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Fact: Medal of Honor Recipients

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on November 9, 2015 at 3:51:10 pm
 

Denny Burns from

Billings Public Library Historic Collection


 

 

Medal of Honor Recipients

 

These Medal of Honor recipients have ties to Montana: either born here, entered service here, or buried here.  The information provided here includes name, military rank, branch, conflict, cemetery, town, county, state.  The same name can appear in more than one category, but not always; ex., a Medal of Honor recipient could have been born in Ireland, entered the service in Montana, and buried in Wyoming.  Only one, Captain William W. Galt, U. S. Army, WWII, was born in Montana, entered the service in Montana and is buried in Montana.  Included below is a summary of their Medal of Honor citations in at least one of the categories under which a recipient is listed.

 

Medal of Honor recipients with ties to Montana include infantry men, cavalry men, a medic, a musician, a farrier, privates, privates first class, corporals, sergeants, First Sergeants, and Captains.  These men served in the Indian Campaigns, Philippine Insurrection, Spanish-American War, and World War II.  No MOH recipients with ties to Montana received their MOH while serving in the Civil War, WWI, Korea, Vietnam, or (as of yet) post-Vietnam conflicts.

 

The information compiled here was gathered from:      

  • Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Charleston, SC.
  • Office of the Chief Historian, Custer Battlefield National Monument, Crow Agency, MT.
  • Internet searches at: www.findagrave.com

 

Prepared by: Edward E. Saunders, LTC, USA, (ret); Laurel, Yellowstone County, MT; Member, D.A.V. Chapter 10, Billings, MT.


 

Born in Montana

  • Galt, William Wylie; Captain, U.S. Army; WWII; Geyser, Judith Basin County, MT. [SEE: entry under Buried in Montana for additional information]
  • Ruhl, Donald Jack; Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve; WWII, Columbus, Stillwater County, MT.  He is buried in Greybull, Big Horn County, WY.  [SEE: entry under Entered the Service in Montana for additional information]

 

Entered the service in Montana

  • Galt, William Wylie; Captain, U.S. Army; WWII; Stanford, Judith Basin County, MT.
  • McLennon, John; Musician, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Fort Ellis, MT.  He is buried in Rock Springs Cemetery, Rock Springs, Sweetwater County, WY.  Gallantry in action at Big Hole, MT, August 1877.
  • Moran, John; Captain, U.S. Army; Philippine Insurrection; Cascade County, MT.  [SEE: entry under Buried in Montana for additional information]
  • Parrish, Laverne; Technician 4th Grade (medic) U.S. Army; WWII; Ronan, Lake County, MT  [SEE: entry under Buried in Montana for additional information]
  • Powers, Leo J.; Private First Class, U.S. Army; WWII; Alder Gulch, Madison County, MT. [SEE: entry under Buried in Montana for additional information]
  • Ruhl, Donald Jack; Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve; Butte, Silver Bow County, MT.
    • PFC Ruhl was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry in action on Iwo Jima island, February 1945
  • Schauer, Henry; Private First Class, U.S. Army; WWII; Scobey, Daniels County, MT.  He is buried in Salem, Marion County, OR.
    • PFC Schauer was awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry in action near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, May 1944.  He died in 1997.
  • Smith, Cornelius Cole; Corporal, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Helena, Lewis and Clark County, MT.  He is buried in Evergreen Memorial Park, Riverside, Riverside County CA.  Gallantry in action at White River, SD, January 1891.

 

