Dwite H Schaffner
Dwite was born on the 5th of November, 1889 in Arroya, Pennsylvania and his parents owned a furniture store nearby in Falls Creek. After high school, he earned money for college by working as a boilermaker for two years. In 1911, Dwite attended Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, where he studied Philosophy, played football and basketball, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and master’s degree in philosophy. He then enrolled with the University of Michigan to pursue a law degree but was interrupted by the US involvement with the Great War. Dwite was sent to Fort Niagra for four months of Reserve Officers’ Training Corps before attending trench warfare training in Long Island, New York. By the time he deployed to France, he was a First Lieutenant with Company K, 306th Infantry, 77th Division, and his actions on the 28th of September, 1918, would earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:
He led his men in an attack on St. Hubert's Pavillion through terrific enemy machine-gun, rifle, and artillery fire and drove the enemy from a strongly held entrenched position after hand-to-hand fighting. His bravery and contempt for danger inspired his men, enabling them to hold fast in the face of three determined enemy counterattacks. His company's position being exposed to enemy fire from both flanks, he made three efforts to locate an enemy machine gun which had caused heavy casualties. On his third reconnaissance he discovered the gun position and personally silenced the gun, killing or wounding the crew. The third counterattack made by the enemy was initiated by the appearance of a small detachment in advance of the enemy attacking wave. When almost within reach of the American front line, the enemy appeared behind them, attacking vigorously with pistols, rifles, and hand grenades, causing heavy casualties in the American platoon. First Lt. Schaffner mounted the parapet of the trench and used his pistol and grenades, killing a number of the enemy soldiers, finally reaching the enemy officer leading the attack forces, a captain, shooting and mortally wounding the latter with his pistol, and dragging the captured officer back to the company's trench, securing from him valuable information as to the enemy's strength and position. The information enabled 1st Lt. Schaffner to maintain for five hours the advanced position of his company despite the fact that it was surrounded on three sides by strong enemy forces. The undaunted bravery, gallant soldierly conduct, and leadership displayed by 1st Lt. Schaffner undoubtedly saved the survivors of the company from death or capture.
Dwite would spend five months in a hospital in France in order to recover from the gas attack and he returned to the States in April of 1919. He did return to the University of Michigan to continue and complete his education before moving to Akron, Ohio. Dwite was notified that he would be awarded the Medal of Honor in April of 1923 and five months later, he received the Medal of Honor from General John McQuigg in a ceremony at the Wooster Stadium in Akron. In addition to his wife, to whom he was married to just eighteen days prior to the ceremony, and John Matthews, a Civil War Medal of Honor recipient, over 3,000 people were in attendance for the ceremony.
Dwite practiced law, was an avid hunter and fisherman, and became active with the local VFW and American Legion. Even though he was from Pennsylvania, Ohio claimed him as their own and he was the grand marshal for 4th of July parades as well as Memorial and Veterans Day events. Dwite returned to Army service when the US involvement with World War 2 became more inevitable and he worked with the Selective Service Board for three and a half years in Nashville, Tennessee. When the war was over, he ended his time in service as a Lieutenant Colonel and on the 22nd of November, 1955, Dwite H Schaffner died suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 66. Three hundred people paid their respects when he was laid to rest at the Rose Hull Burial Park in Fairlawn, Ohio, and his wife, Elma, joined him 38 years later.
