Calvin Pearl Titus

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Calvin Pearl Titus
September 22, 1879(1879-09-22) – May 27, 1966 (aged 86)
Calvin Titus in his West Point Cadet Uniform
Place of birth	Vinton, Iowa
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel\| (at retirement) Corporal (when awarded Medal of Honor)
Unit	14th U.S. Infantry United States Military Academy Sixth United States Army
Battles/wars	Boxer Rebellion
Awards	Medal of Honor

Calvin Pearl Titus (September 22, 1879 — May 27, 1966), a soldier of the United States Army, was the last American standard-bearer. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Boxer Rebellion.

1 Biography
2 Medal of Honor citation
3 References
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Biography

Calvin Pearl was the son of Calvin and Cora Smith Titus of Vinton, Iowa. He moved to Oklahoma with his father after his mother died, and later lived with his Aunt Florence and Uncle William (Bill) H. Lee, evangelists with first the Salvation Army and later the Pilgrim Holiness movement. Calvin Pearl credited his time in his Uncle's evangelical band with giving him the bugle skills to join the armed forces and eventually leading him to Peking. Calvin Pearl got into West Point as a result of his Medal of Honor, where President Theodore Roosevelt's presentation of his medal was the climax of a ceremony to celebrate the academy's centenniel.^[1] His religious upbringing led him to try to become an Army Chaplain but his denomination was not at that point in time recognised by the Army. He became a Chaplains assistant instead.

[edit] Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Musician, U.S. Army, Company E, 14th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Peking, China, 14 August 1900. Entered service at: Iowa. Birth: Vinton, Iowa. Date of issue: 11 March 1902.

Citation:

Gallant and daring conduct in the presence of his colonel and other officers and enlisted men of his regiment; was first to scale the wall of the city.