Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-18
RETURNED CAPTAIN
THRICE DECORATED
G. H. MalIon of 1920 Infantry
Wears Congressional
Medal of Honor.
33D DIVISION PRAISED

NEW YORK, May 17.-Capt. George
H. Mallon, Kansas City. Kan. in COM
. mand of Company E. 1924 Infantry, who
returned on the Mount Vernon to-
day, wore the congressional medal OF
honor. the cross of the legion of honor
and the Croix de Guerre bestowed upon
him for heroism and leadership in bat
tile.
Can't. Mallon's company was attacked
by artillery fire, 1t was stated, and the
131st Regiment, which was on his LETT,
was being enfladed and in danger OF be-
ing wiped out. Taking fifteen men, Capt.
Mallon ran through an American bar
rage, and in the face of a German bat
terry of howitzers he captured the pat
terry and forty Germans after losing nine
of his own soldiers. On the way back
Mallon picked up ten more or the enemy
hidden in a dugout.
Knocks Gunner Down With Fist.
So complete were the Gerl.rn gunners
taken by surprise that G. .pk Mallon
said he knocked down the erer,y battery
commander with his fist When the Ger
man drew his revolver to shoot him.
Asked why he did not shoot. Capt. Mallon
replied: II couldn't kill a man in cold
blood At the same time German
Driyate behind one of the gun carriages
tried to kill Capt. Mallon and was shot
down by an American.
Capt. Mallon served In the Philip
pines Before going overseas he was
business agent of the United Asso-
citation of Plumbers -Steamfitters and
Sprinkler Filters of Minneapolis.
Another congressional medal OF
honor man was Sergt. Sidney G. Gum
pertz. Chicago. were before the war
he was a member of the Illinois Ma
-tional Guard. Rejected as unfit by
the Army doctors. 'Gumpertz, under
went an operation, was later accepted,
and for gallantry in action, in addi-
ton to the medal of honor, wore the
medal militaire of France. the high
est decoration given to an enlisted
man, and the croiX de guerre.
High Praise for SD. q"
The 33d Division units. on the
sion to return. were greeted by Gov.
I.owden of Illinois. United States
Senator Medill Mccormick, Roger
Sullivan and Col. John j. Clarity,
chief Of police of Chicago and former
commander of the old I'd Illinois In
fantry: and other Illinois citizens
Maj. Gen. George Bell, jr., command
er of the 33d said:
wherever our division has rested
on its 5ourneyings that have covered
France from west to east and into
Germany, 1t has been the verdict Of
all British, French, Australians and
even the German enemy that the
troops from Illinois were indeed men
In the best sense of the word.
The conduct of the officers and men
was marked. and, in my opinion, is
not surpassed by any division in the
Army. The SD has served with the
French. British and American armies,
and has at different times been in five
armies and twelve army corps. 1t al
ways advanced; 1t never retreated."
Secretary OF the Navy Daniels said
OF the 33d: "A finer looking body of
men 1 have not seen. Having had an
eight day shipmate association with
the s3d. came to admire them be-
OAuse they have tfues American stun
and pep and ehAfHetA They are the
type OF men who cannot be defeated.
and who are coming home to civic du-
ties which they will perform with as
much patriotism az they served their
country during the war"
Col. Ross in Command on Floridan.
Troops. including District of CO.
1umbia, Maryland and Virginia men.
which arrived on the Floridan today.
we're under the command Of Lieut.. Col.
Francis D. Ross, Kansas City, MO,
Whn Capt Burt Patterson. Newark,
stanton. Va. commanded the LAT
Battalion. and Maj. Frank A. Han
COCK. Baltimore. the I'd Battalion.
Two OF the men on board wore the
service cross-Private
william I. Golden. Newark NJ T ord