b. 15/12/1894 Chicago, Illinois. d. 14/06/1989 Maywood, Illinois.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 04/07/1918 Hamel, France.
Thomas A Pope MOH
Pope was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 15, 1894. He joined the Illinois National Guard at Chicago, before the US entered World War I. During the war, Pope served in Company “E”, 131st Infantry Regiment, 33rd Division. By the time of the Battle of Hamel, he held the rank of corporal. He received his Medal from General John J. Pershing on April 22, 1919 at Ettlebruck, Luxembourg. Following the war, he was a district foreman for the Cook County Highway Department and also as a contact officer for the Veterans Administration. He died at the age of 94. At the time of his death, he was the only surviving US Army Medal of Honor recipient from World War I.
MOH CITATION:
His company was advancing behind the tanks when it was halted by hostile machine-gun fire. Going forward alone, he rushed a machine-gun nest, killed several of the crew with his bayonet, and, standing astride his gun, held off the others until reinforcements arrived and captured them.
BURIAL LOCATION: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.
SECTION 35, GRAVE 3157.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: BELIEVED TO BE FAMILY.
