Samuel Woodfill Medal of Honor Recipient at the Meuse-Argonne

Oct 06 , 2025

Samuel Woodfill Medal of Honor Recipient at the Meuse-Argonne

Samuel Woodfill stood alone at the shattered edge of the Argonne Forest. His clothes torn, face smeared with mud and blood—the enemy dug in just yards ahead. His rifle cracked in the cold dawn air as men fell around him, but he pressed forward with a single, burning purpose: seize that ground, or die trying. This was no act of madness but of iron resolve forged in the crucible of war.

The Making of a Warrior

Born in 1883, in the coal-stained hills of Kentucky, Woodfill's roots were rough, honest labor. Raised in a world where men were measured by their grit and deeds rather than words. He joined the Army in 1901. A soldier shaped by hardship, tempered by faith. His Christian convictions ran deep, carried silently beneath his mud-streaked uniform.

Faith was no sideline for Woodfill—it was his backbone. The book of James spoke to a soldier’s heart who knew the terror of battle and the weight of duty:

“Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth...” (James 5:7)

He lived by a simple code—fight for your brothers, watch their backs, honor your word, and trust God no matter the chaos around you.

The Argonne Offensive — Hell’s Crucible

September 1918, Meuse-Argonne, the bloodiest stretch of the Great War for American troops. Woodfill was a sergeant with the 60th Infantry, 5th Division, tasked with shattering a German defensive line that had stalled countless assaults. The forest itself was a graveyard—barbed wire, machine gun nests, artillery crashing like thunder overhead.

Woodfill saw his chance amid the chaos. Against orders, without hesitation, he charged trenches pinned down by enemy fire. One after another, he wiped out nests of riflemen and machine gunners single-handedly. The citation for his Medal of Honor doesn’t just say “leadership”—it paints a portrait of relentless, fearless offense that inspired his men forward under withering fire.

At one point, he reportedly took out 24 enemy soldiers with his rifle and bayonet in hand-to-hand combat. His men later said it wasn’t just courage, but a killing fury driven by purpose and raw necessity.

“He was a one-man army,” said General John Pershing, Supreme Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces.[1]

Woodfill’s actions opened a path through the German defenses, crucial in turning the tide at Argonne—a bloody sacrifice paid in full by lives and lost innocence.

Honors Hard Earned

For his extraordinary heroism, Woodfill was awarded the Medal of Honor on February 9, 1919. His citation reads:

“He attacked and captured three machine gun nests and killed 24 enemy soldiers with his rifle and bayonet in a personal assault on an enemy trench.” [2]

He’s received nearly every major combat decoration available to American soldiers at the time. The French Croix de Guerre, the Distinguished Service Cross, and others matched the esteem of his countrymen.

Beyond medals, Woodfill earned something heavier—the unshakable respect of the veteran community and the solemn remembrance of those who fought beside him. A fellow soldier said:

“Sam was courage you could count on in pitch black hell.”[3]

His legend was never about glory but about taking the fight to a merciless enemy—turning fear into action.

The Bloodied Legacy

Woodfill’s story is stitched into the greater fabric of American fighting men—scars carved deeply into history, both physical and spiritual. He returned from Europe not bragging, but haunted by comrades lost and a war that offered no true victors.

What rises from these ashes? A reminder that heroism is forged in action, sustained by faith, and kept alive through stories told by those who bear the scars. His life echoes this truth:

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Veterans carry burdens civilians can’t fathom. Woodfill’s courage is a beacon through decades of forgotten battlefields, urging us to honor sacrifice, wrestle with pain, and remain steadfast.

Samuel Woodfill—“The Hero of the Argonne”—teaches us that the fight grinds on, but even in war’s darkest corners, faith and brotherhood can carve a path toward redemption.

Sources

1. University of Kentucky Press, Samuel Woodfill: The Hero of the Argonne, 2017. 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I,” 2020. 3. The Veterans History Project, Library of Congress, oral interview with Corporal James McDowell, 1925.