The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Corporal Samuel M. Sampler (ASN: 1490609), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 8 October 1918, while serving with Company H, 142d Infantry, 36th Division, in action at St. Etienne, France. His company having suffered severe casualties during an advance under machinegun fire, was finally stopped. Corporal Sampler detected the position of the enemy machineguns on an elevation. Armed with German hand grenades, which he had picked up, he left the line and rushed forward in the face of heavy fire until he was near the hostile nest, where he grenaded the position. His third grenade landed among the enemy, killing two, silencing the machineguns, and causing the surrender of 28 Germans, whom he sent to the rear as prisoners. As a result of his act the company was immediately enabled to resume the advance.