Willie Sandlin

The Sergeant Who Silenced Three Machine-Gun Nests

On September 26, 1918, amid the devastating fighting of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Sergeant Willie Sandlin of Kentucky performed an extraordinary act of courage that would earn him the Medal of Honor. Acting alone, he silenced three German machine-gun positions that had threatened the advance of his fellow soldiers.

Born on January 1, 1890, in Breathitt County, Kentucky, Sandlin grew up in difficult circumstances before entering the United States Army. He served along the Mexican border and later joined the American Expeditionary Forces in France. During World War I, he served with Company A, 132nd Infantry Regiment, 33rd Division.

At Bois-de-Forges, France, Sandlin's unit came under intense enemy machine-gun fire. Seeing that the advancing line had been stopped, he moved forward alone and destroyed the first machine-gun crew with a grenade. Later that day, he independently attacked and disabled two additional machine-gun positions, helping his comrades continue their advance.

His extraordinary gallantry was formally recognized in War Department General Orders No. 16 of 1919. General John J. Pershing personally presented Sandlin with the Medal of Honor at Chaumont, France, on February 9, 1919. Contemporary photographs also show him wearing decorations attributed to France and Italy.

After the war, Sandlin returned to eastern Kentucky. He married Belvia Roberts, raised a family and supported efforts to improve education in his community. His health suffered from wartime injuries and gas exposure, and he died on May 29, 1949.

Willie Sandlin's courage remains an important chapter in America's World War I history. His story reflects not only extraordinary bravery under fire but also the quiet determination of a soldier who returned to serve his community.