Medal of Honor: Seth L. Weld – Philippine Islands – December 5, 1906
When a constabulary officer and a fellow soldier were surrounded by dozens of Pulajanes on Leyte, one corporal — already wounded and with his arm split open — fought his way into the mob and battled with a broken rifle to save their lives.
December 5, 2025
Name: Seth L. Weld
Rank: Corporal
Organization: U.S. Army
Unit: Company L, 8th U.S. Infantry
Place and Date: La Paz, Leyte, Philippine Islands – 5 December 1906
Entered Service At: Altamont, Tennessee
Born: Sandy Hook, Maryland – 1883
Departed: 1957
Accredited To: Tennessee
Summary of Action
On December 5, 1906, at La Paz on the island of Leyte, Corporal Seth L. Weld and his party came under attack from a large force of approximately forty Pulajanes — fanatical fighters armed with bolos and blades. Amid the sudden and violent assault, a Philippine constabulary officer and a U.S. soldier were wounded and surrounded.
During the melee, Weld’s right arm was slashed open by a bolo, leaving him bleeding and partially disabled. Despite the wound and the overwhelming numbers, he fought his way toward the trapped men. When his rifle became useless, he gripped it by the barrel and used it as a club, swinging into the Pulajanes and beating them back one by one.
Through sheer determination and ferocity, Weld broke through the ring of attackers, reached the wounded men, and fought the group’s way back to safety — saving both lives through his courage.
Medal of Honor Citation
