Medal of Honor: Louis Cukela – World War I, July 18, 1918

Name: Louis Cukela
Rank: Sergeant
Conflict: World War I
Unit: 66th Company, 5th Marine Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps (2nd Division, A.E.F.)
Date of Action: July 18, 1918
Location: Forest de Retz, near Villers-Cotterêts, France

Summary of Action:
On July 18, 1918, amid the thunder of artillery and the chaos of close-quarters fighting in the thick woods near Villers-Cotterêts, Sergeant Louis Cukela, an immigrant from Austria-Hungary serving in the United States Marine Corps, performed an act of battlefield brilliance that would etch his name in the annals of American military history.

As his unit advanced through the Forest de Retz, Cukela’s company encountered a heavily fortified German strongpoint—a cluster of machine gun nests that halted the American advance and threatened to mow down any attempt to push forward. Recognizing the danger and unwilling to wait for orders, Cukela acted alone.

Disregarding the shouted warnings of his fellow Marines, he crawled out along the flank under intense fire, working his way through the underbrush until he reached the rear of the enemy position. Then, in a sudden and brutal burst of violence, he charged a machine gun emplacement, dispatching or scattering the crew with nothing but his bayonet.

But he wasn’t finished. Grabbing German hand grenades, he methodically bombed the rest of the strongpoint, forcing the remaining enemy soldiers to surrender. When the smoke cleared, Cukela had singlehandedly killed or driven off multiple German troops, destroyed the enemy position, captured four prisoners, and seized two damaged machine guns—all with raw determination and a fierce sense of duty.

His courage, initiative, and total disregard for his own safety made him one of only 19 Americans in history to be awarded both the Army and Navy Medals of Honor.

Army Medal of Honor Citation:
When his company, advancing through a wood, met with strong resistance from an enemy strong point, Sgt. Cukela crawled out from the flank and made his way toward the German lines in the face of heavy fire, disregarding the warnings of his comrades. He succeeded in getting behind the enemy position and rushed a machinegun emplacement, killing or driving off the crew with his bayonet. With German handgrenades he then bombed out the remaining portion of the strong point, capturing 4 men and 2 damaged machineguns.

Navy Medal of Honor Citation:
For extraordinary heroism while serving with the 66th Company, 5th Regiment, during action in the Forest de Retz, near Viller-Cottertes, France, 18 July 1918. Sgt. Cukela advanced alone against an enemy strong point that was holding up his line. Disregarding the warnings of his comrades, he crawled out from the flank in the face of heavy fire and worked his way to the rear of the enemy position. Rushing a machinegun emplacement, he killed or drove off the crew with his bayonet, bombed out the remaining part of the strong point with German handgrenades and captured 2 machineguns and 4 men.