Politics & Government
President Obama Awards Medal of Honor to Weston Resident's Relative
The Medal of Honor was awarded to Weston resident Dan Burstein's relative last week by President Obama in a ceremony at the White House.
The Weston Historical Society (WHS) announced Monday that the Medal of Honor was awarded to Weston resident Dan Burstein’s relative last week by President Obama in a ceremony at the White House.
The nation’s highest military award for valor posthumously recognized Sergeant William Shemin’s acts of courage during WWI. According to the Weston Historical Society, Sergeant Shemin is the third cousin of Dan Burstein and was an Army rifleman risked his life to keep his platoon safe while recovering wounded soldiers during a barrage of machine-gun fire and artillery shells. He was hit by shrapnel, and a bullet pierced his helmet and lodged behind his left ear during three-day battle in August of 1918.
The Congressional Medal of honor Society’s website states that Sergeant William Shemin “distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism at the risk of his life 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.”
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“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, with G Company, 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment,” the website stated.
Sergeant Shemin died in 1973 and the medal was awarded on June 2, 2015at the urging of Jewish organizations, the WHS said.
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The Army’s website for Sergeant Shemin quotes one of his superiors, Capt. Rupert Purdon, as saying the sergeant, exhibiting utter disregard for his safety, “sprang from his position in his platoon trench” and “dashed out across the open in full sight of the Germans, who opened and maintained a furious burst of machine-gun and rifle fire.”
To learn more about Sgt. Shemin visit http://www.cmohs.org/featured-recipients.php.
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