Lieutenant Colonel William Joseph "wild bill" Donovan, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry between October 14 and 15, 1918 near Landres-et-St. Georges, France during World War I. At the time he was serving with 165th Infantry, 42d Division. Donovan was 35 years old.
3 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. He later rose to the rank of Major General.
Donovan was born on January 1, 1883 in Buffalo, Erie County, New York. Donovan died on February 8, 1959 in Washington, District of Columbia, at the age of 76. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Donovan is one of 132 Medal of Honor recipients from World War I and one of 678 credited to New York.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Lt. Col. Donovan personally led the assaulting wave in an attack upon a very strongly organized position, and when our troops were suffering heavy casualties he encouraged all near him by his example, moving among his men in exposed positions, reorganizing decimated platoons, and accompanying them forward in attacks. When he was wounded in the leg by machine-gun bullets, he refused to be evacuated and continued with his unit until it withdrew to a less exposed position.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Wounds and injuries
What the citation records about his wounds:
When he was wounded in the leg by machine-gun bullets, he refused to be evacuated and continued with his unit until it withdrew to a less exposed position.
- Age at death: 76
- Resting place: Arlington National Cemetery
Other decorations and honors
Besides the Medal of Honor, William Joseph "wild bill" Donovan received:
Source: Wikidata. Gold chips link to our guide to that decoration.
Battles and campaigns
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Result: Allied victory; End of World War I
6 Medal of Honor recipients
1918 · World War IBattle of Saint-Mihiel
Result: Allied victory
6 Medal of Honor recipients
Also served in: World War I, World War II, Western Front, European Theater of World War II, American Theater, Asiatic-Pacific Theater.
Life beyond the battlefield
- Offices held: director; ambassador
- Occupations: politician, jurist, diplomat, lawyer, intelligence officer
- Education: Columbia Law School, Niagara University, St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute
Source: Wikidata.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- January 1, 1883Born in Buffalo, Erie County, New York
- October 14 - 15, 1918Act of valor — near Landres-et-St. Georges, FranceAge 35. 165th Infantry, 42d Division
- February 8, 1959Died in Washington, District of ColumbiaAge 76.
- Resting placeArlington National CemeteryArlington, Virginia
Biography
William Joseph "Wild Bill" Donovan (January 1, 1883 – February 8, 1959) was an American soldier, lawyer, intelligence officer and diplomat. He is best known for serving as the head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), during World War II. He is regarded as the founding father of the CIA, and a statue of him stands in the lobby of the CIA headquarters building in Langley, Virginia.
From the Wikipedia article “William J. Donovan”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
