January 1, Marine Hero Honored for Charging Armed Haitian Rebels Alone

Wyatt’s Take

• American Marines like Ross Lindsey Iams showed real courage when it mattered most.
• The Medal of Honor story reminds us our country was built by men willing to fight for freedom.
• Today we still need that same grit to defend our borders and values.

Marine Corps Maj. Ross Lindsey Iams received the Medal of Honor for his courageous acts of valor as a sergeant while fighting a Haitian rebel force in 1915.

Iams was born April 5, 1881, in Graysville, Pennsylvania, to William Lindsey Iams, a farmer, and Elizabeth Iams. On Jan. 29, 1901, after graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps.

During the 1915 action in Haiti, Iams led a charge straight into enemy fire. He single-handedly stormed a fortified position and cleared it, saving the lives of fellow Marines.

“He displayed exceptional bravery under heavy fire,” the official citation reads.

Iams rose through the ranks and eventually retired as a major. He passed away in 1952 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Medal of Honor citation praised his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.”

Wyatt Matters

Stories like this one show the kind of steady courage that built this nation and still lives in the hearts of working Americans who believe in duty, honor, and country.