James C . Dozier James Cordie Dozier ( February 17 , 1885 – October 24 , 1974 ) a native of South Carolina was a United States Army officer who received the Medal of Honor for heroism on October 8 , 1918 during World War I . Early life . Dozier was born on February 17 , 1885 , at Galivants Ferry in Horry County . The descendant of a long line of Palmetto State Citizen - Soldiers who had served from the American Revolution , through the Spanish – American War , Dozier began his military career with Company H , 118th Infantry Regiment on September 3 , 1904 . In August 1916 , Dozier was sent with the 118th Infantry Regiment to El Paso , TX . There , they joined Brig . Gen . John J . “ Blackjack ” Pershing ’ s Punitive Expedition to protect U . S . border towns from Mexican General Pancho Villa ’ s forces . Company H returned home to S . C . in December . Four months later on April 16 , 1917 Dozier ’ s unit was activated for World War I . While training at Camp Sevier ( near Greenville ) , over the next several months , Dozier was commissioned a 2nd Lt . in July and 1st Lt . in November . His unit boarded a ship bound for France on May 11 , 1918 . Provided by : Maj . Scott Bell , S . C . National Guard Historian Military service . World War I . Between May and September 1918 , the 118th Infantry Regiment trained and moved through the allied lines to become the first American force to face Germany ’ s “ impregnable ” Hindenburg Line on September 27 . Over the next month , the regiment advanced through 18 , 000 yards of enemy territory , 15 , 000 yards of which was made while the regiment was in the front line spearheading numerous attacks . However , it was at Montbrehain on October 8 , Dozier became one of six S . C . National Guardsmen to receive the Medal of Honor . On October 8 , at five in the morning , G Company was ordered “ Over the Top . ” The unit advanced approximately one mile before its commander was wounded and Dozier , who had already been shot in the shoulder by a sniper , assumed command . Soon after , the Germans sent out half a dozen machine gun crews in advance of their line . According to Dozier one was particularly well advanced . “ We could see men from my company and men of the other companies on our right and left falling from machine gun fire . ” Locating the source of trouble , Dozier signaled his company to lie down and seek as much concealment as possible . He then ordered a machine gun crew to fire just over the heads of the German gunners so they couldn ’ t look over the top of the pit in which they were concealed . He and Private Callie Smith advanced on the left flank of the machine gunners until they were within 20 yards of the enemy . Around 8 : 30 a . m . he signaled his machine gun crew to quit firing and dashed upon the Germans in the hole . “ One of the machine gunners was about to get me with his revolver when Callie Smith downed him , ” said Dozier . The two knocked out the entire squad of seven machine gunners in this advanced position . Dozier continued leading his men for the next two and a half hours until all the machine gun nests had been silenced and G Company ’ s objective had been taken . He and the unit also captured approximately 470 prisoners . At this point , the “ Great War ” was over for Dozier . He spent the next three months in hospitals recuperating from his wound . On January 21 , 1919 , General Pershing , commander of the American Expeditionary Force pinned the Medal of Honor to Dozier ’ s chest . Citizen - Soldier Returns Home . When the 118th returned to Camp Jackson ( now Ft . Jackson ) from overseas , the U . S . government was gearing up for a “ Victory Liberty Loan Campaign ” to raise $ 4 . 5 billion in war bonds to pay off the nation ’ s debt from World War I . Dozier ’ s achievement on October 8 , was selected by the government as one of the 12 most remarkable exploits during the war . He and 11 other Medal of Honor recipients spent three weeks ( April 21 – May 10 ) touring the country helping to raise $ 5 . 2 billion ( approx . $ 63 billion today ) in bond subscriptions . After completing this mission , Dozier returned to civilian life . He also continued his courtship with Winthrop College student Tallulah Little , whom he had corresponded with throughout the war . In a scrapbook she kept of Dozier during and after the war are endearing telegrams he sent her while separated . One of them relates to an upcoming banquet the students of Winthrop hosted in honor of the homecoming of our Soldiers . In the telegram Dozier wrote “ Miss Lula Little , I ’ m coming Tuesday . My place at the banquet is with you . It is fine to be back home . Love , Jim . ” The two were married the following June in Laurens . Dozier Honors a Friend . Dozier rejoined the S . C National Guard on December 1 , 1920 , to organize the “ Frank Roach Guards , ” of Rock Hill in honor of Roach , a fellow Rock Hill Soldier from Company H who lost his life in Flanders Field . On September 1 , 1921 , Dozier was promoted to Major and assigned to command 3rd Battalion of the 118th Infantry Regiment . On January 1 , 1923 , he was appointed secretary of the State Board of Welfare which he held until the unexpected death of Adjutant General Robert E . Craig . A week later on January 22 , 1926 , Maj . Dozier was appointed The Adjutant General ( TAG ) by Governor Thomas C . McLeod to fill the unexpired term of Craig . At the time , Guard strength consisted of 2 , 104 officers and men . The Guard had two armories , one in Columbia , the other in Beaufort . The annual budget was $ 118 , 812 . 00 . Dozier ’ s 33 Years as S . C . TAG . Shortly after becoming TAG , Dozier was asked by the War Department to take over custody of Camp Jackson ( Ft . Jackson ) which had been abandoned by the Army on April 25 , 1922 . He is credited for helping to preserve the Camp and growing it between the World Wars and during the Great Depression ( 1929 – 1939 ) . In fact , Dozier Hall at Ft . Jackson was dedicated in his honor on May 15 , 1998 , by Maj . Gen . Stanhope S . Spears , S . C . TAG and Maj . Gen . John A . Fan Alstynein , a past commander of Ft . Jackson . In 1928 , Camp Jackson was chosen as a training center for the 30th “ Old Hickory ” Division . Following the stock market crash the next year , non - farming jobs became scarce across the state . Dozier determined to help the unemployed by seeking Works Progress Administration ( WPA ) funding for Camp Jackson and construction of armories and other Guard facilities throughout S . C . Although it would take another four years to receive WPA funds for new armories , $ 86 , 656 . 00 was allocated for Dozier ’ s new construction and maintenance projects at Camp Jackson and repairs at Ft . Moultrie ’ s Guard facilities . In 1936 , the Guard dedicated 23 new armories and received funding for seven more at a cost of $ 494 , 759 . 00 . “ These new buildings constructed around the state is indicative , not only of civic pride , but of an increased interest in our National Guard , ” wrote Dozier . Dozier ’ s efforts to help S . C . communities were so successful , the WPA awarded money in 1938 , to construct five additional armories and another $ 154 , 980 to make general improvements and repairs at Camp Jackson . This put the camp in what Dozier called “ first - class condition ” for the more than 8 , 000 Guard Soldiers from the 30th Division who used the camp each year . These improvements proved tremendously beneficial when the Army ’ s 6th Division reactivated Camp Jackson following Hitler ’ s successful Blitzkrieg into Poland in November 1939 . In September 1940 , the winds of war were again blowing across the nation and the 118th Infantry Regiment was activated . Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7 , 1941 , all 3 , 671 Guardsmen were activated for World War II . In order to ensure key logistical installations throughout the state continued to be protected , the S . C . Legislature adopted Act No . 54 , on March 21 , 1941 , establishing the S . C . Defense Force to serve in the absence of the Guard . Dozier immediately organized State Guard units in 80 towns , with a strength of 6 , 000 men . After World War II , the National Guard had to be completely reorganized and rebuilt . In December 1946 , the process began and Dozier became an advocate for General George C . Marshall ’ s plan for the post - war National Guard . Marshall believed a bigger , more powerful , well funded National Guard would help deter future aggression by America ’ s enemies . “ I sincerely believe that if we had given our security its proper attention , the Axis nations would not have started the war , ” said Dozier . A good portion of the reorganization and rebuilding Dozier undertook in 1946 , included the development of the S . C . Air National Guard . The Guard received 25 P - 51s , one C - 47 and four AT - 26s at Congaree Air Base ( McEntire Joint National Guard Base ) . By the following July , 94 of the new 116 authorized Army Guard units were also organized . The number of personnel authorizations continued to increase and by 1950 , there were 12 , 683 S . C . Soldiers and Airmen serving . In 1951 , Dozier ’ s 25 - year effort to acquire appropriations from the S . C . Legislature for new armory construction came to fruition . The state provided $ 350 , 000 under an agreement with the federal government which provided 75 percent of the cost of building the armories . As a result , 14 new armories were built . In 1957 , funding for 10 additional armories and the renovation of eight old ones was also approved by the Legislature . By the time of Dozier ’ s retirement fifty years ago on January 19 , 1959 , he had received many awards and accolades from leaders across the nation . The S . C . National Guard ’ s budget had grown from $ 118 , 812 . 00 ( 1926 ) , to $ 6 , 230 , 159 . 62 ( 1959 ) . During a time when armory utilities , maintenance and operation were a much smaller portion of the Guard ’ s budget , “ Mr . National Guard ” had accomplished — what was considered at the time — the greatest and most permanent achievement ever accomplished during the term of office of any Adjutant General , the construction of permanent armories throughout the state . Appropriately , the name Dozier will forever be synonymous with the S . C . National Guard . Medal of Honor citation . Rank and organization : First Lieutenant , U . S . Army , Company G , 118th Infantry , 30th Division . Place and date : Near Montbrehain , France , October 8 , 1918 . Entered service at : Rock Hill , S . C . Born : February 17 , 1885 , Galivants Ferry , N . C . G . O . No . : 16 , W . D . , 1919 . Citation : In command of 2 platoons , 1st . Lt . Dozier was painfully wounded in the shoulder early in the attack , but he continued to lead his men displaying the highest bravery and skill . When his command was held up by heavy machinegun fire , he disposed his men in the best cover available and with a soldier continued forward to attack a machinegun nest . Creeping up to the position in the face of intense fire , he killed the entire crew with handgrenades and his pistol and a little later captured a number of Germans who had taken refuge in a dugout nearby .