Medal of Honor: Clayton K. Slack, World War I, October, 1918
Seeing German gunners preparing to strike his flank, Clayton Slack acted without orders—charging alone, capturing ten men, and seizing two machine guns that would have slaughtered his company.
October 8, 2025
Name: Clayton K. Slack
Rank: Private
War: World War I
Date of Action: October 8, 1918
Unit: Company D, 124th Machine Gun Battalion, 33rd Division
Entered Service At: Madison, Wisconsin
Born: February 23, 1896, Plover, Wisconsin
Summary of Action
On October 8, 1918, near Consenvoye, France, Private Clayton Slack spotted a group of German soldiers maneuvering for a flanking attack against his company. Realizing the imminent danger, he acted instantly—without orders and without support. Gripping his rifle, Slack sprinted across open ground toward the enemy, drawing their fire as he closed the distance. Before they could bring their guns fully to bear, he reached their position, firing and shouting as he went. The stunned Germans broke under the sudden assault. Slack captured ten prisoners and seized two heavy machine guns—turning what could have been a devastating ambush into a victory. His quick action and fearless initiative saved countless lives among his company and neighboring units, and stood as a testament to the power of individual courage under fire.
Medal of Honor Citation
SLACK, CLAYTON K.
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company D, 124th Machine Gun Battalion, 33d Division. Place and date: Near Consenvoye, France, 8 October 1918. Entered service at: Madison, Wis. Born: 23 February 1896, Plover, Wis. G.O. No.: 16, W.D., 1919. Citation: Observing German soldiers under cover 50 yards away on the left flank, Pvt. Slack, upon his own initiative, rushed them with his rifle and, single-handed, captured 10 prisoners and 2 heavy-type machineguns, thus saving his company and neighboring organizations from heavy casualties.
