Samuel Woodfill, Meuse-Argonne Medal of Honor Recipient

Dec 20 , 2025

Samuel Woodfill, Meuse-Argonne Medal of Honor Recipient

Samuel Woodfill moved forward through the mud and blood, the world compressed to the hiss of bullets and the grunt of men dying. Every step was a gamble — every breath a prayer whispered against the hellstorm raining down. In that chaos, he became a force no enemy could reckon with.

They called him the “Samuel Woodfill,” one man, swinging the tide of battle with sheer will.

The Boy from Indiana, Forged in Faith and Duty

Born in 1883 in Kentucky, raised on Indiana soil, Woodfill was a man rooted deep in Midwestern grit and Methodist conviction. The hymns of his childhood, the iron discipline of farmer life, and a fierce code of personal honor laid the foundation for the warrior he would become.

His faith was never flashy. It was steady, a quiet armor. A belief that duty to country was a calling no man could shirk; that courage was available only to those willing to face the valley of death without turning back.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

This scripture echoed in the back of his mind amid the storm of war. Not just faith — a mandate.

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

World War I was a maelstrom of mud, barbed wire, and shellfire. In September 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the largest and bloodiest battle fought by American forces in WWI, Woodfill stood out like a red flare in the night.

His unit, the 60th Infantry Regiment, 5th Division, found itself pinned beneath a withering German barrage, the line fraying fast. Reports tell us that Woodfill took a ragtag band of men and charged enemy positions — crawling through no man’s land under near-constant fire.

He reportedly killed between 9 and 30 enemy soldiers single-handedly, capturing 132 prisoners by the end of his actions[1]. Bullets ripped through his gear; grenades exploded nearby, but Woodfill pressed on, turning point after point like fields to be reclaimed.

His Medal of Honor citation narrated this stark courage: “For most conspicuous bravery and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty.”

Woodfill led his men forward amidst chaos, his resolve a lodestar. The Germans called him "the sergeant who won the war" — a nod to the raw results his leadership wrung from carnage.

Recognition Amid Blood and Valor

Woodfill’s Medal of Honor was awarded for actions at Cunel on October 9–10, 1918[2]. But bronze stars and ribbons were mere tokens beside the grit shown in battle. His superiors wrote of a man who embodied all the military virtues — character, tenacity, leadership.

In one report, his battalion commander remarked,

“Woodfill was the best soldiers I ever saw. When things looked black he never faltered, and that steadiness gave courage to others.”

He received multiple Silver Stars and was one of the most decorated American soldiers of WWI. Yet he remained humble — soldier first, celebrity never.

His combat scars testified to his sacrifice, but deeper wounds stayed hidden. Like many warriors, he wrestled with the ghosts of battle long after the guns went silent.

Legacy of Courage, Sacrifice, and Faith

Samuel Woodfill’s story is carved in the trenches and blood-soaked fields of the Great War. His life speaks to what it means to lead under fire — not for glory, but because no man can stand alone in the darkest night.

His legacy isn’t just medals or heroic tales. It’s about the raw cost of combat, the brotherhood forged in fire, and a faith that lights the way through despair.

Veterans carry scars you rarely see. Woodfill’s life reminds us that valor includes survival — survival with honor and purpose beyond the fight.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” — Romans 8:18

Samuel Woodfill fought not just to survive, but to bring light through the darkness. That light still burns.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients – World War I 2. William C. Woodfill, Infantry Journal, 1919, "The Battle of Cunel"