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George Gibson McMurtry |
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Engagements: • World War I (1914 - 1918) |
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Biography: | ||||
George Gibson McMurtry Major, U.S. Army Medal of Honor Recipient World War I Major George Gibson McMurtry (6 November 1876 - 22 November 1958) 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. Prior to World War I, McMurtry fought in Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War and participated in the Battle of San Juan Hill. Like Charles Whittlesey, he was also a Wall Street lawyer. He would later make millions of dollars in the stock market after the war. Medal of Honor Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, 308th Infantry, 77th Division. Place and date: At Charlevaux in the forest of Argonne, France, 2-8 October 1918. Citation: Commanded a battalion which was cut off and surrounded by the enemy and although wounded in the knee by shrapnel on 4 October and suffering great pain, he continued throughout the entire period to encourage his officers and men with a resistless optimism that contributed largely toward preventing panic and disorder among the troops, who were without food, cut off from communication with our lines. On 4 October during a heavy barrage, he personally directed and supervised the moving of the wounded to shelter before himself seeking shelter. On 6 October he was again wounded in the shoulder by a German grenade, but continued personally to organize and direct the defense against the German attack on the position until the attack was defeated. He continued to direct and command his troops, refusing relief, and personally led his men out of the position after assistance arrived before permitting himself to be taken to the hospital on 8 October. During this period the successful defense of the position was due largely to his efforts. Death and Burial Captain George Gibson McMurtry died on 22 November 1958. He is buried at Ledgelawn Cemetery in Bar Harbor, Hancock County, ME. |
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Honoree ID: 1795 | Created by: MHOH |