On October 31, 1918, near Bois-de-Bantheville, a lone soldier managed to crawl to the safety of the Allied lines and brought news that 3 men from his patrol were trapped in no man's land.
Upon hearing this, machinegunner PFC. Charles Barger and his asst. gunner voluntarily ran 500 yards, 3 separate times, into no man's land, through heavy machine gun and artillery fire with a stretcher, to rescue the wounded men who were only 50 yards from a machine gun nest.
Both men were awarded the Medal Honor. Barger was also awarded numerous other awards to include 10 purple hearts.
Upon returning home, he had difficulty adjusting to civilian life and struggled to stay employed. He was hired as a police officer in 1922 where in one call, was shot 5 times after exchanging gunfire with barricaded suspects.
Barger recovered from his injuries, but his head wound coupled with the effects of mustard gas and post-traumatic stress eventually took its toll on his physical and mental health. He remained with the police force for 12 years before they let him go with no compensation or pension.
Barger did whatever he could to make ends meet, but every day was a struggle. Against everything he believed in, accepted charity from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, the only two agencies that stood by him through the years. "It's fine to have all the medals," he lamented, "but the trouble is you can't eat them." On the night of November 23, police were called to his home where they found him wielding a large hunting knife and setting fire to his farmhouse. He had 3 self-inflicted wounds to his throat, thorn clothing and 3rd degree burns. When the officers attempted to arrest him, he lunged at them with the knife. Police fired in self-defense. Barger died in the hospital two days later from his burns.
A reporter friend wrote after his death. "Yet through the years every effort made by the veterans' organizations to persuade the government that sent him to war to admit responsibility for his mental condition ended in failure. There was no 'proof' in cold language that his suffering was connected with his service. Charles Barger remained a name and a case number."