Louis Cukela Louis Cukela ( May 1 , 1888 – March 19 , 1956 ) was a United States Marine numbered among the nineteen two - time recipients of the Medal of Honor . Cukela was awarded the Medal by both the US Army and the US Navy for the same action during the Battle of Soissons in World War I . He was also awarded decorations from France , Italy , and Yugoslavia . Biography . Louis Cukela was born Vjekoslav Lujo Čukela ( pronounced " luyo chukela " ) on May 1 , 1888 in the Dalmatian city of Split , Croatia ( at the time Kingdom of Dalmatia , Austro - Hungarian Empire ) to Ivan and Jovana ( born Bubrić ) Čukela . His mother died in 1900 . He was educated in the grade schools of Split , then attended the Merchant Academy and later , the Royal Gymnasium , both for two year courses . In 1913 , Cukela emigrated to the United States and he and his brother settled in Minneapolis , Minnesota ; his father and three sisters remained in Austria - Hungary . On September 21 , 1914 , he enlisted in the United States Army . He was serving as a corporal in Company H , 13th Infantry Regiment when he was honorably discharged on June 12 , 1916 . World War I . Seven months later , on January 31 , 1917 , with World War I raging in Europe and prior to the United States entry into the war , Cukela enlisted in the United States Marine Corps . He became a member of the 66th Company , 1st Battalion , Fifth Marine Regiment . He was deployed to France in 1918 and fought in all the engagements in which the 5th Marines participated , from Belleau Wood to the Meuse River Crossing . Along the way he collected a commission as a second lieutenant , as well as the Medal of Honor and four Silver Star Citations . From the French , there was the Legion d ’ Honneur , the Médaille militaire ( the first award of this prestigious decoration to a Marine officer ) and the Croix de guerre 1914 – 18 with two palms and one silver star . Italy decorated him with the Croce al Merito di Guerra , while Yugoslavia weighed in with the Commander ' s Cross of the Royal Order of the Crown of Yugoslavia . He was awarded the Medal of Honor by both the Army and the Navy ( in the " Tiffany Cross " pattern ) for the same action on the morning of July 18 , 1918 , near Villiers - Cotterets , France , during the Soissons engagement . The 66th Company , 5th Marines , in which Cukela was then a gunnery sergeant , was advancing through the Forest de Retz when it was held up by an enemy strong point . Despite the warnings of his men , the gunnery sergeant crawled out from the flank and advanced alone towards the German lines . Getting beyond the strong point despite heavy fire , " Gunny " Cukela captured one gun by bayonet ing its crew . Picking up their hand grenades , he then demolished the remaining portion of the strong point from the shelter of a nearby gun pit . He took four prisoners and captured two undamaged machine guns . Cukela was wounded in action twice but since there is no record of either wound at the Navy ' s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery , he was never awarded the Purple Heart . The first wound was suffered at Jaulny , France , on September 16 , 1918 during the St . Mihiel engagement . Cukela was wounded again during the fighting in the Champagne sector . Neither wound was serious . In addition to the two Medals of Honor , Cukela was awarded the Silver Star by the Army ; the Médaille militaire ( he was the first Marine officer ever to receive this medal ) , the Légion d ' honneur in the rank of Chevalier , the Croix de guerre with two palms , another Croix de guerre with Silver Star , all by France ; the Croce al Merito di Guerra by Italy ; and Commander ' s Cross of the Royal Order of the Crown of Yugoslavia . He also received three Second Division citations . Cukela received a field appointment to the rank of second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve on September 26 , 1918 and was selected for a commission in the regular Marine Corps on March 31 , 1919 . Promoted to first lieutenant on July 17 , 1919 , he was advanced to the rank of captain on September 15 , 1921 . His promotion to major was effected on the day of his retirement , June 30 , 1940 . After World War I . After the war , Cukela served at overseas bases in Haiti , Santo Domingo , the Philippines , and China , and at domestic stations in Quantico , Virginia ; Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ; Norfolk , Virginia ; Hampton Roads , Virginia ; Mare Island , California ; Washington , D . C . ; Nashville , Indiana , and Fort Knox , Kentucky . From June 1933 to January 1934 , Cukela served as a company commander with the Civilian Conservation Corps . His last years in the Marine Corps were spent at Norfolk , where he served as the post quartermaster . Retired as a major on June 30 , 1940 , he was recalled to active duty on July 30 , of the same year . Retirement and death . During World War II the major served at Norfolk and Philadelphia . He finally returned to the inactive retired list on May 17 , 1946 . Cukela served a few days less than 32 years of active duty in the Army and Marines . On March 19 , 1956 , Cukela died at the U . S . Naval Hospital , Bethesda , Maryland . Following services at St . Jane Frances de Chantel Church , Bethesda , he was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery on March 22 , 1956 . Decorations . Major Cukela had the following decorations and medals : Medal of Honor ( Navy ) ; Medal of Honor ( Army ) ; Silver Star ; Victory Medal with Aisne , Aisne - Marne , St . Mihiel , Meuse - Argonne , and Defensive Sector clasps and three silver stars ; Haitian Campaign Medal , Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal with one star ; Yangtze Service Medal ; American Defense Service Medal ; American Area Campaign Medal ; World War II Victory Medal ; Médaille militaire ; Légion d ' honneur ; two Croix de guerre with two palms ; Croix de guerre with Silver Star ; Croce al Merito di Guerra ; Commander ' s Cross of the Royal Order of the Crown of Yugoslavia ; and the French Fourragère . Medal of Honor citations . Navy citation : For extraordinary heroism while serving with the 66th Company , 5th Regiment , during action in Forest de Retz , near Viller - Cottertes , France , July 18 , 1918 . Sgt . Cukela advanced alone against an enemy strong point that was holding up his line . Disregarding the warnings of his comrades , he crawled out from the flank in the face of heavy fire and worked his way to the rear of the enemy position . Rushing a machine - gun emplacement , he killed or drove off the crew with his bayonet , bombed out the remaining part of the strong point with German hand grenade s , and captured two machineguns and four men . Army citation : When his company , advancing through a wood , met with strong resistance from an enemy strong point , Sgt . Cukela crawled out from the flank and made his way toward the German lines in the face of heavy fire , disregarding the warnings of his comrades . He succeeded in getting behind the enemy position and rushed a machinegun emplacement , killing or driving off the crew with his bayonet . With German hand grenades he then bombed out the remaining portion of the strong point , capturing 4 men and 2 damaged machineguns . Personal life . Cukela was married to Minnie Myrtle Strayer of Miflintown , Pennsylvania on December 22 , 1923 in Washington , D . C . Mrs . Cukela died on August 10 , 1956 just months after Major Cukela . At the time of his death , Major Cukela was also survived by a sister , Mrs . Zorka Cukela Dvoracek , of Šibenik , Croatia .