Thomas A. Pope
Thomas A. Pope | |
|---|---|
 Corporal Thomas Pope | |
| Born | December 15, 1894 |
| Died | June 14, 1989 (aged 94) |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States |
Branch | United States Army |
Rank | Corporal |
| Service number | 1387320 |
| Unit | Company E, 131st Infantry, 33d Division |
Conflicts | |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Distinguished Conduct Medal (United Kingdom) Médaille militaire (France) Croix de Guerre (France) |
Thomas A. Pope (December 15, 1894 – June 14, 1989) was a soldier in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Hamel, in France during World War I. Pope's unit was attached to an Australian Army battalion during the battle and, following a recommendation from an Australian officer, Pope was also awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, by King George V.
Biography
[edit]Pope was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 15, 1894.[1]
He joined the Illinois National Guard at Chicago, before the US entered World War I. During the war, Pope served in Company "E", 131st Infantry Regiment, 33rd Division. By the time of the Battle of Hamel, he held the rank of corporal.
After the war, he was a district foreman for the Cook County Highway Department. He also served as a contact officer for the Veterans Administration. He was married and had three daughters.[2]
He died June 14, 1989. At the time he died, Pope was the only surviving US Army Medal of Honor recipient from World War I.[3][4][2] He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Pope's great-grandson, Sergeant Alexzander G. Teschner, went on to join the U.S. Army and served in the same unit as Pope, also receiving the Purple Heart while serving with the 82nd Airborne division.[5]
Medal of Honor
[edit]General of the Armies John J. Pershing awarded the Medal of Honor to Pope on 22 April 1919 in Ettlebruck, Luxembourg.[6]
Citation:
His company was advancing behind the tanks when it was halted by hostile machinegun fire. Going forward alone, he rushed a machinegun nest, killed several of the crew with his bayonet, and, standing astride his gun, held off the others until reinforcements arrived and captured them.[7]
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See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ↑ Willbanks 2011, p. 269.
- 1 2 "Wwi Medal Of Honor Winner Thomas Pope". Chicago Tribune. 18 June 1989.
- ↑ "Thomas A. Pope, 94; Last Surviving Army WWI Medal of Honor Winner". Los Angeles Times. 21 June 1989.
- ↑ "Thomas A. Pope, War Hero, 94". The New York Times. 18 June 1989.
- ↑ Burial Detail: Pope, Thomas A (Section 35, Grave 3157) – ANC Explorer
- ↑ "World War I US Army THOMAS A POPE". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
- ↑ "Pope, Thomas A." Army of Medal of Honor website. 2009-08-03. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
Further reading
[edit]- Sanborn, Joseph Brown, and George Nathaniel Malstrom. The 131st U.S. Infantry (First Infantry Illinois National Guard) in the World War; Narrative-Operations-Statistics. Chicago: 1919. OCLC 554474
- Willbanks, James H. (2011). America's Heroes: Medal of Honor Recipients from the Civil War to Afghanistan. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-5988-4394-1.
External links
[edit]- "Thomas A. Pope". Hall of Valor. Military Times.
- "Thomas A. Pope". ArlingtonCemetery.net. 2 March 2024. an unofficial website.
- 1894 births
- 1989 deaths
- United States Army personnel of World War I
- Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
- Military personnel from Chicago
- American recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)
- Recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal
- United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
- United States Army soldiers
- World War I recipients of the Medal of Honor