President to award two Medals of Honor on June 2, 2015
The White House announces today that two more Medals of Honor will be awarded to two heroes of the Great War; Sergeant William Shemin of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division, and then-Private (now Sergeant) Henry Lincoln “Black Death” Johnson of Company C, 369th Infantry Regiment, 93rd Division will receive the awards posthumously.
Both men were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for their actions, but it has been upgraded to the Medal of Honor. The DSC citation for Sergeant William Shemin reads;
[O]n the Vesle River, near Bazoches, France, 7, 8, and 9 August 1918[,] Sergeant Shemin upon three different occasions left cover and crossed an open space 150 yards, exposed to heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, to rescue wounded. After officers and senior noncommissioned officers had become casualties, Sergeant Shemin took command of the platoon and displayed great initiative under fire until wounded on 9 August.
Private Henry Johnson’s citation reads;
While on a double sentry night duty, Private Johnson and a fellow soldier were attacked by a raiding party of Germans numbering almost twenty, wounding both. When the Germans were within fighting distance, he opened fire, shooting one of them and seriously wounding two more. The Germans continued to advance, and as they were about to be captured Private Johnson drew his bolo knife from his belt and attacked the Germans in a hand-to-hand encounter. Even though having sustained three grenade and shotgun wounds from the star, Private Johnson went to the rescue of his fellow soldier who was being taken prisoner by the enemy. He kept on fighting until the Germans were chased away. Private Johnson’s personal courage and total disregard for his own life reflect great credit upon himself, the 369th United States Infantry Regiment, the United States Army, and the United States of America.
Johnson was the first US soldier to be awarded the Croix de Guerre with star and Gold Palm from the French government in the war and his actions that night earned him the nickname “Black Death” out of respect for his bravery.
Sergeant Shemin’s daughter, Ms. Elsie Shemin-Roth will accept the award in his stead, while Command Sergeant Major Louis Wilson, New York National Guard will stand in for Sergeant Johnson.
Category: Real Soldiers
Here is to hoping I am even a fraction of the man both of these warriors are. RIP warriors.
Well and faithfully done, Sergeant William Shemin and Private Henry Lincoln Johnson. Heroes both. I am glad they were finally recognized for what they truly deserved. Rest in peace great Soldiers, God bless your families.
Outstanding service!!! Thank you for leading the way.
Heroes that should of been honored when alive…SAD it took all the these years…
Agreed Yolanda…but better late than never. Thank you for your sacrifices gentlemen, we will take it from here.
HOOAH !!!!!!
Awesome !!!!!
I love these story’s….
.. Big SALUTE FROM ME “”……..
I also wore a uniform. But I was just an office dipshit, I did not do ANYTHING like that. Wow!
Where do we find such men?!
Just my opinion, but I think this is something of an insult to anyone who was ever awarded a Distinguished Service Cross. They don’t just hand those out with your NDSM. It takes seriously heavy balls of brass to get a DSC. Don’t give me that crap about “finally recognized.” They were recognized for their deeds back then. This racial upgrade business is an insult to everyone, black, white or other. Nothing personal to the individuals involved, they deserve all the accolades they can be given, but this is nothing but pandering, and a slap in the face to the brave men who are being used by a..kissing politicians.
One thing that is realy off about this is that most of the earlier Upgrades were for Men who were awarded lesser medals DURING their time of service.
That would sort of make some sense, but in Johnson’s case his DFC was awarded in 2003. It’s not like the case wasn’t reviewed thoroughly enough
then. Then again, you know that was WAY back during Bush’s administration…
So what changed between 2003 and now that would justify the award’s upgrade?
Well, I took a few minutes to learn a thing or two about Johnson. It isn’t pretty. In fact, it’s quite ugly. He never did receive any disability benefits, despite his multiple wounds. His Purple Heart wasn’t issued until 1996, nearly 70 years after his death. And the DSC? It wasn’t authorized until 2003. It’s not as if his story was a secret in 1918. He enjoyed celebrity for a very short while after the war. He was written about in the Saturday Evening Post, among other publications. There is no question that his extraordinary bravery and courage was known–yet, the United States did not officially recognize it. Gee, I wonder why that was…
I have to agree with 2/17 on that!.
Henry Johnson was indeed a bad ass…
http://www.badassoftheweek.com/henryjohnson.html
@MK75Gunner
Thanks for the link….I wasn’t completely on board with the MOH until I read that story.
