William Shemin (October 14, 1896 – August 15, 1973) was a Sergeant in the

U.S. 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, cl ...

during

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 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 ...

for bravery in action at Vesle River, near

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. On June 2, 2015, Elsie Shemin-Roth and her sister Ina Bass accepted the nation's highest military award for valor on behalf of their father from President

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at the

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. Shemin was assigned to Company G, 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division,

American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought along ...

Biography

William "Bill" Shemin was born in Bayonne,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. During his teenage years, he played semi-pro baseball. He graduated from the New York State Ranger School in 1914, and went on to work as a forester in Bayonne. Shemin enlisted in the Army, October 2, 1917. Upon completion of basic training at Camp Greene,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, he was assigned as a rifleman to Company G, 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in

. While serving as a rifleman from August 7–9, 1918, Shemin left the cover of his platoon's trench and crossed open space, repeatedly exposing himself to heavy machine gun and rifle fire to rescue the wounded. After officers and senior non-commissioned officers had become casualties, Shemin took command of the platoon and displayed great initiative under fire, until he was wounded on August 9. It was for this action that Shemin was originally awarded the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

on December 19, 1919. Some 96 years later, this Distinguished Service Cross award would be upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Shemin was hospitalized for three months as a result of the wounds he suffered in this action which included those from shrapnel and a machine gun bullet that pierced his helmet and lodged behind his left ear. Following his recovery, he served on light duty as part of the Army occupation in

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and

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until he completed his tour. Shemin received the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

for his combat wounds. Shemin was honorably discharged in August 1919, and went on to get a degree from the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University. After graduation, he started a greenhouse and landscaping business in the

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, New York, where he raised three children. Shemin died in 1973.

Medal of Honor Citation

Military Awards

Shemin's military decorations and awards include:

References

Bibliography

External links