Wilbur E. Colyer (March 5, 1898 – October 10, 1918) was an American soldier serving in the U.S. Army during World War I who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.
Biography
Colyer was born March 5, 1898, in Brooklyn, New York and after enlisting in the Army in 1917[1] was sent to France to fight in World War I.[2] He died October 10, 1918, and is buried in Cypress Hills National Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 1st Engineers, 1st Division. Place and date: Near Verdun, France, 9 October 1918. Entered service at: South Ozone Park, Long Island, N.Y. Birth: Brooklyn, N.Y. General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 20 (January 30, 1919).
Citation:
Volunteering with 2 other soldiers to locate machinegun nests, Sgt. Colyer advanced on the hostile positions to a point where he was half surrounded by the nests, which were in ambush. He killed the gunner of one gun with a captured German grenade and then turned this gun on the other nests silencing all of them before he returned to his platoon. He was later killed in action.[2]
Remembrance
On October 9, 2013, the 1st Engineer Battalion hosted a "mud run," modeled after the popular Tough Mudder, that included ruck marching, an obstacle course, and a crawl through a muddy pit. The course was named the "SGT Wilbur E. Colyer Diehard Challenge" in memory of SGT Colyer.
Military awards
Colyer's military decorations and awards include:
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| 1st row | Medal of Honor | World War I Victory Medal w/one silver service star to denote credit for the Montdidier-Noyon, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne and Defensive Sector battle clasps. | |||||
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| Unit Award | French Fourragère - Authorized permanent wear based on two French Croix de Guerre with Palm unit citations awarded the 1st Engineer Battalion for Lorraine-Picardy and Aisne-Marne/Meuse-Argonne | ||||||
See also
References
- ^ Service Profile
- ^ a b "Medal of Honor recipients". World War I. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Retrieved July 15, 2009.