Polk County, Iowa in the Great War

Guy S. Brewer, major, 168th Infantry. For extraordinary heroism in action near St. Mihiel, France, September 12, 1918. He personally led the assaulting wave of his battalion at St. Mihiel, continuing to the enemy's wire despite the fact that he was wounded by a shell fragment. While directing his men through the wire entanglements his right arm was shattered by a machine gun bullet, but he remained on the field for more than an hour directing the disposition of his forces and giving careful directions to the succeeding commander.

Residence at appintment: Des Moines, Iowa (Polk co.)
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Robert Colflesh (army serial No. 2395261), corporal, Company M, 7th Infantry. For extraordinary heroism in action near Fossoy, France, July 14, 1918. After his men had been caught in an intense artillery shelling, Corporal Colflesh, although wounded, refused to seek shelter until all his men had taken cover. while aiding the last man into a trench he received a second wound.

Residence at enlistment: 777 W. 14th Street, Des Moines, Iowa (Polk co.)
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Emmett E. Collins, sergeant, Machine Gun Company, 168th Infantry. For extraordinary heroism in action near the Ourcq River, France, July 28, 1918. After being wounded, Sergt. Collins voluntarily returned to his company as soon as he had received first aid, and fought courageously until he was killed.
Emergency address: Mrs. Fanny Collins, mother, 815 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Des Moines, Iowa
Residence at enlistment: 815 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Des Moines, Iowa (Polk co.)

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS
John C. Graves, corporal, Company A, 1st Gas Regiment. For extraordinary heroism in action near Nantillois, France, October 5, 1918. After other means of communication had failed, he voluntarily carried messages from the regimental post of command to advance positions through several enemy barrages of gas and high-explosive shells. He continued on duty, even after being wounded, until he was exhausted.
Residence at enlistment: 1128 Euclid Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa (Polk co.)

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS
Arthur M. Hamilton, (army serial No. 560474), corporal, Company E, 58th Infantry, 4th Division. For extraordinary heroism in action in the Bois de Fays, near Brieulles, France, October 6, 1918. Corporal Hamilton and a comrade, under heavy enemy fire, went to the rescue of wounded lying in advance of our lines and returned to our lines with two wounded American soldiers. In accomplishing this mission they advanced to within 75 yards of the enemy lines, over an area which the enemy raked with their fire.
Residence at enlistment: 928 Creston Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa (Polk co.)
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Rufus B. Jackson, second lieutenant, 370th Infantry. For extraordinary heroism in action near Farm la Folie, France, September 28, 1918. Having been ordered to use his Stokes mortars in wiping out machine gun nests, which had been resisting the advance of his company, Lieut. Jackson made a personal reconnaissance by crawling to the enemy's lines to locate the nests. Accomplishing his purpose, he returned and directed the fire, silencing the guns.
Residence at appointment: 912 East Thirteenth Street, Des Moines, Iowa (Polk co.)

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS
James Manning, corporal, Company C, 4th Engineers. For extraordinary heroism in action near St. Thibaut, France, August 8, 1918. He was one of our men who volunteered and swam the Vesle river for the purpose of doing work on the opposite bank necessary in the construction of a foot bridge. With another soldier he succeeded in felling a large tree in the face of heavy machine gun fire and one-pounder fire after the remainder of the platoon had withdrawn.
Residence at enlistment: General delivery, Des Moines, Iowa (Polk co.)

Sylvester Phillips, private, Battery E, 10th Field Artillery. For extraordinary heroism in action near Greves Farm, France, July 14, 1918. He was acting as a telephone operator at a gun in a detached position when all the crew became casualties. With another soldier he courageously continued to fire the piece under the heaviest bombardment until it was struck by a shell and he was killed.
Emergency address: Mrs. Mary Phillips, mother, 1117 Walker Street, Des Moines, Iowa.
Residence at enlistment: 1117 Walker Street , Des Moines, Iowa (Polk co.)

Winfred E. Robb, first lieutenant, chaplain, 168th Infantry. For extraordinary heroism throughout the advance across the River Ourcq, northeast of Chateau-Thierry, France, July 26, to August 2, 1918. During the pursuit of the enemy by the 168th Infantry across the River Ourcq, he distinguished himself by his bravery under fire. During all of this time, and particularly during the operations nar Sergy, he showed the greatest coolness under severe artillery fire in attending to the needs of the men in his regiment.
Residence at appointment: Des Moines, Iowa (Polk co. )
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Henry A. West (army serial No. 2154039), private, first class, Company L, 117th Infantry. For extraordinary heroism in action near Molain, France, October 17, 1918. With another soldier he volunteered to go out across an open space swept by heavy machine gun fire for 150 yards to rescue two wounded soldiers. The mission was accomplished successfully.
Residence at enlistment: 1405 West Walnut Street, Des Moines, Iowa (Polk co.)

Frank L. Williams, first lieutenant, Medical Corps, attached to 168th Infantry. For extraordinary heroism in acton in Campagne, east of Rheims, France, July 15, 1918, and near the River Ourcq, northeast of Chateau Thierry, France, July 30, 1918. He voluntarily left a dugout on the Campagne front, and for more than two hours, all the time under shell fire, administered to the needs of wounded men who were lying in the open. during the advance across the River Ourcq he voluntarily remained ni exposed positions under heavy shell fire, caring for and dressing the wounded, until he was severely injured.
Residence at appointment: 2005 University Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa (Polk co.)
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