Michael J. Perkins

He stormed the pillbox alone and silenced seven machine guns

Michael J. Perkins earned the Medal of Honor at Belieu Bois, France, on 27 October 1918. A private first class with Company D, 101st Infantry, 26th Division, he crawled alone toward a German pillbox threatening his platoon. When its door opened, he threw a bomb inside and forced an entrance. Perkins then fought the occupants with his trench knife. His assault silenced seven machine guns and captured approximately twenty-five prisoners, removing a dangerous position during the final weeks of World War I.

Medal of Honor citation

He, voluntarily and alone, crawled to a German "pill box" machine-gun emplacement, from which grenades were being thrown at his platoon. Awaiting his opportunity, when the door was again opened and another grenade thrown, he threw a bomb inside, bursting the door open, and then, drawing his trench knife, rushed into the emplacement. In a hand-to-hand struggle he killed or wounded several of the occupants and captured about 25 prisoners, at the same time silencing seven machine guns.