The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-01-12

service entitle him to retirement. Also the mill
tary authorities have practically picked him out d.
the greatest lighting man of the A. 3. f.. So 1T
would seem as II America could do no less than
this for her "hero of heroes''-a ss.Regulare Of
: the United States army and a professional soldier
Anyway, Senator Richard p. Ernst or 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 as a peacock because Sergeant Wood
fill enlisted In 1901 from his district-the fourth
Benham had the clerk read q paragraph from
= General Order. No. 16, bearing date of January
%, 1919, and signed by Gen. Peyton G. March.
chief of staff-Lieutenant Woodfns citation No.
companying his award of the Congressional Medal
of Honor. y 2' %
Benham also put into the Congressional Record
Woodfll's army record in full from his enlistment
In 1901. -r..E..$ ~
Then woodruff Of Michigan, who was a major
of infantry in France and at one time. after tho
armistice, was Woodflls commanding officer. was
given the floor. As a preliminary to giving notice
that he would introduce the bill mentioned In
the foregoing, he set forth his drst-hand knowledge
of sWoodflls efficiency as a lieutenant In the Bor-
deaux embarkation camp and related how he re-
turned from receiving the Congressional Medal OF
Honor at Chaumont without opening his mouth
about 1t. Excellent behavior, efficiency and mod
festy bulk large in WOodfll's makeup.
The presentation at lChaumont took place on
\ the quadrangle British G. Ell. @. on Sunday at 8 30
before a large crowd Of American, British, French
Belgian and Italian officers. Headquarters bat
TALON acted as guard Of honor. Woodfll received
other awards In addition to the Congressional
Medal Of Honor. He received the Legion Of Honor
at the hands of the high admiral of the French
navy and Maj Gen. Hanson e. Ely presented to
him the Croix de- Guerre. with. palml. Later he
was awarded the Legion of Honor and the Order
$Ene D.srna no,;ln r fNEopfannrrDA N8Ia o1cr xrnprS
\ the Victory Medal with, three clasps. the Philippine
and Mexican border ribbons and an expert rifle
mans medal ~
NotWithstandin Woodfll's exploit and his cita-
lions he remained undiscovered as the 4hero OF
heroes" And Woodfli certainly didn't help along
the discovery. When he went to Louisville with
returning troops in the summer Of 1919, q real sol.
der and a real hero at last after all the event
full years that had passed since he enlisted there
In 1901, there were thousands hungry for such a
: tale OF the war that Woodfll held In his bosom.
But 1Noodfll didn't tell 1T. He went quietly about
his work and returned to his command. When
he was discharged as an officer. he Kept to- the
habit he had followed from his Philippine days.
He re-enlisted at about $84 a month.
came the preparations for the burial of
the unknown soldier at Washington on ARMS
tice day. Z
The board Of army officers, searching the rec.
ords for the purpose OF selecting a soldier from
the infantry to act as a body-bearsr Cor the un-
known dead, picked Sergeant Woodfll. When the
name was sent To Pershing, the commander of the
4. e. r. exclaimed why. I have already picked
that man an the greatest single hero IN the. Ameri-
can forces
General Pershing's report on the heroes and sol
6iers ia the World war contains this mention of
.Woodhlrs deed, given the place of honor over two
eases Or distinguished heroism which already have
received Americas recognition
Deeds OF valor were too numerous to- mention
here. Outstanding was the heroism OF Lieutenant
Samuel Woodfll, Fifth division. inS attacking single
handed u series Oh German machine gun nests near
Cunel and killing Sthescrews of each id turn until
reducedRto the necessity of assaulting The last ~.