Mexican-American Border abt 1917
Battle of Argonne Forest, 26 Sep 1918 - later received DSC for "act of extraordinary heroism"
Named Oregons WWI Hero In the Living Hall of Fame
Oregon’s Greatest Hero
By L. H. Howell, Adjutant Portland Chapter,
D.A.V.W.W.
Oregon’s candidate for the “Living Hall of Fame” – a feature of the second annual convention of the Disabled Veterans of the World War, held in San Francisco last month –was Corporal Hursey A. Dakin of Company “F,” First Gas Regiment. Every state and territorial possession was expected to choose its greatest hero of the late war for this hall of fame.
Corporal Dakin is a Freewater, Oregon, boy. He enlisted March 14, 1918, after waiving a disability he had incurred in a previous enlistment. Overseas he covered 147 miles advance work while serving with 11 different divisions as a member of the first Gas Regiment. Corporal Dakin suffered two wounds and never went back until he was unconscious from the effects. At the time Dakin won his Distinguished Service Cross, he was attached to the 79th Division, 279th Inf. His squad of gas and flame men were attached to this outfit for the purpose of reaching a stated objective. Their work consisted of shelling enemy machine gun nests with liquid fire shot from a Stokes Trench mortar.
On September 26, 1918, in the Bois Jure, near Gercourt, France, the 279th Inf. Had advanced to a depth of about 7 miles, and were emerging from a dense forest n the Argonns when they suddenly encountered intense machine gun fire. As they had experienced no opposition until now this fire resulted in heavy losses to their forces. Falling back to the woods they reorganized their forces, and Dakin was told to fire on the machine gun nests. Not having enough ammunition to lay down a barrage, he insisted that the nest be located. One nest was located and his crew cleaned it out with liquid fire. Starting out again they encountered the same resistance. Falling back again they tried to locate the nests but were unsuccessful. The Major in charge of the battalion called for volunteers to scout out the positions of the nests. Corporal Dakin being only attached to this outfit until it has reached its objective, did not at first volunteer.
When it was seen that no one would volunteer from the outfit, Corporal Dakin and his first gun man, Private Guy Nelson, (who likewise won the D.S.C.) offered their services. As Dakin was not wearing his chevrons, the major would not accept their services unless a N.C.O. was in charge. A sergeant was detailed from the outfit to go with the volunteers. They started armed only with their .45 automatics. At the edge of the woods, and about 40 feet from them, the sergeant was killed by the intense fire from the nests. Dakin and Nelson, now leaderless, continued to advance into the woods, scouting around further. Not finding any-thing, they worked their way to a clearing at the edge of the woods where they got behind a log. There they watched the woods. After about an hour they located the machine gun nests, four in number, all cleverly camouflaged, the nearest nest being just over the log.
As the German ammunition man was returning to the nests from a particular clump of woods, and was about to enter the nest nearest to the Yanks, Dakin shot him dead. The two Yanks then rushed the nests. Meeting in hand to hand combat, they killed five of the enemy crew, the other Jerry making his escape. The other nests by now had realized that they were discovered, and opened fire on the Yanks, killing their own man who was running to cover. The fire from the enemy caused Dakin and Nelson to fall back again to the woods, where they decided to work their way to the rear where they sighted the ammunition dump and other nests. Opening up with their 45’s they cleaned out the remainder of the nests, killing and routing the crews and taking a German major prisoner. They now decided to return to their own lines and as they emerged from the woods a burst of fire was opened upon them, killing the German major and severely wounding Dakin. The two boys finally reached their lines, when Dakin lapsed into unconsciousness and woke up in a first aid station. The men had their packs completely shot from their backs. Corporal Dakin was wounded previously while serving with the 5th Division.
Corporal Dakin’s citation reads:
“For extraordinary heroism in action in the Bois Jure, near Gercourt, France, Spt. 26, 1918. He volunteered with another soldier to attack machine gun nests which were holding up the advance. They advanced against very heavy machine gun fire and captured the position, killing a number of the enemy and routing the remainder of the gun crews ……”
Corporal Dakin is a vocational student of the U.S. Veterans Bureau at the O.A.C., Corvallis, Oregon. He is studying electrical engineering. Dakin is a very modest young man and it was only after persistent persuading of his comrades in the posts of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled Veterans of the World War in Corvallis, that he consented to the trip to Frisco as the Guest of the D.A.V.QW.W. Dakin was born in Stillwater, Minnesota, March 21, 1895, moving with his parents to Oregon when a small boy. He attended public school in Freewater . Dakin served on the Mexican border with Oregon troops.
Copied from the July, 1922 issue of
THE PACIFIC LEGION.
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of an article published in the July, 1922, issue of the Pacific Legion at Portland, Oregon.
_SS____ __________________
Jerrold Owen, Editor and Publisher
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 15th day of February, 1934. _SS_____ ________________
Notary Public for Oregon
My Commission Expires 10/13/36
