Citation: Learning that 2 daylight patrols had been caught out in No Man's Land and were unable to return, Pfc. Barger and another stretcher bearer upon their own initiative made 2 trips 500 yards beyond our lines, under constant machinegun fire, and rescued 2 wounded officers.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company L, 354th Infantry, 89th Division. Place and date: Near Bois-deBantheville, France, 31 October 1918. Entered service at: Stotts City, Mo. Birth: Mount Vernon, Mo. G.O. No.: 20, W.D., 1919.
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This is my great-grandfather. we have his dog-tag and a ring belonging to a deceased German solder.
ReplyDeleteBarger joined the Army from Stotts City, and by October 31, 1918, was a private first class serving as a stretcher bearer in Company L of the 354th Infantry Regiment, 89th Division.[2] On that day, near Bois-de-Bantheville, France, Barger's division sent several patrols into no man's land to reconnoiter German positions in preparation for an advance as part of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Unusually, the patrols had been sent out during daylight, rather than waiting for the cover of darkness. Two patrols from Barger's regiment became pinned down by heavy rifle and machine gun fire. Second Lieutenant John M. Millis was seriously wounded in the legs and ordered his men to leave without him. One man managed to crawl to the safety of the Allied lines and brought news that Millis and another wounded officer were trapped in no man's land.[3]
ReplyDeleteUpon hearing this, Barger and another stretcher bearer, Private First Class Jesse N. Funk, voluntarily ran 500 yards (460 m) through heavy machine gun fire with their stretcher and rescued Millis.[2][3] They then returned to no man's land and rescued the other officer, First Lieutenant Ernest G. Rowell.[3] For these actions, both Barger and Funk were awarded the Medal of Honor the next year.[2] These were the only Medals of Honor received by Army medical personnel in World War I.[4] Barger was awarded numerous other decorations for his service in the war, including the Distinguished Service Cross, the Bronze Star, ten Purple Hearts, and a number of foreign decorations such as the Médaille militaire and Croix de guerre from France and the Croce di Guerra from Italy.[1]
After the war, Barger returned to the United States and left the military, having served only one year.[5]
His Medal of Honor was stolen from the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City MO
Thank you so much for your comment! I love hearing that story and how many brave men there are that sacrifice their lives for others.
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