James Franklin Bell

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Colonel (Infantry) James Franklin Bell, United States Army, for most distinguished gallantry on 9 September 1899, while serving with 36th Infantry, U.S. Volunteers, in action at Porac, Luzon, Philippine Islands. While in advance of his regiment, Colonel Bell charged seven insurgents with his pistol and compelled the surrender of the captain and two privates under a close fire from the remaining insurgents concealed in a bamboo thicket.

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to James Franklin Bell, Major, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action against Spanish forces at Manila, Philippine Islands, August 10, 1898. Major Bell, with utter disregard for his personal safety, conducted a bold and daring reconnaissance of the creek in front of Fort San Antonio de Abad held by Spanish forces, and ascertained not only that it was fordable, but the exact width of the ford at the beach, and swimming in the bay to a point from which he could examine the Spanish line from the rear, secured information which facilitated the planning of the successful attack of August 13, 1898, on Manila, Philippine Islands.

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to James Franklin Bell, Commander, U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while interned as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam. In October 1966, Commander Bell’s captors, completely ignoring international agreements, subjected him to extreme mental and physical cruelties in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes. Through his resistance to those brutalities, he contributed significantly toward the eventual abandonment of harsh treatment by the North Vietnamese, which was attracting international attention. By his determination, courage, resourcefulness, and devotion to duty, he reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces.