Calvin Pearl Titus (September 22, 1879 – May 27, 1966) was a soldier of the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
and the last
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
standard-bearer
A standard-bearer, also known as a flag-bearer is a person (soldier or civilian) who bears an emblem known as a standard or military colours, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used (and often honoured) as a ...
. He received the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
for his actions during the
Battle of Peking of the
Boxer Rebellion. He is known for saying "I'll try, Sir!" before scaling the walls of Peking.
Biography
Calvin Pearl Titus was the son of Calvin and Cora Smith Titus of
Vinton,
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
. He moved to
Oklahoma with his father after his mother died, and later lived with his Aunt Florence and Uncle William (Bill) H. Lee, evangelists with first the Salvation Army and later the
Pilgrim Holiness movement. Titus credited his time in his Uncle's evangelical band with giving him the bugle skills to join the armed forces and eventually leading him to
Peking
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
.
Titus first joined the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
in May 1898, serving with the 1st Vermont Volunteer Infantry (although raised for the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (cloc ...
, this unit never left the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
). He joined the
14th Infantry Regiment in April 1899, serving in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
and
China. During the relief expedition to Peking in the
Boxer Rebellion in 1900, two companies of the 14th Infantry Regiment were pinned by heavy fire from the east wall of the Tartar City and the Fox Tower between abutments of the Chinese City Wall near Tung Pien Gate. Volunteers were called for to attempt the first perilous ascent of the wall. Titus immediately stepped forward saying, "I'll try, sir!" Using jagged holes in the stone wall, he succeeded in reaching the top. He was followed by the rest of his company, who climbed unarmed, and hauled up their rifles and ammunition belts by a rope made of rifle slings. As the troops ascended the wall, artillery fire set fire to the Fox Tower. For his courageous and daring deed in being the first to climb the wall, Titus was awarded the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
.
He was then appointed to
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
as a result of his award of the Medal of Honor, where President
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
's presentation of his medal there on June 11, 1902, was the climax of a ceremony to celebrate the academy's centennial.
He graduated with the West Point Class of 1905.
His religious faith led him to try to become an army chaplain, but his denomination was not at that time recognized by the army. Instead, he rejoined his old regiment as a
second lieutenant.
Titus later served in the
Mexican Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the p ...
and with the U.S. occupation forces in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
He retired from the United States Army with the rank of
lieutenant colonel in October 1930. He died at the Veterans Administration hospital in
Sylmar, Los Angeles, and was buried at
Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
In September 2016, Titus was honored with the painting of his image of the Benton County Freedom Rock, located in
Shellsburg, Iowa
Shellsburg is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 961 at the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistic ...
.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Musician, U.S. Army, Company E, 14th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Peking, China, August 14, 1900. Entered service at: Iowa. Birth: Vinton, Iowa. Date of issue: March 11, 1902.
Citation:
Gallant and daring conduct in the presence of his colonel and other officers and enlisted men of his regiment; was first to scale the wall of the city.
See also
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients
*
Boxer Rebellion
References
*
Iowa History page
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Titus, Calvin Pearl
1879 births
1966 deaths
United States Army colonels
United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
American military personnel of the Boxer Rebellion
People from Vinton, Iowa
Boxer Rebellion recipients of the Medal of Honor
American military personnel of the Philippine–American War
Military personnel from Iowa