Charles G. Bickham

He crossed enemy fire to carry a wounded soldier to shelter.

Charles Goodwin Bickham was a United States Army officer from Dayton, Ohio, whose Medal of Honor recognized a rescue during the Philippine-American War. Born on August 12, 1867, he was the youngest son of newspaper editor William D. Bickham. His military career included volunteer commissions and service as a regular Army first lieutenant.

In 1898 Bickham enlisted in the Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He remained at Tampa in July before receiving a captain's commission in the Ninth U.S. Volunteer Infantry. The Ninth served in Cuba after the fighting with Spain. He subsequently commanded a company in the Twenty-eighth U.S. Volunteers in the Philippines before joining the regular Twenty-seventh Infantry.

On May 2, 1902, near Bayang on Mindanao, Bickham crossed ground exposed to close-range enemy fire and carried a wounded soldier to shelter. He received the Medal of Honor on April 29, 1904.

Bickham later served in Cuba with the Twenty-seventh Infantry. His regular Army career ended with an honorable discharge in June 1910 after unsuccessful promotion examinations. Captain was a rank he had previously held in the volunteers, not a subsequent regular Army promotion. His letters from Cuba and the Philippines survive in the Bickham Collection at Dayton Metro Library.

He died in Dayton on December 14, 1944, and was buried in Woodland Cemetery.

Medal of Honor citation

Crossed a fire-swept field, in close-range of the enemy, and brought a wounded soldier to a place of shelter.