Corporal Jesse Nathaniel Funk (August 20, 1888 – March 21, 1933) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, 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 ...

. He earned the medal while serving as a stretcher bearer during the Meuse–Argonne offensive, when he and another soldier,

Charles D. Barger Charles Denver Barger (June 3, 1892 – November 25, 1936) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War I. He earned the medal while serving ...

, entered

no man's land No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...

despite heavy fire and rescued two wounded officers.

Biography

Born in

New Hampton, Missouri New Hampton is a city in southwest Harrison County, Missouri, United States. The population was 228 at the 2020 census. History New Hampton was originally called Hamptonville, and under the latter name was platted in 1869 by Hampton Cox, and na ...

, Funk later moved to

Calhan, Colorado The Town of Calhan is a Statutory Town located in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 762 at the 2020 United States Census. Calhan is a part of the Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Ran ...

, where he worked as a

ranch A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...

er. He married and had one son before entering the Army in 1915. After training at

Camp Funston Camp Funston is a U.S. Army training camp located on Fort Riley, southwest of Manhattan, Kansas. The camp was named for Brigadier General Frederick Funston (1865–1917). It is one of sixteen such camps established at the outbreak of World War ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, Funk was sent to Europe with the 354th Infantry Regiment, 89th Division. He saw action in the

Battle of Saint-Mihiel The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against ...

and, by October 31, 1918, was a

private first class Private first class (french: Soldat de 1 classe; es, Soldado de primera) is a military rank held by junior enlisted personnel in a number of armed forces. French speaking countries In France and other French speaking countries, the rank (; ) ...

serving as a stretcher bearer in the 354th Regiment's Company L. On that day, near Bois-de-Bantheville,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, Funk's division sent several patrols into

to reconnoiter

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

positions in preparation for an advance as part of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Unusually, the patrols had been sent out during daylight, rather than waiting for the cover of darkness. Two patrols from Funk's regiment became pinned down by heavy rifle and machine gun fire. Second Lieutenant John M. Millis was seriously wounded in the legs and ordered his men to leave without him. One man managed to crawl to the safety of the

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

lines and brought news that Millis and another wounded officer were trapped in no man's land. Upon hearing this, Funk and another stretcher bearer, Private First Class Charles D. Barger, voluntarily ran through heavy machine gun fire with their stretcher and rescued Millis. They then returned to no man's land and rescued the other officer, First Lieutenant Ernest G. Rowell. For these actions, both Funk and Barger were awarded the Medal of Honor the next year. These were the only Medals of Honor received by Army medical personnel in World War I. Funk reached the rank of corporal before leaving the Army in 1920. He died at age 44 and was buried at Calhan Cemetery in Calhan, Colorado.

Medal of Honor Citation

Funk's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

Learning that 2 daylight patrols had been caught out in No Man's Land and were unable to return, Pfc. Funk and another stretcher bearer, upon their own initiative, made 2 trips 500 yards beyond our lines, under constant machinegun fire, and rescued 2 wounded officers.

Military awards

Funk's military decorations and awards include:''(more research needed)''

References

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Funk, Jesse N. 1888 births 1933 deaths People from El Paso County, Colorado People from Harrison County, Missouri United States Army non-commissioned officers United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army Medal of Honor recipients World War I recipients of the Medal of Honor Military personnel from Missouri Burials in Colorado

Biography

Medal of Honor Citation

Military awards

See also

References