Captain Marcellus Holmes Chiles was a soldier in the U.S. Army who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions on November 3, 1918 near Le Champy Bas, France during World War I. At the time he was serving with Company A, 356th Infantry, 89th Division. Chiles was 23 years old.
The medal was presented on April 15, 1919.
Chiles was born on February 5, 1895 in Eureka Springs, Carroll County, Arkansas. His Medal of Honor is credited to Denver, Denver County, Colorado. Chiles died on November 5, 1918 in France, at the age of 23. He is buried at Meuse-Argonne Cemetery in Romagne Meuse, France.
Chiles is one of 132 Medal of Honor recipients from World War I and one of 24 credited to Colorado.
Official Medal of Honor citation
When his battalion, of which he had just taken command, was halted by machine-gun fire from the front and left flank, he picked up the rifle of a dead soldier and, calling on his men to follow, led the advance across a stream, waist deep, in the face of the machine-gun fire. Upon reaching the opposite bank this gallant officer was seriously wounded in the abdomen by a sniper, but before permitting himself to be evacuated he made complete arrangements for turning over his command to the next senior officer, and under the inspiration of his fearless leadership, his battalion reached its objective. Capt. Chiles died shortly after reaching the hospital.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: World War I.
Life beyond the battlefield
- Education: Colorado College
Source: Wikidata.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Colorado →
Timeline
- February 5, 1895Born in Eureka Springs, Carroll County, Arkansas
- November 3, 1918Act of valor — near Le Champy Bas, FranceAge 23. Company A, 356th Infantry, 89th Division
- November 5, 1918Died in FranceAge 23.
- April 15, 1919Medal of Honor presented posthumously
- Resting placeMeuse-Argonne CemeteryRomagne Meuse
Biography
Captain Marcellus Holmes Chiles (February 5, 1895 – November 5, 1918) was a United States Army officer who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during World War I, he suffered wounds that ultimately caused his death during those actions.
From the Wikipedia article “Marcellus H. Chiles”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
