Congressional Medal of Honor Society
Stories of Sacrifice
World War I - U.S. Army
Wilbur E Colyer
Details
- Rank: Sergeant
- Conflict/Era: World War I
- Unit/Command:
Company A, 1st Engineers,
1st Division - Military Service Branch: U.S. Army
- Medal of Honor Action Date: October 9, 1918
- Medal of Honor Action Place: near Verdun, France
Citation
Volunteering with two other soldiers to locate machine-gun nests, Sgt. Colyer advanced on the hostile positions to a point where he was half surrounded by the nests, which were in ambush. He killed the gunner of one gun with a captured German grenade and then turned this gun on the other nests, silencing all of them before he returned to his platoon. He was later killed in action.
Additional Details
- Accredited to: South Ozone, Queens County, New York
- Awarded Posthumously: Yes
- Born: March 5, 1898, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY, United States
- Died: October 10, 1918, France
- Buried: Cypress Hills National Cemetery (PMH) (2-8588), Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Location of Medal: 1st Infantry Division Museum at Cantigny, Wheaton, IL