On September 26, 1918 Sgt. Willie Sandlin and the men from A.Co. 132nd Inf. were pinned down by enemy MG nests near Bois de Forges, France.
Without hesitation, Sandlin rushed the first machinegun nest by throwing a hand grenade near the emplacement and killing the crew with his bayonet. Despite being injured, the rampage didn't stop there as he moved forward clearing one enemy position one after the other. The company that moved behind him, they were greeted by the presence of slayed bodies and destroyed trenches.
By the end of the attack, under a splendid cloak of bravery and coolness, Sandlin had singlehandedly taken out 3 MG nests and killed 24 enemy soldiers with his bayonet and a few hand grenades.
After recovering from his wounds, he continued to fight for the remainder of the war, participating in the Battle of the Argonne and being exposed to poison gas attacks.
A little over a year later, Sandlin was awarded the MOH, the only soldier from Kentucky to have received it during WW1.
He passed away in 1949 after a long battle of lung problems caused by the gas. #ww1 #hardcore #hero #kentucky #stayzero #zerofoxtrot