John C. Wetherby

Crawling vital orders forward despite his severe war wounds.

John C. Wetherby was born on July 2, 1880, in Morgan County, Indiana. He served as a private in Company L, 4th U.S. Infantry, during the Philippine-American War.

On November 20, 1899, near Imus, Luzon, Wetherby was carrying important orders across the battlefield when he was severely wounded. Unable to walk, he crawled far enough to deliver them. His Medal of Honor citation recognizes his determination to complete the task despite his injuries, but does not state the orders' contents or the distance he covered.

Wetherby died in Luzon on November 29, 1899, nine days after the action. His Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously on April 25, 1902. He was buried at Frye Cemetery in Mahalasville, Indiana. His award preserves the record of a young soldier who ensured battlefield instructions reached their destination when wounds prevented him from walking.

Official Medal of Honor citation: While carrying important orders on the battlefield, was desperately wounded and, being unable to walk, crawled far enough to deliver his orders.