Perspective is everything.
I only envy him for his really cool nickname.
Well “pastey white death” doesnt have the same ring to it.
From my reading of valor citations, it is clear that there is no science applied in determining whether a particular soldier’s bravery merits a Silver Star, DSC, or CMOH. Here. Read these. Can you determine which one is a citation for the CMOH, Distinguished Service Cross, and Silver Star? A) “Wounded in the leg and thrown violently against the side of the ship when an enemy shell killed or wounded the 6-man crew as the shell whipped on the berth deck, Lawson, upon regaining his composure, promptly returned to his station and, although urged to go below for treatment, steadfastly continued his duties throughout the remainder of the action.” b) “Although wounded, he continued treating casualties while refusing medical treatment for his own injuries. Under intense fire, while simultaneously directing the evacuation of the wounded Marines forces and himself, he laid down suppressive fire until every team member had evacuated the kill zone. His actions ultimately saved the lives of four of his teammates.” C) “Hearing cries for medical aid from two comrades who had fallen fifty meters from his position, Specialist Aguirre raced across a bullet swept open field toward the casualties. He was hit and painfully wounded by fragments from an exploding enemy rocket. Ignoring his wounds he fired at the insurgents as he continued to move through the withering hostile fusillade. Upon reaching the wounded men, Specialist Aguirre skillfully administered first aid and moved them to a position of relative safety. He then returned to the battlefield and maneuvered toward two more casualties. Although wounded again by automatic weapons fire and flying shrapnel, he treated the soldiers and pulled them to cover. Detecting yet another wounded comrade lying near the Viet Cong positions, Specialist Aguirre refused medical aid for himself and crawled toward the smitten man. He was struck a third time by rocket fragments, but gallantly moved forward in the face of devastating fire and dragged his comrade to safety. Despite the pain of over fifty separate shrapnel and bullet wounds, he saved the lives of five unit members through sheer determination. Specialist Five Aguirre’s extraordinary… Read more »
Please stop calling it the CMOH, which I am assuming stands for the “Congressional Medal of Honor”. The official name of the award is the Medal of Honor, and while awarded by the President in the name of Congress, that is how it should be referred.
That is technically correct.
To paraphrase the quote often attributed to the late Sir Winston Churchill, it is the kind of technical error “up with which we should not put”.
It just really chaps my buns when people try to sound smarter than they are…. Technically.
Don’t like yourself much, eh?
Oh, I have a pretty healthy personal view of myself, no worries.
Suit yourself. I have more of a problem with people who aren’t bright enough to recognize that they’ve just become the butt of a sardonic joke.
But that’s just me.
Is that what’s happening here?
No. That’s what happened in my comment above re: paraphrasing Churchill. Research the history of that quote attributed, possibly erroneously, to Sir Winston.
Geez. Did I really just have to explain that to you?
No.
Your previous comment indicates otherwise.
(smile)
I see.
Most people aren’t proud of looking like a fool in public. But suit yourself.
DrKnow(itall):”I am assuming stands for the “Congressional Medal of Honor”
That’s cute. You know damn well that’s what the C in CMOH stands for. Here: contact the Congressional Medal of Honor Society or the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation and demand that they stop using “Congressional.” The websites are below, for your convenience. If that doesn’t work out, try your congressman or go picket somewhere.
http://www.cmohs.org/
http://www.cmohfoundation.org/
And yet, in all of their literature they only refer to the award as the Medal of Honor, or MoH. Weird. I can’t tell you why they chose the names they did when started their organizations, but it seems to me that even they recognize the fact that it’s just called the Medal of Honor. I guess you could ask them, or maybe a simpler solution is to come to terms with the the fact you made a small mistake (happens to us all) and now your know. And knowing is half the battle. (GI JOE!!!)
You could do a bit of research yourself actually – and find out they’re called the CMOH Society because that’s what the Federal law chartering them formally names them. See 36 USC 405 and look up the history of same.
It’s great that you came on here and taught us all something while looking much like a spelling nazi douchebag. I’m thinking you could have made your point in a much more diplomatic fashion.
Hello, not trying to argue or make anyone angry here but it is properly called “the Medal Of Honor” the congressional Medal of Honor society itself is where a lot of the confusion cones from but they never refer to the medal as the CMOH, but rather the MOH.
