Gary Evans Foster

He broke a machine-gun standstill at Montbrehain

Gary Evans Foster came from the Spartanburg area of South Carolina. Born in 1894, he entered military service in 1917 and served with Company F of the 118th Infantry, part of the 30th Division. The regiment carried South Carolina National Guard traditions into the American Expeditionary Forces. In France, the division fought under British command in the operations against the Hindenburg Line and the subsequent advance.

On 8 October 1918, near Montbrehain, Foster's company was stopped by intense machine gun fire from a sunken road. The sergeant went forward with an officer to attack the positions. After the officer was wounded, Foster pressed the attack himself, using hand grenades and a pistol. He killed several of the defenders and took eighteen prisoners. His attack silenced the resistance and allowed the company to continue its advance.

He received the Medal of Honor for that action. His company history also records the British Distinguished Conduct Medal for the same action. On 13 October 1918 he entered officer training, which was cut short by the Armistice. He also attended Clemson. After the war Foster returned to South Carolina. He died on 22 July 1951 and was buried in New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery in Spartanburg County.

Medal of Honor citation

When his company was held up by violent machine-gun fire from a sunken road, Sgt. Foster with an officer went forward to attack the hostile machine-gun nests. The officer was wounded, but Sgt. Foster continued on alone in the face of the heavy fire and by effective use of hand grenades and his pistol killed several of the enemy and captured 18.