the fire-swept area, Corp. O'Shea
was mortally wounded and died of his wounds
shortly afterward. Next of kin, Thomas E.
O'Shea, 587 Springfield Avenue, Summit, N. J.

PECK, ARCHIE A Private

Company A, 307th Infantry. For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call
of duty in action with the enemy in the Argonne
Forest, France, October 6, 1918. While engaged
with two other soldiers on patrol duty, he and his
comrades were subjected to the direct fire of an
enemy machine gun, at which time both his com-
panions were wounded. Returning to his company,
he obtained another soldier to accompany him, to
assist him in bringing in the wounded men. His
assistant was killed in the exploit, but Private Peck
continued on, twice returning, and safely bringing
in both men, being under terrific machine-gun fire
during the entire journey. Home address, J. A.
Peck, father, 445 Division Street, Hornell, N. Y.

PERKINS, MICHAEL J Private

Deceased. Company D, 101st Infantry. For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and
beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy at
Belieu Bois, France, October 27, 1918. He volun-
tarily and alone crawled to a German "pill-box"
machine-gun emplacement from which grenades
were being thrown at his platoon. Awaiting his
opportunity, when the door was again opened and
another grenade thrown, he threw a bomb inside,
bursting the door open; and then, drawing his
trench knife, rushed into the emplacement. In
a hand-to-hand struggle he killed or wounded sev-
eral of the occupants and captured about 25 pris-
oners, at the same time silencing seven machine
guns. Next of kin, Mrs. Abbie Perkins, mother,
247 E Street, South Boston, Mass.

PIKE, EMERY J. . . . Lieutenant-Colonel
Deceased. Division Machine Gun Officer, 82nd
Division. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepid-
ity above and beyond the call of duty in action with
the enemy near Vandieres, France, September 15,
1918. Having gone forward to reconnoiter new
machine-gun position, Colonel Pike offered his as-
sistance in re-organizing advance Infantry Units,
which had become disorganized, during a heavy
artillery shelling. Colonel Pike succeeded in locat-
ing only about twenty men, but with these he ad-
vanced and when later joined by several infantry
platoons, rendered inestimable service in establish-
ing outposts, encouraging all by his cheerfulness, in
spite of the extreme danger of the situation. When
a shell had wounded one of the men in the outpost,
Colonel Pike immediately went to his aid and was
severely wounded himself when another shell burst
in the same place. While waiting to be brought to
the rear, Colonel Pike continued in command, still
retaining his jovial manner of encouragement, di-
recting the re-organization until the position could



be held. The entire operation was carried on under
terrific bombardment and the example of courage
and devotion to duty, as set by Colonel Pike, estab-
lished the highest standard of morale and confidence
to all under his charge. The wounds he received
were the cause of his death. Next of kin, Martha
Agnes Pike, daughter, 1806 Tenth Street, Dea
Moines, la.

POPE, THOMAS A Corporal

Company E, 131st Infantry. For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call
of duty in action with the enemy at Hamel, France,
July 4, 1918. Corp. Pope's company was advancing
behind the tanks when it was halted by hostile
machine-gun fire. Going forward alone, he rushed a
machine-gun nest, killed several of the crew with his
bayonet, and, standing astride of his gun, held off
the others until reinforcements arrived and captured
them. Home address, J. J. Pope, brother, 6946
llth Avenue, Chicago, 111.

PRUITT, JOHN H Corporal

Deceased. 78th Company, 6th Regiment, U. S.
M. C. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
above and beyond the call of duty in action with
the enemy at Blanc Mont Ridge, France. October
3, 1918. Corp. Pruitt, single-handed, attacked two