MORELOCK, STERLING - Medal of Honor Recipient
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company M, 28th Infantry,
1st Division. Place and date: Near Exermont, France, 4 October 1918. Entered
service at: Oquawka, Ill. Birth: Silver Run, Md. G.O. No.: 43, W.D., 1922.
Citation: While his company was being held up by heavy enemy fire, Pvt.
Morelock, with 3 other men who were acting as runners at company headquarters,
voluntarily led them as a patrol in advance of his company's frontline
through an intense rifle, artillery, and machinegun fire and penetrated
a woods which formed the German frontline. Encountering a series of 5 hostile
machinegun nests, containing from 1 to 5 machineguns each, with his patrol
he cleaned them all out, gained and held complete mastery of the situation
until the arrival of his company commander with reinforcements, even though
his entire party had become casualties. He rendered first aid to the injured
and evacuated them by using stretcher bearers 10 German prisoners whom
he had captured. Soon thereafter his company commander was wounded and
while dressing his wound Pvt. Morelock was very severely wounded in the
hip, which forced his evacuation. His heroic action and devotion to duty
were an inspiration to the entire regiment.
This data was extracted from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973)
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