Today is a good day for the Medal. Not that many, and no one died in the earning of them. There are five Medals today, half the average, spread from the Civil War to the Philippine Insurrection and ending up, thus far, with World War II.
Civil War. Henry Barnum was a tough man. Shot in the hip at Malvern Hill, he was left for dead and was captured by the Confederates. Returned to Union lines, he joined a new regiment and spent the rest of the war missing service as his wound was worked on, returning to his regiment, getting wounded, taking time off to get his wounds worked on, returning to his regiment, getting wounded, etc. He earned his Medal of Honor leading his regiment (and getting wounded) at the Battle of Lookout Mountain. Paymaster Steward is an early example of living the "Leave no man behind" ethos. Lieutenant Toffey simply didn't want to be a slacker while his soldiers were fighting.
Philippine Insurrection. Lieutenant Van Schaick - when in doubt, attack!
WWII. Sometimes doing the audacious thing works. It did for Lieutenant Silk, as it did for Van Schaick.
Civil War. Henry Barnum was a tough man. Shot in the hip at Malvern Hill, he was left for dead and was captured by the Confederates. Returned to Union lines, he joined a new regiment and spent the rest of the war missing service as his wound was worked on, returning to his regiment, getting wounded, taking time off to get his wounds worked on, returning to his regiment, getting wounded, etc. He earned his Medal of Honor leading his regiment (and getting wounded) at the Battle of Lookout Mountain. Paymaster Steward is an early example of living the "Leave no man behind" ethos. Lieutenant Toffey simply didn't want to be a slacker while his soldiers were fighting.
BARNUM, HENRY A.
Rank and organization: Colonel, 149th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Chattanooga, Tenn., 23 November 1863. Entered service at: Syracuse, N.Y. Born: 24 September 1833, Jamesville, Onondaga County, N.Y. Date of issue: July 1889. Citation: Although suffering severely from wounds, he led his regiment, inciting the men to greater action by word and example until again severely wounded.
SEWARD, RICHARD E.
Rank and organization: Paymaster's Steward, U.S. Navy. Place and date: Ship Island Sound, La., 23 November 1863. Entered service at------. Born: 1840, Kittery, Maine. Date of issue: 16 April 1864. Citation: Served as paymaster's steward on board the U.S.S. Commodore, November 1863. Carrying out his duties courageously, Seward "volunteered to go on the field amidst a heavy fire to recover the bodies of 2 soldiers which he brought off with the aid of others; a second instance of personal valor within a fortnight.'' Promoted to acting master's mate.
TOFFEY, JOHN J.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, Company G, 33d New Jersey Infantry. Place and date. At Chattanooga, Tenn., 23 November 1863. Entered service at: Hudson, N.J. Birth: Duchess, N.Y. Date of issue: 10 September 1897. Citation: Although excused from duty on account of sickness, went to the front in command of a storming party and with conspicuous gallantry participated in the assault of Missionary Ridge; was here wounded and permanently disabled.
Philippine Insurrection. Lieutenant Van Schaick - when in doubt, attack!
VAN SCHAICK, LOUIS J.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 4th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: Near Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippine Islands, 23 November 1901. Entered service at: Cobleskill, N.Y. Birth: Cobleskill, N.Y. G.O. No.: 33, 1913. Date of issue: Unknown. Citation: While in pursuit of a band of insurgents was the first of his detachment to emerge from a canyon, and seeing a column of insurgents and fearing they might turn and dispatch his men as they emerged one by one from the canyon, galloped forward and closed with the insurgents, thereby throwing them into confusion until the arrival of others of the detachment.
WWII. Sometimes doing the audacious thing works. It did for Lieutenant Silk, as it did for Van Schaick.
SILK, EDWARD A.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company E, 398th Infantry, 100th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near St. Pravel, France, 23 November 1944. Entered service at: Johnstown, Pa. Born: 8 June 1916, Johnstown, Pa. G.O. No.: 97, 1 November 1945. citation. 1st Lt. Edward A. Silk commanded the weapons platoon of Company E, 398th Infantry, on 23 November 1944, when the end battalion was assigned the mission of seizing high ground overlooking Moyenmoutier France, prior to an attack on the city itself. His company jumped off in the lead at dawn and by noon had reached the edge of a woods in the vicinity of St. Pravel where scouts saw an enemy sentry standing guard before a farmhouse in a valley below. One squad, engaged in reconnoitering the area, was immediately pinned down by intense machinegun and automatic-weapons fire from within the house. Skillfully deploying his light machinegun section, 1st Lt. Silk answered enemy fire, but when 15 minutes had elapsed with no slackening of resistance, he decided to eliminate the strong point by a l-man attack. Running 100 yards across an open field to the shelter of a low stone wall directly in front of the farmhouse, he fired into the door and windows with his carbine; then, in full view of the enemy, vaulted the wall and dashed 50 yards through a hail of bullets to the left side of the house, where he hurled a grenade through a window, silencing a machinegun and killing 2 gunners. In attempting to move to the right side of the house he drew fire from a second machinegun emplaced in the woodshed. With magnificent courage he rushed this position in the face of direct fire and succeeded in neutralizing the weapon and killing the 2 gunners by throwing grenades into the structure. His supply of grenades was by now exhausted, but undaunted, he dashed back to the side of the farmhouse and began to throw rocks through a window, demanding the surrender of the remaining enemy. Twelve Germans, overcome by his relentless assault and confused by his unorthodox methods, gave up to the lone American. By his gallant willingness to assume the full burden of the attack and the intrepidity with which he carried out his extremely hazardous mission, 1st Lt. Silk enabled his battalion to continue its advance and seize its objective.
