In America, many heroes have been overlooked due to historical discrimination, such as racial segregation and Jim Crow. It was not until July 26, 1948, that the Army was integrated.
One such hero was Sgt. William Alexander Butler, who bravely fought for democracy overseas in a segregated army under the leadership of a notably racist Commander-in-Chief, President Woodrow Wilson.
Butler was born on Feb. 3, 1891, in White Plains, Maryland, five years prior to the infamous Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Supreme Court decision that birthed the notion of “Separate but Equal.” The eldest of two, he was raised on the farm owned by his father, John L. Butler, along with his brother Robert. Butler most likely never received a regular education nor completed elementary-level education. As a young man, William moved to Washington, D.C. and married Jennie Robinson on April 16, 1912. His work consisted of labor jobs until 1916.
On Sept. 17, 1916, Butler enlisted in the 15th New York National Guard and was mustered into federal service by July 15, 1917. Quickly gaining favor in the army, he was promoted to Sergeant on Aug. 1. Sgt. Butler was assigned to Company L, 369th Infantry Regiment, 93rd Division. His unit was famously known as the “Harlem Hellfighters.” He arrived overseas at Brest, France by early December.
Butler entered the infamous trenches of Europe on April 12, 1918. During the German Spring Offensive, Butler was severely gassed, which would cause health issues for the remainder of his life. He was wounded two more times during his service, suffering a gunshot wound to the right chest on Sept. 28, and a wound on his left thigh from a shell fragment on Oct. 11., which would earn him the Purple Heart in 1933.
Sgt. Butler received a Medal of Honor Recommendation, a Distinguished Service Cross, and a Croix de Guerre with Palm for his war efforts. The recommendation was made by his Commanding Officer, Col. William Hayward, on Nov. 26, 1918, alongside Park Alumnus and center name-sake George S. Robb. Col. Hayward’s recommendation for Robb was taken up by the Adjutant General, General Head-Quarters, American Expeditionary Forces, Col. Robert C. Davis, on Mar. 28, 1919.
Butler’s recommendation was not recognized, despite subsequent mention by Col. Hayward’s correspondence as late as Feb. 15, 1919. It is unknown the exact reason why Butler was dismissed from receiving the Medal of Honor, but one could infer that it was a more nefarious result of racial discrimination.
The French, however, were more than willing to give citations to Butler for his actions. Philippe Pétain, Marshal of France, awarded Butler the Croix de Guerre with Palm, an award given to those who received head-quarters level recognition for their actions against the enemy. It was considered an equivalent to the American Medal of Honor at the time. Butler received this award sometime in August of 1918.
According to a French after-action report, the action in question occurred on Aug. 18, in Maison-de-Champagne, France. At 12:40a.m., Company L was bombarded by German artillery while occupying an advanced post. The 45-minute conflict turned into a blocking bombardment, intended to cut off the forward positions from the main forces behind them. Around 1:00a.m., Germans were spotted in the American trenches, having crossed no-man’s land during the night to attack the forward positions during the bombardment. An Allied machine-gun opened fire upon the Germans. The Germans then fled into the surrounding trenches, where they surprised another unit, led by Lieutenant Gorman R. Jones, and captured him and four other Allied soldiers. The captives were led away from their positions.
Sgt. Butler, who was chief of the advanced post, encountered the captives and was able to surprise the German raiders. Butler advanced down the trench from the opposite direction towards the party and hid from them at an intersection. After the Allied prisoners passed by, Butler opened fired on the Germans, killing one with his automatic rifle. As the other Germans fled, Butler pursued them, killing three more and driving away the remaining raiders. Butler also wounded and captured the German Lieutenant who was in charge of the raiding party. According to the Croix de Guerre citation, there were 25 Germans in the party.
Butler’s heroism saved five Americans and stopped a German raiding party from capturing prisoners and the trench altogether. He finished the war as a decorated soldier, returned to the U.S. on Jan. 19, 1919, and was honorably discharged at Camp Dix, New Jersey on March 28. After his service, Butler sought treatment for recurrent bronchitis and anemia, a result of the gas attack. Little is known about his personal life. He remarried sometime in the 1930s to Amelia Morton. He never had biological children but became close to his stepson John Amos Morton. Butler worked as a grocer, truck driver, and chauffeur throughout the depression. In the mid-1940s he ran a coal and ice business until his severe respiratory issues forced him to retire. Butler’s story ended sadly, when on Nov. 27, 1947, he died by suicide. Butler was laid to rest in the Arlington National Cemetery.
He is one of history’s many forgotten heroes. At the Robb Centre, their stories are collected and re-examined to grant them the recognition they deserve. According to Martin T. Roberson, a researcher at the Robb Centre and a secondary education sophomore at Park, “While not all of the individuals will receive the Medal of Honor, all though we hope so, they will all receive the recognition that history has forsaken them.”
For more information, please visit the George S. Robb Centre website and peruse the Valor Medal Review Service Member Database. Click here for Butler’s page.
