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William Sawelson

1895 – 1918

United States Army Medal of Honor recipient

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About William Sawelson

Lived 1895 – 1918 (aged 23). William Sawelson was an American military personnel.

William Sawelson (August 5, 1895 – October 26, 1918) was a sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for valor in combat. The medal was posthumously presented to his father Jacob L. Sawelson at Governors Island.

He is buried at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial east of the village of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon.

Medal of Honor citation Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company M, 312th Infantry, 78th Division. Place and date: At Grand-Pre, France, October 26, 1918. Entered service at: Harrison, N.J. Born: August 5, 1895, Newark, N.J. General Orders No.16, War Department, January 22, 1919.

Citation: Hearing a wounded man in a shell hole some distance away calling for water, Sgt. Sawelson, upon his own initiative, left shelter and crawled through heavy machinegun fire to where the man lay, giving him what water he had in his canteen. He then went back to his own shell hole, obtained more water, and was returning to the wounded man when he was killed by a machinegun bullet.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Awards
Medal of Honor

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped William Sawelson's

Frequently asked questions

Who was William Sawelson?

United States Army Medal of Honor recipient (1895-1918)

When was William Sawelson born?

William Sawelson was born on 5 August 1895 in Newark.

When did William Sawelson die?

William Sawelson died on 26 October 1918 in Grandpré.

What was William Sawelson's occupation?

William Sawelson was a military personnel.

What nationality was William Sawelson?

William Sawelson was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: William Sawelson

· Wikidata: Q8018152

· DBpedia: William Sawelson

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Sawelson. https://biography.guide/william-sawelson/

MLA: "William Sawelson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-sawelson/.

Chicago: "William Sawelson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-sawelson/.

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