THE ROMANCE OF MILITARY INSIGNIA 



493 



October 2-7, 19 18. Although cut off for 

 five* days from the remainder of his di- 

 vision, Maj. Whittlesey maintained his 

 position, which he had reached under 

 orders received for an advance, and held 

 his command, consisting originally of 463 

 officers and men of the 308th Infantry 

 and of Company K of the 307th Infantry, 

 together in the face of superior numbers 

 of the enemy, during the five days. Maj. 

 Whittlesey and his command were thus 

 cut off, and no rations or other supplies 

 reached him, in spite of determined ef- 

 forts which were made by his division. 

 On the fourth day Maj. Whittlesey re- 

 ceived from the enemy a written proposi- 

 tion to surrender, which he treated with 

 contempt, although he was at that time 

 out of rations and had suffered a loss of 

 50 per cent in killed and wounded of his 

 command and was surrounded by the 

 enemy." 



"Alyin C. York (serial No. 1910421), 

 corporal, Company G, 328th Infantry. 

 For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity 

 above and beyond the call of duty in 

 action with the enemy near Chatel- 

 Chehery, France, October 8, 1918. After 

 his platoon had suffered heavy casualties 

 and three other noncommissioned officers 

 had become casualties Corpl. York as- 

 sumed command. Fearlessly leading 

 seven men, he charged, with great daring, 

 a machine-gun nest which was pouring 

 deadly and incessant fire upon his pla- 

 toon. In this heroic feat the machine- 

 gun nest was taken, together with 4 offi- 

 cers and 128 men and several guns. 

 Home address, Mrs. Marv Brooks York, 

 mother, Pall Mall, Tenn.'' 



For a second act warranting the award 

 of the Medal of Honor a bronze oakleaf 

 cluster is bestowed by the Army. This 

 cluster is worn on the ribbon of the 

 medal and a miniature thereof on the 

 service ribbon. (See Distinguished Serv- 

 ice Cross service ribbon, page 505.) It 

 was adopted for this purpose in 191 8 and 

 was designed by the sculptor, Mr. Her- 

 bert Adams, of the Commission of Fine 

 Arts. However, no Medal of Honor has 

 yet been decorated by the addition of an 

 oakleaf cluster. No device has yet been 



selected by the Navy in lieu of a second 

 award. 



THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL 



The Distinguished Service Medal (No. 

 7) can be awarded by the President to 

 "any person who, while serving in any 

 capacity with the Army of the United 

 States, shall distinguish himself or her- 

 self by specially meritorious service to 

 the government in a duty of great re- 

 sponsibility." The Distinguished Service 

 Medal for the Navy (No. 24) is awarded 

 under exactly the same conditions as for 

 the Army and was established by act of 

 Congress in February, 1919. The Dis- 

 tinguished Service Medal ranks next to 

 the Medal of Honor. 



It should be noted that the services to 

 be rewarded with this decoration do not 

 have to be rendered at the front, much 

 less in action, the requirement of great 

 responsibility being the governing factor. 

 It was intended to be used in the same 

 way as the Legion of Honor of France 

 and other similar orders with which Eu- 

 ropean countries reward the great leaders 

 of their military and naval forces. 



On the occasion of the first presenta- 

 tions in Washington, the Secretary of 

 War spoke as follows : 



"The institution of the Distinguished 

 Service Medal in the Army of the United 

 States is in recognition of the fact that in 

 an army of modern times all the fighting 

 is not done on the fighting front, but that 

 those who served by way of preparing 

 others and those whose services were 

 specially necessary in association with 

 military operations are equally serving in 

 the cause. 



"This medal is also awarded to civil- 

 ians, because under conditions of modern 

 warfare it has been discovered, of course, 

 that the civilian side is inseparably con- 

 nected with the actual fighting side ; that 

 modern war engages all the power of the 

 nation — military,' industrial, financial and 

 moral. 



"The Distinguished Service Medal is, 

 therefore, awarded, not for technical 

 military or combat service, but is awarded 

 to those who in positions of great respon- 

 sibility have conferred distinguished serv- 

 ice upon their country through the mili- 



