WWI · Battle Death Record
Thomas O'Shea
Corporal, U.S. Army · New Jersey
Medal of Honor
Personnel File — Core Information
- Name
- Thomas O'Shea
- Entered the Service From
- New Jersey
- Rank
- Corporal
- Service
- U.S. Army
- Unit / Regiment
- Machine Gun Company, 107th Infantry, 27th Division
- War
- WWI
- Date of Death
- September 29, 1918
- Awards
- Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, Distinguished Conduct Medal (British), Medaille militaire (French), Croix de guerre with palm (French)
- Burial / Memorial
- Somme American Cemetery and Memorial, Bony, France
- Grave
- Plot B, Row 6, Grave 14
Their story
Near Le Catelet, France, on September 29, 1918, Corporal O'Shea and two companions, separated from their platoon by a smoke barrage, took cover in a shell hole well within enemy lines; hearing a call for help from a disabled American tank under heavy machine gun and trench mortar fire, they left their shelter and started toward it. O'Shea was mortally wounded while crossing the fire-swept area and died of his wounds shortly afterward. For this action he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Compiled from American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) and National Archives (NARA) records and public sources.
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