Sam Dreben

Military career Dreben enlisted on June 27, 1899, in the 14th Infantry Regiment and was shipped to the Philippines (acquired by the U.S. as a result of its victory in the Spanish–American War) to help put down a native insurrection led by Emilio Aguinaldo. He quickly distinguished himself in battle. Later, he participated in the rescue of Westerners besieged in Beijing during the Boxer Rebellion. Mustered out in 1902, he took a succession of unsatisfactory jobs, including an attempt to fight for the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War, When Villa made his infamous raid on Columbus, New Mexico, on March 9, 1916, killing some civilians, Dreben joined the Punitive Expedition sent by an outraged America to bring his former comrade-in-arms to justice. Dreben served as a scout and became good friends with the expedition's commander, Major General John J. Pershing. The Americans were never able to catch the elusive Villa, and the fiasco eventually came to an end in 1917.

In early 1917, Dreben (then 39) married 19-year-old Helen Spence. They soon had a baby daughter. However, America's entry into World War I eventually lured him back into the Army, enlisting in the 141st Infantry Regiment of the 36th Infantry Division. En route to the fighting in France, he received word that his child had died.

Dreben once again distinguished himself in combat. For his bravery at St. Etienne in October 1918, Sergeant Dreben was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Croix de guerre and the Médaille militaire. General Pershing, now commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, called him "the finest soldier and one of the bravest men I ever knew." The citation for his Distinguished Service Cross reads:

Post-war life After the end of the war, Dreben returned to El Paso, where he divorced his wife because of her infidelity in his absence. Dreben then settled down and started a successful insurance business.

In 1921, Dreben received another honor; he was selected by General Pershing to be one of the honorary pallbearers (along with another World War I hero, Alvin York) for the burial of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on November 11.

In the same year, Dreben and some others were recruited by El Paso police to illegally extradite an escaped prisoner, Phil Alguin, who had murdered Los Angeles Police Detective Sergeant John J. Fitzgerald. The men set up a false medical office in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, advertising the removal of tattoos. The plan was that when Alguin came in for treatment, they would apply anesthetic, then drive him to El Paso. However, Alguin was not rendered fully unconscious and was able to cry for help. Dreben and the others were arrested, but were released from prison after three days due to pressure from the United States.

Dreben was played by Alan Arkin in And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself.