Ross Lindsey Iams (April 5, 1881 – March 25, 1952) was a

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

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 actions in Haiti on November 17, 1915. Iams served for over 30 years in the Marine Corps, reaching the rank of major. Iams is buried in

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is a federal military cemetery in the city of San Diego, California. It is located on the grounds of the former Army coastal artillery station Fort Rosecrans and is administered by the United States Department o ...

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

Medal of Honor citation

Iams was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions while a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. His citation reads:

In company with members of the Fifth, Thirteenth, Twenty-Third Companies and Marine and sailor detachment from the , Sergeant Iams participated in the attack on Fort Riviere, Haiti, November 17, 1915. Following a concentrated drive, several different detachments of Marines gradually closed in on the old
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

bastion A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...
fort in an effort to cut off all avenues of retreat for the Caco bandits. Approaching a breach in the wall which was the only entrance to the fort, Sergeant Iams unhesitatingly jumped through the breach despite constant fire from the Cacos and engaged the enemy in a desperate
hand-to-hand combat Hand-to-hand combat (sometimes abbreviated as HTH or H2H) is a physical confrontation between two or more persons at short range (grappling distance or within the physical reach of a handheld weapon) that does not involve the use of weapons.Huns ...
until the bastion was captured and Caco resistance neutralized.

Service time line

*January 29, 1901 – enlisted in the Marine Corps *various brevets as

Marine gunner In the United States Armed Forces, the ranks of warrant officer ( grades W‑1 to W‑5; see '' NATO: WO1–WO5'') are rated as officers above all non-commissioned officers, candidates, cadets, and midshipmen, but subordinate to the lowest o ...

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

and

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

*June 4, 1920 – permanent appointment as captain, U.S. Marine Corps *November 1932 – retirement *January 19, 1942 – returned to active duty as

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

References

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Iams, Ross Lindsey 1881 births 1952 deaths United States Marine Corps officers United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II People from Greene County, Pennsylvania United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients Burials at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery Occupation of Haiti recipients of the Medal of Honor Military personnel from Pennsylvania

Medal of Honor citation

Service time line

See also

References

External links