Patriots in History

Samuel Woodfill

At the outbreak of World War I, he was already a career soldier in the US Army.  Because of his experience and leadership he was temporarily given a battlefield commission as an officer.  On October 12, 1918, 1LT Woodfill and his men found themselves trapped by German artillery and machine gun fire while advancing through thick fog in Cunel, France.   His heroic counter-attack measures during the fight earned him the prestigious Medal of Honor (read his citation).  Because of the importance of his victory, France, Italy, and the government of Montenegro presented him with their respective honorary medals.  In 1921 he was chosen as one of three soldiers to represent the Army as a pallbearer at the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  In 1922, an elementary school was named in his honor.   In 1951, at the age of 68, Samuel Woodfill died on his Indiana farm.  He was a true patriot of the United States of America.