Orlando Henderson Petty Orlando Henderson Petty ( February 20 , 1874 – June 2 , 1932 ) was an American physician and naval officer . As a surgeon in the United States Naval Reserve , he received the Medal of Honor for his actions during World War I . Early life and family . Petty was born in Cadiz , Ohio on February 20 , 1874 . He graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1904 and two years later joined the school ' s teaching staff . In 1908 , he married Marcia P . Mellersh of Philadelphia ; the couple had two children , Clara M . and Orville A . Petty . Military service . Petty joined the U . S . Naval Reserve Force as a lieutenant , junior grade , in December 1916 and served in the Medical Corps . After the United States ' entry into World War I , he was sent to France where he worked as an assistant surgeon . In March 1918 , he was promoted to lieutenant . By June 11 , 1918 , Petty was attached to the 5th Marine Regiment as the unit took part in the Battle of Belleau Wood . On that day , his dressing station in Lucy - le - Bocage came under heavy fire from German artillery , some of which were firing poison gas shells . He continued to evacuate and treat the wounded , even after he was knocked to the ground and his gas mask rendered useless by an exploding shell . When the dressing station was destroyed , he personally carried wounded Captain Lloyd W . Williams to safety . Captain Williams was the Marine famously quoted as saying " Retreat ? Hell , we just got here ! " For these actions , Petty was awarded the Medal of Honor . Other decorations which Petty received during the war include the Distinguished Service Cross , the Croix de Guerre with palm from France , and the Croce di Guerra from Italy . Later years and death . After his military service , Petty returned to Philadelphia and resumed teaching medicine . From 1923 until shortly before his death , he was a professor of metabolic disease s at the University of Pennsylvania . He was also the personal physician of Philadelphia mayor Harry A . Mackey . In 1931 , Mackey appointed him as the head of the city ' s public health department . On June 2 , 1932 , Petty ' s family found him dead in the bedroom of his Philadelphia home . He had been shot through the heart , apparently with his military service pistol , which was found nearby . His family noted that he had been in poor health for some time ; his death was ruled a suicide . He is buried at Saint Timothy ' s Episcopal Church Cemetery in Philadelphia ' s Roxborough neighborhood . Medal of Honor citation . Petty ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : For extraordinary heroism while serving with the 5th Regiment , U . S . Marines , in France during the attack in the Bois de Belleau , 11 June 1918 . While under heavy fire of high explosive and gas shells in the town of Lucy , where his dressing station was located , Lt . Petty attended to and evacuated the wounded under most trying conditions . Having been knocked to the ground by an exploding gas shell which tore his mask , Lt . Petty discarded the mask and courageously continued his work . His dressing station being hit and demolished , he personally helped carry Capt . Williams , wounded , through the shellfire to a place of safety .