Medal of Honor: Daniel R. Edwards – World War I, July 18, 1918

Name: Daniel R. Edwards
Rank: Sergeant (then Private First Class)
Conflict: World War I
Unit: Company C, 3rd Machine Gun Battalion, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces
Date of Action: July 18, 1918
Location: Near Soissons, France

Summary of Action:
On July 18, 1918, during the fierce Allied counteroffensive near Soissons, Private First Class Daniel R. Edwards exhibited extraordinary valor in one of the most grueling and dangerous phases of World War I. Despite having been severely wounded in a previous engagement just weeks earlier, Edwards refused to be sidelined and insisted on rejoining his unit in battle.

As the assault commenced, Edwards charged ahead of his unit toward an enemy machine gun nest that was wreaking havoc on the American lines. Alone and under heavy fire, he engaged the position in close-quarters combat, killing four enemy soldiers, capturing four more, and silencing the machine gun that had pinned down his comrades. Though he was wounded multiple times—including a severe injury to his wrist—he refused to withdraw.

Even after his arm was shattered, he continued to crawl forward, rallying his unit and holding the captured position under withering fire until reinforcements arrived. His refusal to abandon the fight, his courage under fire, and his tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds not only saved lives but enabled the continued advance of the 1st Division.

Edwards became one of the most decorated American soldiers of World War I, later receiving the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the French Croix de Guerre, and the Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor Citation:
Reporting for duty from the hospital, after being severely wounded, Private First Class Edwards participated in a forward movement against the enemy. Advancing ahead of the infantry through his own volition, in the face of machine gun and artillery fire, he attacked a machine gun nest, killed the crew of four, captured four more, and silenced the gun. He was wounded, but refused to be evacuated, and held the position until the enemy had retreated and his company had gained the objective.