Henry Gilbert Costin (June 15, 1898 – October 8, 1918) was a private in the United States Army who 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 valor. ...

for his actions in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

near Bois–de–Consenvoye, France during the

Meuse–Argonne Offensive The Meuse–Argonne offensive (also known as the Meuse River–Argonne Forest offensive, the Battles of the Meuse–Argonne, and the Meuse–Argonne campaign) was a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along th ...

Biography

Private Costin was born June 15, 1898 in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, and graduated from the

Baltimore City College Baltimore City College, known colloquially as City, City College, and B.C.C., is a college preparatory school with a liberal arts focus and selective admissions criteria located in Baltimore, Maryland. Opened in October 1839, B.C.C. is the thir ...

high school in 1914. After enlisting in the Army in 1917, Costin fought in France in

. On October 8, 1918, near Bois–de–Consenvoye, Costin was killed while performing an act of extreme heroism, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military commendation. His body lies buried in

Loudon Park National Cemetery Loudon Park National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabine ...

(section B, grave 460) in Baltimore, Maryland.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company H, 115th Infantry, 29th Division. Place and date: Near Bois–de–Consenvoye, France, 8 October 1918. Entered service at: Baltimore, Md. Birth: Baltimore, Md. G.O. No.: 34, W.D., 1919. Citation:

When the advance of his platoon had been held up by machinegun fire and a request was made for an automatic rifle team to charge the nest, Pvt. Costin was the first to volunteer. Advancing with his team, under terrific fire of enemy artillery, machineguns, and trench mortars, he continued after all his comrades had become casualties and he himself had been seriously wounded. He operated his rifle until he collapsed. His act resulted in the capture of about 100 prisoners and several machineguns. He succumbed from the effects of his wounds shortly after the accomplishment of his heroic deed.

Namesake

The

Liberty Ship Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...

''SS Henry Gilbert Costin (Maritime Commission Hull Number 0950, U.S. Merchant Marine Association),'' built at the Bethlehem Shipyard in Baltimore in 1943, was named for Private Costin and used for troop transport during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Also named in honor of PVT Costin is the ''PVT Henry Costin National Guard Armory'' at 8601 Odell Road in Laurel, Maryland as well as the ''PVT Henry Costin Dining Facility'' on Omaha Beach Circle at the Camp Fretterd Military Reservation in Reisterstown, Maryland (Maryland Army National Guard).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Costin, Henry Gilbert 1898 births 1918 deaths Military personnel from Baltimore United States Army Medal of Honor recipients United States Army soldiers Baltimore City College alumni American military personnel killed in World War I World War I recipients of the Medal of Honor

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

Namesake

See also

References