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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Sergeant · U.S. Army

William Sawelson

Sergeant William Sawelson, Army, received the Medal of Honor posthumously for actions on October 26, 1918 in Grand-Pre, France during World War I.

World War I October 26, 1918Posthumous

Sergeant William Sawelson was a soldier in the U.S. Army who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions on October 26, 1918 in Grand-Pre, France during World War I. At the time he was serving with Company M, 312th Infantry, 78th Division. Sawelson was 23 years old.

Sawelson was killed in the action for which his medal was awarded.

Sawelson was born on August 5, 1895 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. His Medal of Honor is credited to Harrison, Hudson County, New Jersey. He is buried at Meuse-Argonne Cemetery in Romagne Meuse, France.

Sawelson is one of 132 Medal of Honor recipients from World War I and one of 93 credited to New Jersey.

★ Gave Their Lives

Official Medal of Honor citation

Hearing a wounded man in a shell hole some distance away calling for water, Sgt. Sawelson, upon his own initiative, left shelter and crawled through heavy machine-gun fire to where the man lay, giving him what water he had in his canteen. He then went back to his own shell hole, obtained more water, and was returning to the wounded man when he was killed by a machine-gun bullet.

Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.

Wounds and death in action

  • Killed in action during the act for which the medal was awarded (October 26, 1918).
  • Age at death: 23
  • Resting place: Meuse-Argonne Cemetery

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: World War I.

Places

  • Born: Newark — map
  • Died: Grandpré — map
  • Buried: Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New Jersey →

Timeline

  1. August 5, 1895
    Born in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey
  2. October 26, 1918
    Act of valor — Grand-Pre, France
    Age 23. Company M, 312th Infantry, 78th Division Killed in action.
  3. Resting place
    Meuse-Argonne Cemetery
    Romagne Meuse

Biography

William Sawelson (August 5, 1895 – October 26, 1918) was a sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for valor in combat. The medal was posthumously presented to his father Jacob L. Sawelson at Governors Island. He is buried at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial east of the village of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon.

From the Wikipedia article “William Sawelson”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

More World War I recipients from New Jersey

TO Thomas E. O'Shea Corporal · Army World War I · 1918 ✦ AE Alan Louis Eggers Sergeant · Army World War I · 1918 Ludovicus M.m van Iersel Sergeant · Army World War I · 1918 JS John Otto Siegel Boatswain's Mate Second Class · Navy World War I · 1918 FB Frank J. Bart Private · Army World War I · 1918 LM Louis Wardlaw Miles Captain · Army World War I · 1918
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Wikidata and Wikipedia. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.