Captain Mallon: Doughboy Hero

The rousing tale of Captain George H. Mallon, Medal of Honor recipient and one of Pershing’s One Hundred Heroes. The son of an Irish immigrant, Mallon grew up on the eastern edge of the Fort Riley military complex in Kansas. He saw considerable action with the regular army in the Phillippines in the aftermath of the Spanish American War. After a serious attempt at a career in boxing, Mallon married and moved to Minneapolis. He was actively involved in the labor movement until the entry of the United States in the World War in 1917. As a captain, he led a company in action in France in 1918. He received the Medal of Honor for his heroism on the opening day of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Later wounded, he recovered and returned home a hero. He was known for the rest of his life as Captain Mallon and often referred to as One of Pershing’s One Hundred Heroes. Mallon immersed himself in veterans rights and the labor movement, earning the label of radical for his efforts on behalf of the working class. He became a well known political figure. Captain Mallon had the honor of being the first to be interred in Fort Snelling National Cemetery, upon its estasblishment in the Twin Cities in 1939.