Olin J. Butterfield

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Olin J. Butterfield, Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving with the 77th Company, 6th Machine-Gun Battalion, 6th Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F. in action near St. Etienne, France, October 3, 1918. When our advance infantry was forced to withdraw, Corporal Butterfield’s machine-gun crew refused to withdraw, but calmly set up their machine gun. The gun was upset by a bursting hand grenade, which also injured Corporal Butterfield and another member of the squad. Despite their injuries, they immediately reset the gun and opened fire on the advancing Germans when twenty feet distant, causing the Germans to break and retreat in disorder.

The Navy Cross is presented to Olin J. Butterfield, Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving with the 77th Company, 6th Machine-Gun Battalion, 6th Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F. in action near St. Etienne, France, October 3, 1918. When our advance infantry was forced to withdraw, Corporal Butterfield’s machine-gun crew refused to withdraw, but calmly set up their machine gun. The gun was upset by a bursting hand grenade, which also injured Corporal Butterfield and another member of the squad. Despite their injuries, they immediately reset the gun and opened fire on the advancing Germans when twenty feet distant, causing the Germans to break and retreat in disorder.