Dwite H. Schaffner

Held an exposed company position against counterattacks

Dwite H. Schaffner earned the Medal of Honor near St. Hubert's Pavillion at Boureuilles, France, on 28 September 1918. A first lieutenant in Company K, 306th Infantry, 77th Division, he led an assault and helped his company survive repeated counterattacks.

Schaffner was born in Pennsylvania on 5 November 1889. His award was accredited to Falls Creek, Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Army during the First World War.

After his men captured an entrenched enemy position, fire from both flanks threatened the company. Schaffner made three reconnaissance attempts before locating and silencing a machine gun. During another counterattack, he fought from the trench parapet and captured a mortally wounded enemy officer. Information obtained from that officer helped him maintain the company's exposed position for five hours despite enemy forces on three sides.

General John R. McQuigg presented the Medal of Honor in Akron, Ohio, on 23 September 1923. Schaffner died on 22 November 1955 and is buried in Rose Hill Burial Park Cemetery, Akron. His citation credits his leadership with preventing the company's survivors from being killed or captured.

Medal of Honor citation

He led his men in an attack on St. Hubert's Pavillion through terrific enemy machine-gun, rifle, and artillery fire and drove the enemy from a strongly held entrenched position after hand-to-hand fighting. His bravery and contempt for danger inspired his men, enabling them to hold fast in the face of three determined enemy counterattacks. His company's position being exposed to enemy fire from both flanks, he made three efforts to locate an enemy machine gun which had caused heavy casualties. On his third reconnaissance he discovered the gun position and personally silenced the gun, killing or wounding the crew. The third counterattack made by the enemy was initiated by the appearance of a small detachment in advance of the enemy attacking wave. When almost within reach of the American front line, the enemy appeared behind them, attacking vigorously with pistols, rifles, and hand grenades, causing heavy casualties in the American platoon. First Lt. Schaffner mounted the parapet of the trench and used his pistol and grenades, killing a number of the enemy soldiers, finally reaching the enemy officer leading the attack forces, a captain, shooting and mortally wounding the latter with his pistol, and dragging the captured officer back to the company's trench, securing from him valuable information as to the enemy's strength and position. The information enabled 1st Lt. Schaffner to maintain for five hours the advanced position of his company despite the fact that it was surrounded on three sides by strong enemy forces. The undaunted bravery, gallant soldierly conduct, and leadership displayed by 1st Lt. Schaffner undoubtedly saved the survivors of the company from death or capture.