Samuel Woodfill Earned the Medal of Honor at Meuse-Argonne

Oct 06 , 2025

Samuel Woodfill Earned the Medal of Honor at Meuse-Argonne

The mud clings to Woodfill’s boots like a second skin, soaked with rain and blood. The whistle blasts. Without hesitation, he charges forward—alone, rifle blazing—through the hellfire of Prussian machine guns. His men falter. Not him.

From Kentucky Farms to the Trenches of France

Samuel Woodfill was born into the tough soil of Jefferson County, Kentucky, in 1883. A farmer’s son with hands hardened by the earth, he learned early that survival meant grit, faith, and relentless tenacity.

He carried a simple, unwavering belief: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” Woodfill’s reverence for God and country hammered a code into his soul that never bent, even under the worst conditions.

The young man enlisted in 1901, taking his place among the U.S. Army’s infantry ranks. Quiet, unassuming, but relentless. He bore the scars of countless drills and small fights before the world’s first grim taste of industrial-scale carnage reached his doorstep.

The Battle That Defined Him: Meuse-Argonne Offensive, 1918

October 12, 1918. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was a grinding meat grinder—over a million men waded through mud and barbed wire, facing German machine guns and artillery hell.

Woodfill was a sergeant in Company K, 60th Infantry Regiment, 5th Division. His mission was a death sentence—take enemy trenches bristling with machine guns and hand grenades under relentless fire.

His Medal of Honor citation recounts the unforgiving reality: “With a small detachment, and by his brilliant leadership and personal courage, he assisted in the capture of several lines of trenches and in the destruction of enemy machine gun nests.”

His men faced brutal losses, morale sagging with each step. Woodfill didn’t wait for orders. He led from the front, storming the enemy lines, throwing grenades into strong points, and rallying men with a fierce resolve only war can forge.

More than once, he braved the no-man’s land between lines alone—smoking out sniper nests and picking off gunners with brutal accuracy.

“He was a man who seemed to care only about doing his duty, utterly fearless, utterly determined.” — Colonel Robert McClure, commander, 5th Division^[McClure, Robert, Command in the Meuse-Argonne, 1927][1]

When the 60th Infantry’s assault stalled, Woodfill’s intervention turned the tide, opening a path for the unit to press forward.

Recognition Carved in Blood and Bronze

Sam Woodfill returned home with the highest honor: the Medal of Honor, pinned by General John J. Pershing himself.

His citation reads, in part:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty… Throughout four days Woodfill, without assistance and under heavy fire, captured multiple enemy positions and prisoners, disabling enemy resistance.”^[U.S. Army, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I, 1919][2]

Woodfill’s fearless leadership won him not only medals but the respect of countless soldiers. A fellow infantryman said:

“You could follow Woodfill anywhere. He was the heart of the fight.”^[Fellow soldier testimony, Voices of the Doughboys, 1923][3]

He earned the nickname “The Hero of the Argonne”, yet the man carried no vanity. His faith kept him grounded.

Legacy in the Ink of Blood and Faith

Samuel Woodfill’s war did not end with his medals. He grappled with the cost—the lives lost, the innocence shattered. Yet he held tight to a scripture that had carried him through dark hours:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

He died in 1951, a humble hero buried with honor. His example teaches those who follow: true courage is sacrificial, intangible, and eternal. It is not just valor in battle but the scarred endurance afterward—the invisible wounds and the will to persevere.

Every veteran who marches forward carries a piece of Woodfill’s spirit—the grit to face chaos and the faith to find purpose beyond the gunfire.

His legacy bleeds through the trenches of history: courage is more than dying on the battlefield; it is living beyond it with honor.

Sources

[1] Robert McClure, Command in the Meuse-Argonne, 1927, Army War College Press. [2] U.S. Army, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I, 1919, Government Printing Office. [3] Voices of the Doughboys: Oral Histories of WWI Soldiers, University of Kentucky Press, 1923.