Colonel Joe Thompson and the Battle for Apremont

October 1, 1918: The American 28th Infantry Division, made up mostly of Pennsylvania National Guardsmen, had spent three days taking the town of Apremont as part of the Meuse-Argonne offensive.  Elements of the 55th Infantry Brigade, about 400 Soldiers, held Apremont on the morning of the 1st, when the Germans launched two Infantry regiments in a fierce counterattack.

 Major Joe Thompson, the former football coach of the University of Pittsburgh, moved from one position to another along the line, encouraging his men, directing their fire, and urging them to hold their positions.  They repulsed the attack and used the enemy withdrawal to advance to the next line of German-held trenches.  Thompson's Battalion included six tanks accompanying the infantry, but five of them were hit or broke down in No Man's Land.  With his infantry companies pinned down by a machine gun nest, Thompson ran to the final tank and acted as a forward spotter to direct its fire effectively.  Three times he ran forward to assess the enemy position and direct the tank to maneuver into an out-flank position.  Once they had reached a lethal close range of the nest, Thompson ordered the gunner to fire and the tank blew apart the nest, gaining the trench line for the Americans.

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, celebrated Thompson as "Pitt's Fighting Athlete," juxtaposing "Coach Joe" with "Colonel Joe" in this poster above.  Colonel Joe is buried in Beaver Falls, with a humble gravestone, in keeping with the manner of the modest man who went above and beyond the call of duty in an amazing act of valor on this day in 1918.

Welcome to Days of Honor

Greetings Readers of all Ages,
       Do you need a hero?  Have you ever stopped to wonder if something extraordinary happened on this day in history?  Do you want to keep alive the memories of our most heroic Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen? (Yes, one woman as well.)  If so, you have come to the right place.
       Days of Honor is dedicated to heroes who have received our nation's highest honor for valor, The Medal of Honor.  From the battlefields of Gettysburg, Antietam, and Manassas to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, a select number of Servicemen have distinguished themselves by valor above and beyond the call of duty.  Of the few who earned the medal, a much smaller number have become famous.  Since the outset of the Second World War, most recipients have not lived to receive the award.  I will emphasize the Servicemen who are not household names, always with a mind to keep alive a hero's memory and inspire the rest of us.
     Starting October 1, 2012, I will post three to four times per week, telling the story of a recipient of the Medal of Honor.  I do not have to keep strictly to a timetable, however.  Please make comments and send requests for stories of specific battles, dates, and heroes you wish to know more about.  I will respond as quickly as possible.   Remember, someone did something heroic on this day in history, so make your day count, too.
Blessings,
Hugh Henry

The Medal of Honor

     The men and women of the United States Armed Forces trace our history to 1775, although the people of the Colonies took up arms several times before that as far back as the 1600s.  The Continental Congress approved medals of various types for victorious generals during the American Revolution, as well as a few private Soldiers.  General Washington established two awards: a hash mark on the sleeve of enlisted men's uniforms to mark three years' service, and the famous Purple Heart.  Soldiers still receive both awards today.
     In late 1861 and early 1862, as the Civil War casualties were about to grow, Congress adopted the Medal of Honor for the Navy and the Army, to be awarded for gallantry and other acts deserving recognition.  The first Soldiers to receive the medal were exchanged prisoners from the famous Great Locomotive Chase, which Disney dramatized in a very accurate movie in 1956.  Jacob Parrott, an illiterate young man aged 19, received the first medal on March 25, 1863.  Over 1500 Soldiers and Sailors, as well as a few civilians, received the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, including Dr. Mary Walker, the only female recipient to date.  Deeds meriting the award ranged from extraordinary heroism under fire to the 97 sailors who all received the medal for carrying out their regular duties during the Battle of Mobile Bay.  Until 1917, the Medal of Honor was the only award for gallantry or meritorious service.
      In 1897, in view of the over 700 veterans who had applied for the Medal of Honor, President McKinley established more specific criteria for the award, including the requirement that someone else nominate a candidate.  During the First World War, Congress designed and President Wilson approved the Pyramid of Honor much as it exists today, with several medals representing different degrees of gallantry.  The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor, followed by the Distinguished Service Cross, (DSC) then the Silver Star, then the Bronze Star with "V" device, then the Army Commendation Medal with "V" device for the Army.  Sailors and Marines earn the Navy Cross and Airmen the Air Force Cross instead of the DSC, as well as other equivalent awards.
       The Medal of Honor has three designs, as depicted below:

       At left, the Army version has Minerva in profile on a wreathed star hanging from an eagle on a device bearing the inscription "VALOR."  The Air Force Version has the Statue of Liberty on the wreathed star, hanging from a device of crossed missiles and lightning bolts below the "VALOR" piece.  The Navy version retains the original medal's design, with Athena holding her Aegis to drive away a mythical villain with snakes in his hands, hanging from an anchor.
        President Truman frequently said, "I would rather have that medal than be president," while presenting one of the over 400 that American servicemen earned during the Second World War.
     
       This blog is dedicated to the extraordinary heroes who earned our Nation's highest award, many at the cost of their lives.  May their memories never fade.