Medal of Honor: James C. Dozier, World War I, October 8, 1918
Wounded in the shoulder and bleeding badly, James Dozier refused to stop—crawling forward under fire to destroy a machine gun nest and lead his men to victory.
October 8, 2025
Name: James C. Dozier
Rank: First Lieutenant
War: World War I
Date of Action: October 8, 1918
Unit: Company G, 118th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division
Entered Service At: Rock Hill, South Carolina
Born: February 17, 1885, Galivants Ferry, North Carolina
Summary of Action
During the assault near Montbrehain, France, First Lieutenant James C. Dozier commanded two platoons driving against entrenched German positions. Early in the advance, he was struck in the shoulder by enemy fire—a painful wound that would have sent most men to the rear. Instead, Dozier pressed forward, rallying his soldiers and directing their movement with calm precision despite the chaos. When his men were halted by intense machine gun fire, he ordered them to cover and crawled ahead with a single soldier at his side. Inch by inch, through torn earth and enemy fire, he crept upon the nest, then hurled grenades into the position, killing the entire gun crew. Wounded and bleeding, he pushed onward, capturing a group of Germans hiding in a nearby dugout. His fearless leadership inspired his men to renew their assault, breaking through the enemy’s final defenses and securing the objective.
Medal of Honor Citation
DOZIER, JAMES C.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company G, 118th Infantry, 30th Division. Place and date: Near Montbrehain, France, 8 October 1918. Entered service at: Rock Hill, S.C. Born: 17 February 1885, Galivants Ferry, N.C. G.O. No.: 16, W.D., 1919. Citation: In command of 2 platoons, 1st Lt. Dozier was painfully wounded in the shoulder early in the attack, but he continued to lead his men displaying the highest bravery and skill. When his command was held up by heavy machinegun fire, he disposed his men in the best cover available and with a soldier continued forward to attack a machinegun nest. Creeping up to the position in the face of intense fire, he killed the entire crew with handgrenades and his pistol and a little later captured a number of Germans who had taken refuge in a dugout nearby.
