WOODFILL, SAMUEL - Medal of Honor Recipient
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 60th Infantry, 5th
Division. Place and date: At Cunel, France, 12 October 1918. Entered service
at: Bryantsburg, Ind. Birth: Jefferson County, Ind. G.O. No.: 16, W.D.,
1919. Citation: While he was leading his company against the enemy, his
line came under heavy machinegun fire, which threatened to hold up the
advance. Followed by 2 soldiers at 25 yards, this officer went out ahead
of his first line toward a machinegun nest and worked his way around its
flank, leaving the 2 soldiers in front. When he got within 10 yards of
the gun it ceased firing, and 4 of the enemy appeared, 3 of whom were shot
by 1st Lt. Woodfill. The fourth, an officer, rushed at 1st Lt. Woodfill,
who attempted to club the officer with his rifle. After a hand-to-hand
struggle, 1st Lt. Woodfill killed the officer with his pistol. His company
thereupon continued to advance, until shortly afterwards another machinegun
nest was encountered. Calling on his men to follow, 1st Lt. Woodfill rushed
ahead of his line in the face of heavy fire from the nest, and when several
of the enemy appeared above the nest he shot them, capturing 3 other members
of the crew and silencing the gun. A few minutes later this officer for
the third time demonstrated conspicuous daring by charging another machinegun
position, killing 5 men in one machinegun pit with his rifle. He then drew
his revolver and started to jump into the pit, when 2 other gunners only
a few yards away turned their gun on him. Failing to kill them with his
revolver, he grabbed a pick lying nearby and killed both of them. Inspired
by the exceptional courage displayed by this officer, his men pressed on
to their objective under severe shell and machinegun fire.
This data was extracted from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973)
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