Sydney Gustave Gumpertz

When a German machine gun brought an American advance to a halt, First Sergeant Sydney Gustave Gumpertz faced a decision that would define his place in military history. With two comrades falling under a devastating artillery barrage, he continued alone into direct enemy fire, silenced the machine gun and captured its entire nine-man crew. His extraordinary courage at Bois-de-Forges, France, made him one of the distinguished American heroes of the First World War.

Sydney Gustave Gumpertz was born on 24 October 1879 in San Rafael, California. He entered the United States Army from Chicago, Illinois, and served with Company E, 132nd Infantry Regiment, 33rd Division, in the American Expeditionary Forces. By September 1918, he held the rank of First Sergeant and was responsible for leading soldiers in some of the most dangerous fighting on the Western Front.

On 29 September 1918, during the fighting at Bois-de-Forges, enemy machine-gun fire halted the advancing American line. Gumpertz left the platoon under his command and moved towards the German position with two other soldiers, crossing ground exposed to a heavy artillery barrage. Both companions soon became casualties from bursting shells. Undeterred, Gumpertz pressed forward alone despite direct machine-gun fire, jumped into the enemy emplacement, silenced the weapon and captured nine German soldiers. His actions removed a formidable obstacle to the American advance and demonstrated exceptional courage under fire.

For this extraordinary act of heroism, Gumpertz received the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration of the United States. His award was authorized under War Department General Orders No. 16, dated 22 January 1919. On 9 February 1919, General John J. Pershing personally presented the medal to him at Chaumont, France. His wartime service was also recognized with the World War I Victory Medal and the French Médaille militaire and Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 with palm. Both French decorations are independently documented in the contemporary American Jewish Committee publication American Jews in the World War and the official Illinois in the World War history. The Department of Veterans Affairs also records Gumpertz as a recipient of the Purple Heart. He subsequently attained the rank of Captain.

Gumpertz's contribution to his country did not end with the armistice. Returning to civilian life, he became active in veterans' affairs and the recognition of Jewish American military service. He served as commander of the S. Rankin Drew Post of the American Legion in Queens, New York, and was named commander of the Jewish Valor Legion in 1921. Determined to preserve the record of Jewish Americans who had served with distinction, he authored The Jewish Legion of Valor, first published in 1934. The work documented the military achievements and sacrifices of Jewish servicemen throughout American history.

Sydney Gustave Gumpertz died in New York on 16 February 1971, aged 91. He was laid to rest at Long Island National Cemetery. His legacy extends beyond the machine-gun position he silenced at Bois-de-Forges. He was a soldier whose extraordinary battlefield courage earned international recognition, and a veteran who devoted much of his later life to ensuring that the service and sacrifice of others would not be forgotten.