2023 Congressional Medal of Honor
By Keith Gressell, D.M.D.
As I was trying to decide on a topic to discuss for my first article for the newsletter, I found myself searching for something memorable. My goal was to not just write the normal, run of the mill “CE reminder”, but rather to write something that most people probably didn’t know or remember! I asked the question, does anyone know what significant link Dr. Alexander Lyle, Dr. Weeden Osborne, and Dr. Ben Salomon have between them? They are the only dentists to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest commendation for bravery in battle.
The first two, Dr. Lyle and Dr. Osborne, were Naval Dental Officers during the World War I. They received their “Tiffany Cross” versions of the Medal of Honor for rendering care to wounded people during combat without regard for their own safety. Dr. Osborne was awarded his medal posthumously, as he died in combat, and was buried in France at the Aisne-Marne American cemetery. After receiving his medal, Dr. Lyle continued his Naval Dental career achieving the rank of Vice-Admiral before retiring in 1948. He passed away July 15, 1955, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Dr. Ben Salomon was an Army Dental Corps officer, serving at the rank of Captain. He was killed in action during the Battle of Saipan where he was protecting patients evacuating from the field hospital that was being overrun by the enemy. Perhaps because I am a former US Army Dental Corps Captain myself, or because of the controversy that surrounded his heroic situation, or be it that I was stationed at ft Sam Houston in San Antonio TX when the AMEDD Museum opened his display, my focus of this article will mostly be Dr. Salomon. I am taking nothing away from Dr. Lyle and Dr. Osborne as they are better men than most of us could ever hope to be, I just have a spot in my heart for Dr Salomon’s story.
I signed my Army Dental Corps contract on 7 July 2001. A little over 2 months later, the world would change forever. I went from being in the cush job that the recruiters promised me to being a Captain in the U.S. Army, albeit as a dentist, during a time of war. I learned Captain Salomon’s story at the AMEDD training school. When I learned that it took 60 years for his medal to be conferred, I had to find out more and this is his story.
July 1944, Battle of Saipan - as you can imagine, there wasn’t much dental work to be done during that specific time at that location. So, CPT Salomon stepped into the role of the battalion surgeon who had been wounded in combat previously. While in this role, the hospital and the battalion were being overrun by Japanese soldiers. CPT Salomon helped evacuate the hospital and ensured the safety of the wounded. Now this is where the “controversy” of his actions began. During the fighting, CPT Salomon initially used a combat weapon, an M1 Garand rifle, to ensure the evacuation was complete. Then to continue to protect his patients and his comrades, he assumed control of a crew-served machine gun, the M1917, to neutralize the enemy that entered the hospital. The controversy comes from this being a violation of the Geneva Conventions agreements that offers protection to certain parties during armed conflict. CPT Salomon was a medical provider and was therefore supposed to be offered protections from the enemy from harm and combat in doing his duties as a medical provider. Those protections came with a restriction that the protected personnel could not use offensive weapons of combat, which an M1917 machine gun certainly would be classified.
Yet CPT Salomon’s bravery and selfless service saved the lives of countless patients and hospital staff members. After the fighting ceased, it was revealed that CPT Salomon had killed 98 enemy combatants and had succumbed to his wounds which consisted of 76 bullet and bayonet wounds. 24 of the wounds were most likely sustained while he was still alive and engaging the enemy.
At first, the fact that he was a medical officer prohibited him from being awarded the Medal of Honor. Every one that hears this story asks the same question, ‘wasn’t the enemy violating the Geneva conventions by overrunning a hospital!?!’. That was my first reaction anyway. In response to that question, my company commander explained to me what separates us as Service Members of the United States of America from everyone else. They said, “Just because our enemy at the time does something, doesn’t mean we get to or have to do it too…”. Which I guess was the whole point of the delay in awarding Salomon the nation’s highest honor. It took 60 years and multiple attempts of getting CPT Salomon recognized for his act of valor. It also took a congressman, the commander of the U.S. Army Dental Corps, and President George W. Bush to finally approve the award and posthumously bestow the Congressional Medal of Honor to Captain Benjamin L. Salomon on May 1, 2002.
The following are the citations for the awarding of the Congressional Medal of Honor for the three dentists to receive the award. US Army Captain Ben Salomon; US Navy Lt. Commander Alexander Lyle; and US Navy LT (j.g.) Weeden Osborne, respectively:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Captain Ben L. Salomon was serving at Saipan, in the Marianas Islands on July 7, 1944, as the Surgeon for the 2nd Battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division. The Regiment’s 1st and 2d Battalions were attacked by an overwhelming force estimated between 3,000 and 5,000 Japanese soldiers. It was one of the largest attacks attempted in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Although both units fought furiously, the enemy soon penetrated the Battalions’ combined perimeter and inflicted overwhelming casualties. In the first minutes of the attack, approximately 30 wounded soldiers walked, crawled, or were carried into Captain Salomon’s aid station, and the small tent soon filled with wounded men. As the perimeter began to be overrun, it became increasingly difficult for Captain Salomon to work on the wounded. He then saw a Japanese soldier bayoneting one of the wounded soldiers lying near the tent. Firing from a squatting position, Captain Salomon quickly killed the enemy soldier. Then, as he turned his attention back to the wounded, two more Japanese soldiers appeared in the front entrance of the tent. As these enemy soldiers were killed, four more crawled under the tent walls. Rushing them, Captain Salomon kicked the knife out of the hand of one, shot another, and bayoneted a third. Captain Salomon butted the fourth enemy soldier in the stomach and a wounded comrade then shot and killed the enemy soldier. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Captain Salomon ordered the wounded to make their way as best they could back to the regimental aid station, while he attempted to hold off the enemy until they were clear. Captain Salomon then grabbed a rifle from one of the wounded and rushed out of the tent. After four men were killed while manning a machine gun, Captain Salomon took control of it. When his body was later found, 98 dead enemy soldiers were piled in front of his position. Captain Salomon’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
For extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving with the 5th Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps. Under heavy shellfire, on April 23, 1918, on the French Front, Lt. Comdr. Lyle rushed to the assistance of Cpl. Thomas Regan, who was seriously wounded, and administered such effective surgical aid while bombardment was still continuing, as to save the life of Cpl. Regan.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while attached to the Sixth Regiment, United States Marines, in actual conflict with the enemy and under fire during the advance on Bouresche, France on 6 June 1918. In the hottest of the fighting when the Marines made their famous advance on Bouresche at the southern edge of Belleau Wood, Lieutenant (j.g.) Osborne threw himself zealously into the work of rescuing the wounded. Extremely courageous in the performance of this perilous task, he was killed while carrying a wounded officer to a place of safety. By his exceptional fortitude, inspiring initiative, and selfless devotion to duty, Lieutenant (j.g.) Osborne reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
I hope that these individuals' stories can serve as a lesson in three parts. One, to inform and educate our profession to the bravery in our proverbial ranks in historical combat. Two, to remind us of all that our freedom is not free, and it has come at the cost of countless lives that made the ultimate sacrifice. Three, to act as a spark to continue the spread of stories from our profession's history. This is how societies grow, with stories of the past and hope for the future.