Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1921-01-05

service entitle him TO retirement. Also the mill
tary authorities have practically picked him out as
the greatest fighting man of the A. E. F. So 1t
would seem as if America could do no less than
this for her "hero of heroes"-a Regular" of
the United States army and professional soldier
Anyway, Senator Richard p. Ernst of Kentucky
has introduced such a bill in the senate And
Representative Roy o. Woodruff of Michigan has
done the same In the house.
Representative John S. Benham of Indiana
started the movement in the house. You see he
was proud a peacock because Sergeant Wood
NIL enlisted In 1901 from his diStrct-the fourth
Benham had the clerk read a paragraph from
General Order No. 16, bearing date Of January
22, 1919. and signed by Gen. Peyton C. March
chief Of staff-Lieutenant Woodilrs citation nc.
companyng his award Of the Congressional Medal
of Honor
Benham also put into the Congressional Record
Woodfills army record in full from his enlistment
in 1901.
Then Woodruff of Michigan. who was major
of infantry in France and ut time, after the
armiStice, WUodfill's commanding officer was
given the floor AS preliminary to giving notice
that he would introduce the bill mentioned I'm
the foregoing, he set forth his irSt-hand knowledge
of WOodfilrs efficiency as lieutenant in the Bor-
,ieauX embarkatiOn camp and related how he re-
turned from receiving the Congressional Medal Of
about it, Excellent" behavior efficiency and mod
esty bulk large in Wood6li's makeup.
The presentation at Chaumont took place on
the quadrangle British G. II. Q. on Sunday at 30
before q large crowd of American, British French.
Belgian and Italian officers. Headquarters bat
TALON acted as guard Of honor. Wo0dhll received
other awards In addition to the Congressional
Medal of Honor. He received the Legion OF Honor
ut the hands of the high admiral of the French
navy and Maj. Gen. Hanson F. Ely presented 10
him the Croix de Guerre with palm). Later he
was awarded the Legion Of Honor and the ORDER
of Prince Danilo I (Montenegro). He also wears
the Victory Medal with three clasps. the Philippine
md Mexican border ribbons and an expert rife-
mans medal
Notwithstanding Woodflrs exploit and his cita-
tions he remained undiscovered as the hero or
heroes" And WoOdfl certainly didn't help along
the discovery When he went to Louisville with
returning troops in the summer OF l9l" real SOL
der and a real hero at last after all the event
full wears that had passed since he enlisted there
in 1901 there were thousands hungry for such
,oIe Of the war that Woodfill held in his BOSOM
Rut Woodfiu didn't tell 1t. He went quietly about
his work and returned to his command. When
no WAS discharged as IN officer. he kept to the
habit he had followed from his Philippine days
He re.enlisted nt about SSl month.
Then came the preparations for the burial Of
the unknown soldier al washington on ARMS
tice day.
The board OF army officers. searching the rec
orts for the purpose OF selecting a soldier from
the infantry to act a body-bearer for the un-
known dead picked Sergeant WOodfl. When the
name was sent to Pershing the commander Of the
A + F. exclaimed: "Why, have already picked
that man as the greatest single hero in the Ameri-
can forces
General Pershing's report on the heroes and SOL
Giers in the World war contains this mention Of
Woodfill's deed given the place OF honor over two
cases of distinguished heroSm which already have
received Americas recognition:
.DcedS Of valor We're roo numerous to mention
bara Outstanding the heroSm Of Lieutenant
Samuel Woodill. Fifth division. in attacking single
handed q series of German machine gun nests near
t,une and killing the crews of each in turn until
re,ucod 10 the necessity Of aSSaulting the last de-
tachment with pick, diSpalching them all. And