Harold Irving Johnston

Sergeant, U.S. Army

Medal of Honor Recipient

World War I

Sergeant Harold Irving Johnston (9 March 1892 - 28 August 1949) was a U.S. Army soldier who received the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during World War I.

Harold Irving Johnston was born in Kendell, KS, on 9 March 1892 and entered into the Army in Chicago, IL.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Private First Class), U.S. Army, Company A, 356th Infantry, 89th Division.

Place and date: Near Pouilly, France, 9 November 1918.

Citation: When information was desired as to the enemy's position on the opposite side of the Meuse River, Sgt. Johnston, with another soldier, volunteered without hesitation and swam the river to reconnoiter the exact location of the enemy. He succeeded in reaching the opposite bank, despite the evident determination of the enemy to prevent a crossing. Having obtained his information, he again entered the water for his return. This was accomplished after a severe struggle which so exhausted him that he had to be assisted from the water, after which he rendered his report of the exploit.

Death and Burial

Sergeant Harold Irving Johnston died on 28 August 1949. He is buried at Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, CO.