Medal of Honor: Sterling Morelock, World War I, October 4, 1918

Name: Sterling Morelock
Rank: Private
War: World War I
Date of Action: October 4, 1918
Unit: Company M, 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division
Accredited to: Oquawka, Illinois
Born: Silver Run, Maryland

Summary of Action
Near Exermont, France, Private Sterling Morelock’s company was pinned down by ferocious German fire. Acting on his own initiative, he led three fellow runners forward as a patrol into the woods forming the enemy front line. Under heavy machine gun, rifle, and artillery fire, they fought through five enemy nests, each holding up to five guns. One by one, Morelock and his small team cleared them out—killing, capturing, or scattering the defenders. When all of his comrades became casualties, Morelock alone held the position until reinforcements arrived. He then used captured German prisoners as stretcher bearers to evacuate his wounded men. Even after his company commander was hit, Morelock stayed at his side, dressing his wound until he himself was struck and severely wounded. His fearless initiative and devotion to his comrades inspired the entire regiment and helped carry the advance through Exermont.

Medal of Honor Citation
MORELOCK, STERLING
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company M, 28th Infantry, 1st Division. Place and date: Near Exermont, France, 4 October 1918. Entered service at: Oquawka, Ill. Birth: Silver Run, Md. G.O. No.: 43, W.D., 1922. Citation: While his company was being held up by heavy enemy fire, Pvt. Morelock, with 3 other men who were acting as runners at company headquarters, voluntarily led them as a patrol in advance of his company’s frontline through an intense rifle, artillery, and machinegun fire and penetrated a woods which formed the German frontline. Encountering a series of 5 hostile machinegun nests, containing from 1 to 5 machineguns each, with his patrol he cleaned them all out, gained and held complete mastery of the situation until the arrival of his company commander with reinforcements, even though his entire party had become casualties. He rendered first aid to the injured and evacuated them by using stretcher bearers 10 German prisoners whom he had captured. Soon thereafter his company commander was wounded and while dressing his wound Pvt. Morelock was very severely wounded in the hip, which forced his evacuation. His heroic action and devotion to duty were an inspiration to the entire regiment.