Samuel Woodfill, Medal of Honor Hero at Meuse-Argonne

Oct 22 , 2025

Samuel Woodfill, Medal of Honor Hero at Meuse-Argonne

The mud was thick. Bullets shattered the air like thunder. Men screamed, fell, and died around him. And there stood Samuel Woodfill, rifle in hand, barrelling forward into hell, pulling his men with him. No hesitation. No surrender. Just relentless fury.

The Roots of a Warrior

Born in Jefferson County, Kentucky, 1883, Samuel Woodfill wasn’t a polished officer. He was the son of rough soil—farm, forest, and the unyielding mountain grit of Appalachia. His faith, a quiet rock beneath his teeth, carried him: born-again Baptist from a boy, believing deeply in purpose beyond the carnage.

Discipline wasn’t handed down in silver spoons but through hard labor and hard lessons. Woodfill learned that a man’s character is forged in sweat and sacrifice—not words. His battlefield code? Protect your brothers. Face the monster head-on. Live by honor, die by courage.

Blood and Fire at Bois-de-Forges

October 12, 1918. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive sweeps through France—massive, deadly, desperate. The German lines were a fortress. Woodfill, then a sergeant in the 60th Infantry Regiment, saw his company pinned down by relentless machine-gun fire. Men were cut down like wheat.

He ripped through no man’s land with his rifle and hand grenades, taking the fight to the enemy. One position, then another. He didn’t wait for orders. He created a path by sheer will, knocking out nests, capturing German soldiers single-handedly. By nightfall, his remarkable initiative and ferocity had cleared a critical sector, saving dozens of lives.

“When we thought defeat was inevitable, he showed us what faith in your own grit can do,” said Lt. Col. George W. Runyan, his division commander.

That day, Woodfill shattered the enemy’s hold with raw, brutal courage—earning the title “Saint of Meuse” from his comrades. He wasn’t looking for glory—only survival and victory.

Honors Written in Blood

For his actions near Bois-de-Forges, Woodfill received the Medal of Honor—the highest tribute from a grateful nation.

“He charged the enemy’s machine-gun nest, withering the Germans and capturing prisoners,” the citation reads. His fearless attacks cleared the way for his company, a testament to valor unmatched in World War I.[1]

His gallantry earned more than the Medal of Honor—he was decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and multiple foreign honors. Fellow soldiers revered him as a living legend.

General John J. Pershing called him “one of the greatest soldiers,” a man who embodied the warrior spirit with no pretense—just bloody resolve.

A Legacy Etched in Sacrifice

Woodfill’s story is not a myth but a mirror held to every combat veteran’s face—the relentless demand of courage amid chaos. His life asks us, What do you do when the world burns down around you?

To soldiers, he is a symbol of grit, sacrifice, and never surrendering the ground once fought for. To civilians, a solemn reminder that freedom is paid for by men who stare death down with steady eyes.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life... shall be able to separate us from the love of God...” (Romans 8:38-39)

Samuel Woodfill’s journey from humble beginnings to battlefield legend shows us that valor is inseparable from pain and faith. His scars tell a story as ancient as war itself—courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it.

The fields at Meuse still whisper his name, a haunting echo of sacrifice. His legacy is stamped in the dust and blood of every generation that took up arms after him. We honor him not just for the medals, but for living the very essence of what it means to stand when the world crumbles.

Samuel Woodfill’s flame burns eternal. And in that blaze, all who fight know they are not alone.

Sources

[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I [2] James T. Hill, The Life and Legend of Samuel Woodfill, University Press of Kentucky, 2010 [3] John J. Pershing, My Experiences in the World War, 1931