Private First Class George Dilboy was a soldier in the U.S. Army who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions on July 18, 1918 near Belleau, France during World War I. At the time he was serving with Company H, 103d Infantry, 26th Division. Dilboy was 22 years old.
Dilboy was killed in the action for which his medal was awarded. 6 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.
Dilboy was born on February 5, 1896 in Greece — one of 2 recipients born in Greece. His Medal of Honor is credited to Keene, Cheshire County, New Hampshire. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Dilboy is one of 132 Medal of Honor recipients from World War I and one of 35 credited to New Hampshire.
Official Medal of Honor citation
After his platoon had gained its objective along a railroad embankment, Pfc. Dilboy, accompanying his platoon leader to reconnoiter the ground beyond, was suddenly fired upon by an enemy machine gun from 100 yards. From a standing position on the railroad track, fully exposed to view, he opened fire at once, but failing to silence the gun, rushed forward with his bayonet fixed, through a wheat field toward the gun emplacement, falling within 25 yards of the gun with his right leg nearly severed above the knee and with several bullet holes in his body. With undaunted courage he continued to fire into the emplacement from a prone position, killing two of the enemy and dispersing the rest of the crew.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Wounds and death in action
What the citation records about his wounds:
From a standing position on the railroad track, fully exposed to view, he opened fire at once, but failing to silence the gun, rushed forward with his bayonet fixed, through a wheat field toward the gun emplacement, falling within 25 yards of the gun with his right leg nearly severed above the knee and with several bullet holes in his body.
- Killed in action during the act for which the medal was awarded (July 18, 1918).
- Age at death: 22
- Resting place: Arlington National Cemetery
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: First Balkan War, World War I, Second Balkan War, Mexican Border War.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New Hampshire →
Timeline
- February 5, 1896Born in Greece
- July 18, 1918Act of valor — near Belleau, FranceAge 22. Company H, 103d Infantry, 26th Division Killed in action.
- Resting placeArlington National CemeteryArlington, Virginia
Biography
George Dilboy (Americanized transliteration of Greek name, Georgios Dilvois: Γεώργιος Διλβόης), (February 5, 1896 – July 18, 1918), Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company H, 103rd Infantry Regiment (United States), 26th Division is thought to be the first Greek-American to receive the Medal of Honor during World War I. He led an attack on a machine gun position and continued to fire at the enemy despite being seriously wounded, killing two of the enemy and dispersing the remainder of the gun crew. General John J.
From the Wikipedia article “George Dilboy”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
Further reading
- Two Immigrants + One Battle = Four Medals of Honorcmohs.org · 2021
- Private George Dilboy, One of the Ten Greatest Heroes of World War Icmohs.org · 2021