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society is so designated because that was the name it was given in an act of Congress that was signed into law by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower on August 5, 1958 as Title 36, Chapter 33 of the U.S. Code (see “The Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s History”. Official Site. Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Retrieved October 1, 2006.). The law authorizing the society has since been transferred to Title 36, Chapter 405 of the U.S. Code. [1]
Several Medal Of Honor recipients make a point to correct the mistake as does the society itself.
Close[1] Department of the Army (July 1, 2002). “Section 578.4 Medal of Honor”. Code of Federal Regulations Title 32, Volume 2. Government Printing Office. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
To me it’s like saying winner instead of recipient. Not really worth getting angry about and a common mistake
The answers…
A = CMOH
B = Silver Star
C = DSC
I see what you did there. 😉
And besides that, very interesting comparisons. Heroes all. In the final analysis, I think I would rather have a nickname like “Black Death” than receive the CMOH.
And to Dr. Douchebag: you’re a born leader, I can tell.
I don’t mean any disrespect with what I’m about to say, but I think it needs to be said. We’ve had plenty of years, in between wars, to do the research and give the recognition to soldiers of historical wars. We’ve just been through 14 years of war, current conflict, and our veterans NOW need our attention and recognition. It’s WRONG that living veterans are being put on a back burner while dead men are being recognized.
I don’t think that the two are mutually exclusive, PN. Past injustices can be corrected (I have “Black Death” Johnson in mind only) while, at the same time, issues pertaining to current military personnel and Veterans can be visited. Heck, we do it all the time at TAH, as you well know. Or do you have something else in mind that I’m missing?
Whatever injustices either of these men suffered they took to the grave with them. Now, maybe they found comfort on the other side, or maybe when they closed their eyes in death, they found the peace of oblivion; but no medal or recognition we can bestow on them now is going to do anything for them. And their families? I give that medal one generation before it winds up on eBay or in a junk shop somewhere. It’s a meaningless, useless gesture that will give more recognition to the man who bestows it than to the man it’s being bestowed on.
I really don’t think you mean what you wrote. I respectfully but strongly disagree that this is meaningless. I was personally very pleased to see that Johnson will receive this great honor and I am sure that others are, too. Tradition and legacy are things that we need to hold onto tightly and share with others. What “Black Death” did 100 years ago is inspirational today. It is part of our history. Sadly but undeniably, so too is the ignoring of his courage and fight-to-you-win-or-die spirit. Well, that spirit is alive and well, thanks to this tardy recognition.
…I give that medal one generation before it winds up on eBay or in a junk shop somewhere…..
Pinto, that would be illegal since 18 USC 704 prohibits the buying, selling, trading, etc., etc. of “…the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration or medal, or any colorable imitation thereof….”
§704. Military medals or decorations (a) In General.—Whoever knowingly wears, purchases, attempts to purchase, solicits for purchase, mails, ships, imports, exports, produces blank certificates of receipt for, manufactures, sells, attempts to sell, advertises for sale, trades, barters, or exchanges for anything of value any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the armed forces of the United States, or any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, or the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration or medal, or any colorable imitation thereof, except when authorized under regulations made pursuant to law, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. The bolded clause exempts all other medals, because they are not proscribed for sale. The Medal of Honor is protected by 18 USC 704. c) Enhanced Penalty for Offenses Involving Congressional Medal of Honor. [note: there’s that pesky “Congressional” for DrKnow]- (1) In general.—If a decoration or medal involved in an offense under subsection (a) or (b) is a Congressional Medal of Honor, in lieu of the punishment provided in that subsection, the offender shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both. (2) Congressional medal of honor defined.—In this subsection, the term “Congressional Medal of Honor” means— (A) a medal of honor awarded under section 3741, 6241, or 8741 of title 10 or section 491 of title 14; (B) a duplicate medal of honor issued under section 3754, 6256, or 8754 of title 10 or section 504 of title 14; or (C) a replacement of a medal of honor provided under section 3747, 6253, or 8747 of title 10 or section 501 of title 14. (d) Enhanced Penalty for Offenses Involving Certain Other Medals.—If a decoration or medal involved in an offense described in subsection (a) or (b) is a distinguished-service cross awarded under section 3742 of title 10, a Navy cross awarded under section 6242 of title 10, an Air Force cross awarded under section 8742 of section 1 10, a silver star awarded under section 3746, 6244,… Read more »