President Barack Obama bestows the Medal of Honor to

President Barack Obama bestows the Medal of Honor to Army Sgt. William Shemin, accepting on his behalf are his daughters Elsie Shemin-Roth (middle) and Ina Bass (left), in the East Room of the White House, June 2, 2015. Shemin, a Jewish-American, distinguished himself as a member of 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Forces, during combat operations against the enemy on the Vesle River, near Bazoches, France, during World War I. While serving as a rifleman from August 7-9, 1918, Shemin left the cover of his platoon's trench and crossed open space in full sight of the Germans, repeatedly exposing himself to heavy machine gun and rifle fire to rescue the wounded. After officers and senior noncommissioned officers had become casualties, Shemin took command of the platoon and displayed great initiative under fire, until he was wounded, Aug. 9. Shemin was wounded by shrapnel and a machine-gun bullet that pierced his helmet that was lodged behind his left ear, leaving him partially deaf. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bernardo Fuller/Released)

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