Joseph B. Adkison received the Medal of Honor for bravery during World War 1.
Adkison was from Atoka, Tennessee, and joined the US Army in 1917.
On 29 September 1918 near Bellicourt, France, Sergeant Joseph Adkison, and his company were under heavy German fire which was 50 yards in front of them.
Adkison bravely charged the Germans and their machine gun, managed to kick the machine gun over into the German trench, and capture the three Germans manning the machine gun. SGT Adkison did this all alone without any assistance from his command. Thanks to Adkison, his platoon was able to advance forward.
On 3 May 1919, Sergeant Joseph Adkison was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery. A little known fact about this, SGT Adkison was one of six Soldiers from Tennessee that received the Medal of Honor from Tennessee, one of them was Sergeant Alvin York. SGT York was featured in a film starring Gary Cooper.
Sergeant Adkison enjoyed the spotlight with his family and friends. He received his Medal of Honor in his hometown of Atoka, Tennessee at the Atoka Presbyterian Church. The church had a stone monument erected in his honor and the city named a street after SGT Adkison.
Sergeant Adkison passes away in 1965 and is buried at the Salem Cemetery near Atoka, Tennessee.
Stats:
- Born 4 January 1892 and Died on 23 May 1965
- Served in the US Army from 1917 to 1921
- Assigned to the 119th Infantry Regiment
- Achieved the rank of Sergeant (SGT)
- Fought during World War 1
