Joseph Henry Thompson

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Major (Infantry) Joseph Henry Thompson, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 1 October 1918, while serving with 110th Infantry, 28th Division, in action at Apremont, France. Counterattacked by two regiments of the enemy, Major Thompson encouraged his battalion in the front line by constantly braving the hazardous fire of machineguns and artillery. His courage was mainly responsible for the heavy repulse of the enemy. Later in the action, when the advance of his assaulting companies was held up by fire from a hostile machinegun nest and all but one of the six assaulting tanks were disabled, Major Thompson, with great gallantry and coolness, rushed forward on foot three separate times in advance of the assaulting line, under heavy machinegun and antitank-gun fire, and led the one remaining tank to within a few yards of the enemy machinegun nest, which succeeded in reducing it, thereby making it possible for the infantry to advance.