Buried in Montana

  • Cable, Joseph A.; Private, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Custer Battlefield National Cemetery, Crow Agency, Big Horn County, MT.  (Memorial stone only.)  Gallantry in action at Cedar Creek, MT, October 1876.
  • Coonrod, Aquilla; Sergeant, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Custer Battlefield National Cemetery, Crow Agency, Big Horn County, MT.  Gallantry in action at Cedar Creek, MT, October 1876.
  • Cummins, Andrew Johnson; Sergeant, U.S. Army; Spanish-American War; Lewistown Cemetery; Lewistown, Fergus County, MT.  Gallantry in action at Santiago, Cuba, July 1898.
  • Fegan, James; Sergeant, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Custer Battlefield National Cemetery; Crow Agency, Big Horn County, MT.  Gallantry in action at Plum Creek, KS, March 1868.
  • Galt, William Wylie; Captain, U.S. Army; WWII; Mount Olivet Cemetery, Great Falls, Cascade County, MT.
    • CPT Galt was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry in action at Villa Crocetta, Italy, May 1944.
  • Garland, Harry; Corporal, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Fort Missoula Post Cemetery, Missoula, Missoula County, MT.  Gallantry in action at Little Muddy Creek, MT, May 1877.
  • Himmelsback, Michael; Private, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Fort Missoula Post Cemetery, Missoula, Missoula County, MT.  Gallantry in action at Little Blue, NE, May 1870.
  • Hogan, Henry; First Sergeant, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Custer County Cemetery, Miles City, Custer County, MT.  (Dual recipient)
    • 1SG Hogan is one of only 19 men in U.S. history to receive two Medals of Honor, and one of only 14 men to receive the medal for two separate actions.  One earned at Cedar Creek, MT; October 1876, the other at Bear Paw Mountain, MT, in February, 1877 during battles with the Nez Perce Indians.
  • Hunt, Frederick D.; Private, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Montana Veterans Home Cemetery, Columbia Falls, Flathead County, MT.  Gallantry in action, Cedar Creek, MT, October 1876.
  • Kreher, Wendelin; First Sergeant, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Custer Battlefield National Cemetery, Crow Agency, Big Horn County, MT.  Gallantry in action at Cedar Creek, MT, October 1876.
  • Leonard, William; Private, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Mayn Cemetery, White Sulphur Springs, Meagher County, MT.  Gallantry in action at Muddy Creek, MT, May 1877.
  • McCann, Bernard; Private, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Custer Battlefield National Cemetery, Crow Agency, Big Horn County, MT.  Gallantry in action at Cedar Creek, MT, Oct 1876.
  • Moran, John E.; Captain U.S. Army; Philippine Insurrection; Highland Cemetery, Great Falls, Cascade County, MT.  Awarded for gallantry in action in Luzon, Philippines, September 1900.
  • Parrish, Laverne; Technician 4th Grade (medic), U.S. Army; WWII; Mountain View Cemetery, Ronan, Lake County, MT.
    • The citizens of Ronan, MT recently erected an ornate but appropriate monument to Tech 4 Laverne Parrish, at Parrish’s gravesite.  He earned the Medal of Honor posthumously for gallantry in action in the Philippines in January, 1945, while administering first-aid to 37 wounded soldiers while under fire.  His original nondescript flat dark gray government-issue headstone had only the letters “MH” and nothing more to denote he was a Medal of Honor recipient: no gold engraved medallion, no words spelled out in full, just the plain and vague letters “MH.”
  • Powers, Leo J.; Private First Class, U.S. Army; WWII; Holy Cross Cemetery, Butte, Silver Bow County, MT.
    • PFC Powers was awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry in action near Cassino, Italy in February, 1944.  He died in 1967.
  • Pym, James J.; Private, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Custer County Cemetery, Miles City, Custer County, MT. 
    • PVT Pym earned his Medal of Honor during the Battle of the Little Big Horn (Custer’s Last Stand), 25 – 26 June 1876.  LTC George Armstrong Custer commanded the entire 7th Cavalry Regiment.  Pym was in B. Company, 7th U.S. Cavalry.  Captain Thomas McDougal commanded B. Company; he was also in charge of the 7th’s pack trains.  Because of the slow pace of the mule pack trains, McDougal (and Pym) arrived on the battlefield after Sioux warriors destroyed Custer.  McDougal reinforced Major Marcus Reno and Captain Frederick Benteen on what is now known as “Reno Hill” at the Custer Battlefield National Monument, Crow Agency, Big Horn County, MT.  Pym risked his life by leaving the steep hill and making the perilous trip down to the Little Big Horn River to get water for the wounded soldiers.  Pym died in 1893, age 41 years.
  • Veuve, Ernest; Farrier, U.S. Army; Indian Campaigns; Missoula Cemetery, Missoula, Missoula County, MT.  Awarded for gallantry in action at Staked Plains, TX, November 1874.  Note:  A “farrier” took care of the horses’ hooves.

 

 

 Montana Historical Society Research Center

 225 North Roberts, P.O. Box 201201, Helena, MT 59620-1201, 406-444-2681, 406-444-2696 (fax).

 mhslibrary@mt.gov

 

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