Lancaster County PA
Congressional Medal of Honor & Distinguished Service Cross &
Distinguished Service Medal Issued by the War Department, 1919
Contributed by Tammy Clark
Jay Forney Hostetter, second lieutenant, 10th Field Artillery, 3d
Division. For extraordinary heroism in action near Grèves Farm, France,
July 14-15, 1918. Having discovered that two French guns on his left had
lost all their crew during the terrific German bombardment, Lieut. Hostetter
requested and obtained permission to use them. Securing volunteers from his
ranks, he pressed the guns into action, and for several hours poured an effective
fire into the forces of the advancing enemy. His entire exploit was subjected
to the extreme danger of high-explosive and gun shells. Residence at appointment:
400 West James Street, Lancaster, Pa.
Bertram L. Ream, private. Company B. 6th Machine Gun Battalion, United
States Marine Corps, 2d Division. In the Bois de Belleau, France, on June
17, 1918, he and a comrade left shelter and went 200 yards in the open under
fire of the enemy and carried a wounded Infantry soldier back to his lines,
thereby demonstrating heroic and voluntary disregard of self to save one
who could not help himself. Residence at enlistment: 331 South Market Street,
Elizabethtown, Pa
Samuel Slokom Simmons, private, 78th Company, 6th Regiment, United
States Marine Corps. For extraordinary heroism in action at Blanc Mont, France,
October 3, 1918. With two other soldiers, Pvt. Simmons volunteered and attacked
a machine-gun nest in advance of his front line, killing the entire crew.
Later, with another soldier, he went into an enemy dugout and captured 40
prisoners. He also carried three messages through the enemy barrage. Residence
at enlistment: 410 East Ross Street, Lancaster, Pa.
William Verdier, private, 109th Machine Gun Battalion. For extraordinary
heroism in action at Fismes, France, August 12, 1918. Seeing a wounded soldier
in an ambulance which had broken down while crossing a small bridge, in plain
view of the enemy and under heavy artillery fire, he went to his rescue,
and assisted by another soldier, carried out the wounded man under intense
shell fire 1½ miles to a dressing station. Residence at enlistment:
Bausman, Pa.
Source: Congressional Medal of Honor & Distinguished Service Cross &
Distinguished Service Medal Issued by the War Department, 1919
Distinguished Service Cross
* Indicates Posthumous Award
Back to Pennsylvania
Trails History and Genealogy