Medal of Honor: Samuel Woodfill, World War I, October 12, 1918

Name: Samuel Woodfill
Rank: First Lieutenant
War: World War I
Date of Action: October 12, 1918
Unit: Company M, 60th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division (“Red Diamond”)
Entered Service At: Bryantsburg, Indiana
Born: Jefferson County, Indiana

Summary of Action
As his company advanced near the French village of Cunel, Lieutenant Samuel Woodfill’s line was pinned down by fierce German machine gun fire. Leaving his men behind, Woodfill crawled forward through shell-torn mud with two soldiers trailing at a distance. Reaching the flank of one gun position, he shot three enemy soldiers and fought a German officer hand-to-hand, killing him with his pistol. Then, with the fire of battle burning in him, he led the attack on two more machine gun nests, wiping out their crews one after another.
When his rifle jammed and his pistol emptied, Woodfill grabbed a nearby pick and leapt into the pit—killing the last two gunners at point-blank range. His lone assault broke the enemy’s line and inspired his men to surge forward through murderous fire to seize their objective.

Medal of Honor Citation
WOODFILL, SAMUEL
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 60th Infantry, 5th Division. Place and date: At Cunel, France, 12 October 1918. Entered service at: Bryantsburg, Ind. Birth: Jefferson County, Ind. G.O. No.: 16, W.D., 1919. Citation: While he was leading his company against the enemy, his line came under heavy machinegun fire, which threatened to hold up the advance. Followed by 2 soldiers at 25 yards, this officer went out ahead of his first line toward a machinegun nest and worked his way around its flank, leaving the 2 soldiers in front. When he got within 10 yards of the gun it ceased firing, and 4 of the enemy appeared, 3 of whom were shot by 1st Lt. Woodfill. The fourth, an officer, rushed at 1st Lt. Woodfill, who attempted to club the officer with his rifle. After a hand-to-hand struggle, 1st Lt. Woodfill killed the officer with his pistol. His company thereupon continued to advance, until shortly afterwards another machinegun nest was encountered. Calling on his men to follow, 1st Lt. Woodfill rushed ahead of his line in the face of heavy fire from the nest, and when several of the enemy appeared above the nest he shot them, capturing 3 other members of the crew and silencing the gun. A few minutes later this officer for the third time demonstrated conspicuous daring by charging another machinegun position, killing 5 men in one machinegun pit with his rifle. He then drew his revolver and started to jump into the pit, when 2 other gunners only a few yards away turned their gun on him. Failing to kill them with his revolver, he grabbed a pick lying nearby and killed both of them. Inspired by the exceptional courage displayed by this officer, his men pressed on to their objective under severe shell and machinegun fire.