This week’s Medal of Honor hero, Joel T. Boone, was an extraordinary surgeon, who ignored the hostile gunfire and mustard gas while caring for sick and wounded warriors in France during the First World War. He earned his MOH serving with Marines, but he also served with the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division. A career Navy physician, Boone became the person physician to presidents Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover. Boone was with Harding when he died in San Francisco 1923. Boone retired a vice-admiral.

Make the most of your day!

–RLJ

Joel T. Boone

Rank and organization: Lieutenant (Medical Corps), U.S. Navy Place and date: Vicinity Vierzy, France, 19 July 1918 Entered service at: St. Clair, Pa.

Citation: For extraordinary heroism, conspicuous gallantry, and intrepidity while serving with the 6th Regiment, U.S. Marines, in actual conflict with the enemy. With absolute disregard for personal safety, ever conscious and mindful of the suffering fallen, Surg. Boone, leaving the shelter of a ravine, went forward onto the open field where there was no protection and despite the extreme enemy fire of all calibers, through a heavy mist of gas, applied dressings and first aid to wounded marines. This occurred southeast of Vierzy, near the cemetery, and on the road south from that town. When the dressings and supplies had been exhausted, he went through a heavy barrage of large-caliber shells, both high explosive and gas, to replenish these supplies, returning quickly with a sidecar load, and administered them in saving the lives of the wounded. A second trip, under the same conditions and for the same purpose, was made by Surg. Boone later that day.