By Kayla Lass, Intern – Archives & Historical Collections, Congressional Medal of Honor Society

Each Medal of Honor recipient comes with a unique background and story; some situations among these are especially unique. In the military, dental officers commonly offer their services in much the same way as a civilian dentist. In wartime, however, they serve as medics, surgeons, or anywhere medical personnel are needed. Of over 3,000 Medal of Honor Recipients, only 3 have been dental officers: Lt. j.g. Weedon E. Osborne, Vice Adm. Alexander G. Lyle, and Capt. Benjamin Salomon. Each of these men went above and beyond the call of duty in quite interesting ways, unique for their positions.

Lt. j.g. Weedon E. Osborne, U.S. Navy, World War I

Weedon E. Osborne was born on November 13, 1892, in Chicago, Illinois, and lived there for his childhood and young adulthood. As a young man, Osborne attended the Dental College at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois; he graduated with the class of 1915. When taking his exams, he finished first in his class. Post-graduation, he taught at the Denver Dental College at Denver University in Colorado.

Osborne joined the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant junior grade, in May of 1917. He was assigned to the U.S. Navy Dental Corps as a Dental Surgeon. He was initially stationed at the Boston, Massachusetts, Navy Yard from June to December of 1917, but was assigned to the USS Alabama from January to March of 1918. Following his time on the USS Alabama, Osborne served alongside the 6^th Marine Regiment of the 2^nd Division American Expeditionary Force in France as a dental surgeon.

On June 6, 1918, during World War I, at the Battle of Belleau Wood in Bouresches, France, Osborne risked his life to rescue wounded Marines from the field of battle. While attempting to bring Captain Donald Duncan to safety, both men were killed by shellfire.

Osborne was the first officer of the Dental Corps to be killed in action. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross. Interestingly, he was awarded a rarer type of Medal of Honor called the Tiffany Cross, which was later discontinued. Aside from these awards, Osborne was honored in the naming of the USS Osborne, a destroyer which served in the U.S. Navy in the 1920s. The USS Osborne Dental Clinic in Chicago is named in Osborne’s honor as well. Osborne is remembered as a bright, energetic, and forceful soul and is buried in the Aisne-Marne Cemetery in Belleau, Aisne, France.

Vice Adm. Alexander G. Lyle, U.S. Navy, World War I

Alexander G. Lyle was born November 12, 1889, in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Lyle grew up in Massachusetts and attended the Baltimore College of Dentistry, graduating in 1912. In 1915, he commissioned into the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant junior grade. He quickly climbed the ranks, becoming a Dental Surgeon and being promoted to Lieutenant Commander.

Lyle was serving on the French front with the 5^th Regiment of Marines on April 23, 1918, during World War I when he earned the Medal of Honor. Lyle risked his life to save Corporal Thomas Regen. Regen had been severely wounded by shellfire. Lyle pulled the Corporal to safety while under fire and administered life saving surgical care.

Like Weedon Osborne, he was awarded the Tiffany version of the Medal of Honor for his actions. He went on to have a long and successful career in the Navy. He became the first member of the Dental Corps to achieve the rank of Vice Admiral in 1943. He helped implement mobile dental units, which became a lasting legacy. He was also awarded the Silver Star twice, the Italian War Cross, the Legion of Merit, and the Navy Commendation Medal. He retired in August of 1948.

Lyle passed away at his home in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, on July 15, 1955. He is buried in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife, Ruth. At the time of his death, he left behind his two children, Alexander Jr. and Mary.

Capt. Benjamin Salomon, U.S. Army, World War II

Benjamin Salomon was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on September 1, 1914 to Jewish parents. Growing up an active young man in Wisconsin, Salomon attained the title of Eagle Scout before leaving for the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. He would later attend USC’s School of Dentistry. In 1937, he attempted to join the U.S. Army as a Dentist, but was turned away due to lack of need for that profession. He started a small dental practice before eventually being drafted in 1940.

Salomon was initially appointed as a Private in the Infantry; he excelled in this role, attaining the rank of Sergeant within a year, but was commissioned into the Army Dental Corps as a 1^st lieutenant in 1942. As an officer, Salomon was transferred to the 105^th Regiment in Hawaii. He served as a regimental dentist and was promoted to Captain within a year.

His regiment was sent to Saipan in the Marinas Islands in June of 1944 during World War II. On July 7, the Japanese advanced with one of the largest attacks in the Pacific Theater. Salomon was assigned to a front-line aid station where he was tasked with working on wounded soldiers; the tent was protected by two machine gunners. As the large attacking Japanese advanced on the aid station, Salomon ordered that all wounded soldiers be evacuated while he held off the enemy. He used an abandoned machine gun to allow the wounded to escape to safety. When his regiment was able to retake the site days later, Salomon was found dead with nearly 100 dead Japanese soldiers around him. He was covered with bullet and bayonet wounds. Salomon was laid to rest in Glendale, California.

Salomon’s Medal of Honor journey was much lengthier than most. Soon after his death, he was nominated for the Medal of Honor by the Historian and the Assistant Commander of the 27^th Division. The nomination was denied by Maj. Gen. George W. Griner on the basis that Salomon was serving as a medical officer with a “…Red Cross brassard.” This would seemingly disqualify Salomon under the Geneva Convention. This pattern of failure to award Salomon continued for nearly 50 years. He was recommended again in 1951 but denied due to time constraints. In 1969 and 1970, the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and the Secretary of the Army recommended Salomon; again, there was no action taken. In 1998, he was recommended once again, this time through Congressman Brad Sherman and members of the USC Dental School. This recommendation was supported by Maj. Gen. Patrick D. Sculley, then Chief of the Army Dental Corps. Finally, 58 years after his actions on the Saipan Islands, Salomon was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush.

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About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor (the United States’ highest award for military valor in action) and its Recipients, inspiring Americans to live the values the Medal represents, and supporting Recipients as they connect with communities across America. Chartered by Congress in 1958, the Society’s membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor.