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World War I Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient
Lt. Joel Thompson Boone, US Navy
Joel Thompson Boone was born in St. Clair, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Mercersburg Academy in 1909, and went on to Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia. After his graduation in 1913 he joined the Naval Reserve Medical Corps. Boone was transferred to the regular Navy in May 1915. He served on active duty until 1 December 1950. Boone received official commendation throughout his Naval career. Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels recognized Boones service with the Marines in Haiti in 1915. Boone served on board the battleship U.S.S. Wyoming from September 1916 to August 1917, when he transferred to the Sixth Marines and was sent to France. With the Marines and later with the Second Army Division of the American Expeditionary Force, he received many awards for valor. Chief among them was the Medal of Honor, but Boone also received the Distinguished Service Cross; the Silver Star with five Oak Leaf Clusters; the Purple Heart (two Oak Leaf Clusters), one of which was a special award from General Pershing; four awards from the French Government the Legion of Honor, Croix de Guerre, the Gold Medal of Honor, and Order of the Fourragre; and the Italian (Croce di Guerra) with Diploma from Italy. Boone received the Medal of Honor for action at Vierzy, France, during the Aisne-Marne offensive of 18-20 July 1918. He administered first aid along the front during the Marine attack on Soissons. He put himself in extreme danger by leaving relative safety in a ravine to aid the wounded lying in the open field. And without regard to artillery fire, he replenished supplies by motorcycle twice in the same day. After the St. Mihiel offensive in September 1918, Boone served with the Second Army Division as Assistant Division Surgeon. Between 1922 and 1933, he was physician for three presidents: Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. During World War II, Boone was Senior Medical Officer at San Diego Naval Air Station and later commanded a Naval Hospital in Seattle, Washington. Boone represented the Naval Medical Corps at Japans surrender Japan on board the battleship U.S.S. Missouri, 2 September 1945. In 1948, Boone was named the Executive Secretary of the Secretary of Defenses Committee on Medical and Hospital Service of the Armed Forces. At the same time, he served as Secretary of the Committee on Federal Medical Services of the First Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government, known as the Hoover Commission. Boone was placed on the retired list 1 December 1950 and was promoted to Vice Admiral Boone died 2 April 1974 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Pins Medal of Honor on Lieutenant Commander Joel T. Boone. Acting Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt pins the Medal of Honor on Lieutenant Commander Joel T. Boone at the White House. May 1919
CITATION:
Rank and organization: Lieutenant (Medical Corps), U.S. Navy. Place and date: Vicinity Vierzy, France, 19 July 1918. Entered service at: St. Clair, Pa. Born: 2 August 1889, 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.
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