Marcellus H. Chiles

He led men across a stream under fire and pushed the attack.

Marcellus Holmes Chiles was born at Eureka Springs, Arkansas, on 5 February 1895. His family later moved to Denver. He attended Colorado College, where he played football, before entering the Army and completing officer training at Fort Riley, Kansas. He became an officer in the 356th Infantry Regiment, 89th Division, and went to France in 1918.

His service included the Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne operations. Promoted to captain shortly before the final November advance, he assumed command of his battalion when other officers became casualties.

On 3 November, near Le Champy-Bas, the battalion was stopped by machine-gun fire from its front and left flank. Chiles picked up a dead soldier's rifle and called on the men to follow him. He led the advance across a stream that reached to their waists, exposing himself to the fire in order to get the attack moving again.

After reaching the far bank he was seriously wounded in the abdomen by a sniper. Before allowing himself to be evacuated, he arranged the transfer of command to the next senior officer. His battalion continued forward and reached its objective. The Medal of Honor citation emphasized both the example of the crossing and his determination to leave the command functioning despite his injury.

Chiles died in hospital on 5 November, six days before the armistice. His Distinguished Service Cross was subsequently upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 1919. He remained buried in France at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. Veterans in Colorado and Arkansas later commemorated him through an American Legion post and memorials to the state's Medal of Honor recipients.

Official Medal of Honor citation

When his battalion, of which he had just taken command, was halted by machine-gun fire from the front and left flank, he picked up the rifle of a dead soldier and, calling on his men to follow, led the advance across a stream, waist deep, in the face of the machine-gun fire.

Upon reaching the opposite bank this gallant officer was seriously wounded in the abdomen by a sniper, but before permitting himself to be evacuated he made complete arrangements for turning over his command to the next senior officer, and under the inspiration of his fearless leadership, his battalion reached its objective. Capt. Chiles died shortly after reaching the hospital.