On September 5, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge welcomed World War I Medal of Honor recipients Willie Sandlin and Samuel Woodfill at the White House in Washington, D.C. The two soldiers had become nationally known for exceptional courage during the Meuse–Argonne offensive of 1918, when American forces fought some of the war’s fiercest battles on the Western Front.
Sandlin, a sergeant in the 132d Infantry, 33d Division, earned the Medal of Honor near Bois-de-Forges, France, on September 26, 1918. According to his citation, he advanced alone against a machine-gun nest that had stalled his unit’s attack, destroyed its crew with a grenade, and later put two additional enemy machine-gun positions out of action.
Woodfill, then a first lieutenant in the 60th Infantry, 5th Division, received the Medal of Honor for his actions near Cunel, France, on October 12, 1918. Leading his company through heavy fire, he assaulted three German machine-gun positions, killed or captured members of their crews, and continued the advance under severe shell and machine-gun fire. Woodfill was later affected by mustard gas during the fighting.
General John J. Pershing presented both men with the Medal of Honor at Chaumont, France, on February 9, 1919. Five years later, their appearance with President Coolidge offered a visible reminder of the public esteem still accorded to American veterans of the Great War.
This archival image records Sandlin, President Coolidge, and Woodfill together on the White House grounds—a formal but personal moment linking wartime service, national recognition, and the veterans’ return to civilian life.
Image: Sgt. Willie Sandlin, President Calvin Coolidge, and Sgt. Samuel Woodfill at the White House, September 5, 1924. Library of Congress; no known restrictions.
