| Calvin Pearl Titus | |
|---|---|
Calvin Titus in his West Point Cadet Uniform |
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| Born | September 22, 1879 Vinton, Iowa |
| Died | May 27, 1966 (aged 86) |
| 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 Battle of Peking |
| 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 Battle of Peking of the Boxer Rebellion.
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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 Chaplain's assistant instead.
Rank and organization: Musician, U.S. Army, Company E, 14th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Peking, China, August 14, 1900. Entered service at: Iowa. Birth: Vinton, Iowa. Date of issue: March 11, 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.