Clarence E. Sutton

Carried a wounded officer through enemy fire at Tientsin

Clarence Edwin Sutton enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at Washington, D.C., on 5 June 1899. By July 1900 he was a sergeant serving in China during the Boxer Rebellion, when an international relief force fought to reach the besieged foreign settlements at Tientsin. On 13 July, in a battle near the city, Sutton helped remove a wounded officer from the battlefield while under heavy enemy fire.

The officer was carried from the exposed ground to medical care. Sutton’s official citation records the essential act without naming the officer or giving additional tactical details: he assisted in carrying a wounded officer from the field. That concise recognition reflects a direct act of courage under fire, performed to save a fellow serviceman during the advance on Tientsin.

Sutton was born in Middlesex County, Virginia, on 18 February 1871. The Marine Corps History Division records that he was awarded the Medal of Honor on 19 July 1901, at the rank of sergeant. He later reached the rank of first sergeant and was honorably discharged on 3 September 1903. Sutton died on 9 October 1916 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Citation: “In action during the battle near Tientsin, China, 13 July 1900. Although under heavy fire from the enemy, Sutton assisted in carrying a wounded officer from the field of battle.”

Sources 1. Marine Corps University, History Division. “First Sergeant Clarence Edwin Sutton, USMC (Deceased).” 2. Congressional Medal of Honor Society. “Clarence Edwin Sutton,” recipient profile. 3. Arlington National Cemetery. “Clarence E. Sutton,” Medal of Honor recipients of the Boxer Rebellion.