William Shemin
William was born on the 14th of October, 1896, in Bayonne, New Jersey. He grew up playing semi-pro baseball as a teenager and went on to the New York State Ranger School after high school and graduated in 1914. William became a forester back in his hometown until he enlisted in the US Army on the 2nd of October, 1917. His basic training was in North Carolina at Camp Greene, which was closed due to the growth of nearby Charlotte, and was then assigned to the 47th Infantry Regiment before deploying to France during World War 1. It was his actions during the Second Battle of the Marne that would earn him the Distinguished Service Cross, which would later be upgraded to the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Sergeant Shemin distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifleman with G Company, 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy on the Vesle River, near Bazoches, France from August 7 to August 9, 1918. Sergeant Shemin left cover and crossed open space, repeatedly exposing himself to heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, to rescue wounded. After Officers and Senior Noncommissioned Officers had become casualties, Sergeant Shemin took command of the platoon and displayed great initiative under fire until wounded on August 9. Sergeant Shemin's extraordinary heroism and selflessness, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
William was hospitalized for three months because of the shrapnel and bullet that pierced his helmet and became lodged behind his left ear. He served on light duty in Germany and Belgium as part of the occupation until his tour was completed. William originally received the DSC on the 19th of December, 1919, and he returned to college, this time at the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University. He graduated and went on to start a greenhouse and a landscaping business in the Bronx. William and his wife Bertha had three children, two of which were presented his Medal of Honor upgrade 96 years after his actions in France. On the 2nd of June, 2015, President Obama presented Elsie Shemin-Roth and Ina Bass their father's Medal of Honor in a ceremony at the White House. William Shemin died on the 15th of August, 1973, at the age of 76 and joined his wife in the Baron Hirsch Cemetery in Staten Island, New York, in the Brickman Shemin Family Plot.
