J. Hunter Wickersham

{{Short description|United States Army Medal of Honor recipient}}

{{Infobox military person

|name=John Hunter Wickersham

|image=John Hunter Wickersham - WWI Medal of Honor Recipient.jpg

|caption=Medal of Honor recipient

|birth_date= {{birth date|1890|2|3}}

|death_date= {{death date and age|1918|9|12|1890|2|3}}

|birth_place= New York City, US

|death_place= near Limey, France

|placeofburial= St. Mihiel American Cemetery, Thiaucourt, France

|placeofburial_label= Place of burial

|nickname=

|allegiance=United States

|branch=United States Army

|serviceyears=

|rank=Second Lieutenant

|unit=353rd Infantry Regiment, 89th Division

|commands=

|battles={{tree list}}

World War I
Battle of Saint-Mihiel{{KIA}}

|awards=Medal of Honor
Croce al Merito di Guerra (Italy)

|relations=

|laterwork=

}}

John Hunter Wickersham (February 3, 1890 – September 12, 1918) was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War I.

Biography

Wickersham was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 3, 1890, to Mary E. Damon.{{cite book |editor-last=Howard |editor-first=John Raymond |title=Poems of Heroism in American Life |publisher=Thomas Y. Crowell Co. |year=1922 |page=[https://archive.org/details/poemsheroismina00howagoog/page/n341 317] |url=https://archive.org/details/poemsheroismina00howagoog}} He moved to Denver, Colorado when a small boy and received his education in Denver. In May 1917, a month after the American entry into World War I, he graduated from the First Officers Training Camp at Camp Funston on Fort Riley, Kansas. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and assigned to Company H, 353rd Infantry, 89th Division.{{cite web |publisher=American Legion Leyden-Chiles-Wickersham Post 1, Denver, Colorado|title=About John Hunter Wickersham|url=http://www.lcwpost1.org/wickersham.html|access-date=2017-10-13}} By September 11, 1918, he was serving in France. On that day, as his unit prepared to take part in an offensive which would become the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, Wickersham wrote one last letter home to his mother in Denver. The letter contained a poem, "The Raindrops on Your Old Tin Hat", which was later published.

The next day, on September 12, Wickersham was severely wounded near Limey, France, but continued to lead his platoon in its advance until collapsing and succumbing to his injuries. For these actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 1919.

Medal of Honor Citation

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company H, 353rd Infantry, 89th Division. Place and date: At Limey, France; September 12, 1918. Entered service at: Denver Colorado. Birth: February 3, 1890; New York, New York. General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 16 ( January 22, 1919).

Citation:

Advancing with his platoon during the St. Mihiel offensive, Second Lieutenant Wickersham was severely wounded in four places by the bursting of a high-explosive shell. Before receiving any aid for himself he dressed the wounds of his orderly, who was wounded at the same time. He then ordered and accompanied the further advance of his platoon, although weakened by the loss of blood. His right hand and arm being disabled by wounds, he continued to fire his revolver with his left hand until, exhausted by loss of blood, he fell and died from his wounds before aid could be administered.

Military Awards

Source:{{cite book|title=Image of Wickersham's grave marker which indicates he was awarded the Italian Croce di guerra al merito|url=https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RcDJ1ymj-wU/WH14IlrCvLI/AAAAAAAAHnQ/rXOD6xvZoRobfBHbI_BNb2vFrCp60ZuggCLcB/s1600/Wickershams%2Bgrave%2BDouglas%2BHeimbigner.JPG|access-date= October 13, 2017}}

Wickersham's military decorations and awards include:

style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Medal of Honor ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=World War I Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=palm|ribbon=Croce di guerra al merito BAR.svg|width=106}}

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

!1st row

| colspan="3"|Medal of Honor

| colspan="3"|World War I Victory Medal w/two bronze service stars to denote credit for the St. Mihiel and Defensive Sector battle clasps.

| colspan="3"|Croce al Merito di Guerra (Italy)

Wickersham, aged 28 at his death, was buried at the St. Mihiel American Cemetery in Thiaucourt, France.[https://www.stripes.com/lifestyle/more-than-4-000-american-war-dead-from-wwi-rest-at-france-s-st-mihiel-american-cemetery-1.468652 Stars and Stripes] A marker in his memory was placed at Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.[http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMWV5G_John_Hunter_Wickersham_Denver_CO Waymarking.com]

The poem he wrote to his mother the day before he died reads as follows:

{{blockquote|

The mist hangs low and quiet on a ragged line of hills,

There's a whispering of wind across the flat,

You'd be feeling kind of lonesome if it wasn't for one thing—

The patter of the raindrops on your old tin hat.

An' you can't help a-figuring—sitting there alone—

About this war and hero stuff and that,

And you wonder if they haven't sort of got things twisted up,

While the rain keeps up its patter on your old tin hat.

When you step off with the outfit to do your little bit

You're simply doing what you're s'posed to do—