As the Great War claimed millions in the fighting between 1914 and 1918, all sides were stretched to the breaking point in terms of manpower and materials. America was seen as a critical resource, and both the enemy and our allies knew that the vast number of fresh, if inexperienced, U.S. soldiers could turn the tide in 1918. Nearly 200,000 Texans would serve in uniform in 1917-18 and more than 5,100 would die during the war.
The 100th anniversary of Armistice Day — November 11, 2018 – provides an opportunity to remember Texans who when above and beyond the call of duty, and to commemoratie their valor and sacrifice. To help do that, we’ve prepared our list of Texans who received one (or more) of the three highest military valor awards; the Medal of Honor (4), the Distinguished Service Cross (135), or the Navy Cross (19). To help organizations and communities identify their local heroes, we’ve compiled the key elements of information in one place;
- Name
- Rank
- Military organization
- Date(s) of the valorous action
- Their Texas birthplace or hometown
Located on our shared drive resource center, the list is free and available for use. Prepared in Excel, the it can be easily reorganized to show all recipients by their Texas home town. The city with the most recipients of senior awards for valor was El Paso (12), followed by San Antonio (9) and Fort Worth (7). Please credit Texas WWI Centennial Commemoration. Let us know if you are planning a commemoration event we can help publicize on our calendar of events or our Facebook page. Corrections or additional information on these heroes? Let us know at WWICC.TX@gmail.com.
