Civl War. Four awards for actions at the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas. This is a battle that would loom larger in our history had General Van Dorn been successful, and General Curtis failed. An interesting fight, with more generals killed (as a percentage of number present) than any other battle and the presence of Colonel Stand Watie's Cherokees, fighting for the Confederates.
BLACK, WILLIAM P.
Rank and organization: Captain, Company K, 37th Illinois Infantry. Place and date: At Pea Ridge, Ark., 7 March 1862. Entered service at: Danville, Ill. Born: 11 November 1842, Woodford, Ky. Date of issue: 2 October 1893. Citation: Single-handedly confronted the enemy, firing a rifle at them and thus checking their advance within 100 yards of the lines.
CARR, EUGENE A.
Rank and organization: Colonel, 3d Illinois Cavalry. Place and date: At Pea Ridge, Ark., 7 March 1862. Entered service at: Hamburg, Erie County, N.Y. Born: 10 March 1830, Boston Corner, Erie County, N.Y. Date of issue: 16 January 1894. Citation: Directed the deployment of his command and held his ground, under a brisk fire of shot and shell in which he was several times wounded.
HERRON, FRANCIS J.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, 9th Iowa Infantry. Place and date: At Pea Ridge, Ark., 7 May 1862. [sic] (As the battle of Pea Ridge was fought on 7 March, not 7 May, I have added LTC (Later MGoV to the 7 March list. - the Armorer). Entered service at: Pittsburgh, Pa. Born: 17 February 1837, Pittsburgh, Pa. Date of issue 26 September 1893. Citation: Was foremost in leading his men, rallying them to repeated acts of daring, until himself disabled and taken prisoner.
POWER, ALBERT
Rank and organization: Private, Company A, 3d Iowa Cavalry. Place and date: At Pea Ridge, Ark., 7 March 1862. Entered service at: Davis County, Iowa. Birth: Guernsey County, Ohio. Date of issue: 6 March 1899. Citation: Under a heavy fire and at great personal risk went to the aid of a dismounted comrade who was surrounded by the enemy, took him up on his own horse, and carried him to a place of safety.
Indian Campaigns. Late in the wars for control of the west. Interesting note - the official records do not record a first name for Sergeant Rowdy, and his grave shows only "Y.B."
DANIELS, JAMES T.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company L, 4th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Arizona, 7 March 1890. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Richland County, 111. Date of issue: 15 May 1890. Citation: Untirlng energy and cool gallantry under fire in an engagement with Apache Indians.
McBRYAR, WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company K, 1 0th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Arizona, 7 March 1890. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: 14 February 1861, Elizabethtown, N.C. Date of issue: 15 May 1890. Citation: Distinguished himself for coolness, bravery and marksmanship while his troop was in pursuit of hostile Apache Indians.
ROWDY, Y.B.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company A, Indian Scouts. Place and date: Arizona, 7 March 1890. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Arizona. Date of issue: 15 May 1890. Citation: Bravery in action with Apache Indians.
Philippine Insurrection.
CECIL, JOSEPHUS S.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 19th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At mount Bud-Dajo, Jolo, Philippine Islands, 7 March 1906. Entered service at: New River, Tenn. Birth: New River, Tenn. Date of issue: Unknown. Citation: While at the head of the column about to assault the first cotta under a superior fire at short range personally carried to a sheltered position a wounded man and the body of one who was killed beside him.
JOHNSTON, GORDON
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Signal Corps. Place and date: At Mount Bud-Dajo, Jolo, Philippine Islands, 7 March 1906. Entered service at: Birmingham, Ala. Born: 25 May 1874, Charlotte, N.C. Date of issue: 7 November 1910. G.O. No.: 207. Citation: Voluntarily took part in and was dangerously wounded during an assault on the enemy's works.
World War II. Iwo Jima isn't over yet.
LEIMS, JOHN HAROLD
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. marine Corps Reserve, Company B, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 7 march 1945. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 8 June 1921, Chicago, Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of Company B, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 7 march 1945. Launching a surprise attack against the rock-imbedded fortification of a dominating Japanese hill position, 2d Lt. Leims spurred his company forward with indomitable determination and, skillfully directing his assault platoons against the cave-emplaced enemy troops and heavily fortified pillboxes, succeeded in capturing the objective in later afternoon. When it became apparent that his assault platoons were cut off in this newly won position, approximately 400 yards forward of adjacent units and lacked all communication with the command post, he personally advanced and laid telephone lines across the isolating expanse of open fire-swept terrain. Ordered to withdraw his command after he had joined his forward platoons, he immediately complied, adroitly effecting the withdrawal of his troops without incident. Upon arriving at the rear, he was informed that several casualties had been left at the abandoned ridge position beyond the frontlines. Although suffering acutely from the strain and exhausting of battle, he instantly went forward despite darkness and the slashing fury of hostile machinegun fire, located and carried to safety 1 seriously wounded marine and then, running the gauntlet of enemy fire for the third time that night, again made his tortuous way into the bullet-riddled deathtrap and rescued another of his wounded men. A dauntless leader, concerned at all time for the welfare of his men, 2d Lt. Leims soundly maintained the coordinated strength of his battle-wearied company under extremely difficult conditions and, by his bold tactics, sustained aggressiveness, and heroic disregard for all personal danger, contributed essentially to the success of his division's operations against this vital Japanese base. His valiant conduct in the face of fanatic opposition sustains and enhances the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
Korea. I used to think the Auld Soldier was a relatively unique fellow, having been bayoneted during the Korean War. But when reading Medal of Honor citations for Korea, at least on our side, the bayonet got used quite a bit - it's almost a feature of MOH citations. The Army is now considering dropping bayonet training from the basic training curriculum (it's been dropped before) and replacing it with knife fighting, instead, as we perceive that's a skill soldiers are more likely to need in the current environment. Heh. Wonder if any of the Usual Suspects will bemoan we're teaching the kids to knife fight, a skill they're far more likely to find useful when they come home from the war?
*BRITTIN, NELSON V.
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Company I, 19th Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Vicinity of Yonggong-ni, Korea, 7 March 1951. Entered service at: Audubon, N.J. Birth: Audubon, N.J. G.O. No.: 12, 1 February 1952. Citation: Sfc. Brittin, a member of Company I, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action. Volunteering to lead his squad up a hill, with meager cover against murderous fire from the enemy, he ordered his squad to give him support and, in the face of withering fire and bursting shells, he tossed a grenade at the nearest enemy position. On returning to his squad, he was knocked down and wounded by an enemy grenade. Refusing medical attention, he replenished his supply of grenades and returned, hurling grenades into hostile positions and shooting the enemy as they fled. When his weapon jammed, he leaped without hesitation into a foxhole and killed the occupants with his bayonet and the butt of his rifle. He continued to wipe out foxholes and, noting that his squad had been pinned down, he rushed to the rear of a machine gun position, threw a grenade into the nest, and ran around to its front, where he killed all 3 occupants with his rifle. Less than 100 yards up the hill, his squad again came under vicious fire from another camouflaged, sandbagged, machine gun nest well-flanked by supporting riflemen. Sfc. Brittin again charged this new position in an aggressive endeavor to silence this remaining obstacle and ran direct into a burst of automatic fire which killed him instantly. In his sustained and driving action, he had killed 20 enemy soldiers and destroyed 4 automatic weapons. The conspicuous courage, consummate valor, and noble self-sacrifice displayed by Sfc. Brittin enabled his inspired company to attain its objective and reflect the highest glory on himself and the heroic traditions of the military service.
*Asterisk indicates posthumous award.]]>