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16 Infantry Hero: CPL Aaron “Harry” Yamin Compiled by Doraine Bennett from personal letters and documents archived at the National Infantry Museum CPL Aaron “Harry” Yamin of the 1st Battalion, 306th Regiment, 77th Infantry Division. May 12, 1918 Dear Everybody, I’m writing this letter from the guardhouse. Don’t get scared. As one of the guards. Not a prisoner. I did not have my shoes polished right so I was put on guard as punishment. So you see they are trying to make a man out of me in this army. I don’t know whether they will ever succeed…. CPL Aaron “Harry” Yamin may have been concerned about his abilities, but when put to the test, he proved himself worthy of being called one of the Infantry’s finest. He was awarded the U.S. Army Distinguished Service Cross for his action on 27 September 1918, in the Forest of Argonne. Yamin was born to Jewish parents in Russia in 1896. His family immigrated to the United States in January 1905, settling in New York City. Yamin was drafted in September 1917 and assigned to the Army’s 77th Division at Camp Upton, Long Island, N.Y. He was promoted to the rank of Corporal on 4 April 1918. Later in the month, Company B, 306th Infantry Regiment embarked from New York headed for France. After initial training with the British Army’s 39th Division at Bonnigues, France, the 1st Battalion, 306th Regiment, 77th Infantry Division was ordered to Rambervilliers in the area of the French VI Army Corps. In June, the 77th Division was attached to the French 61st Division d’Infanterie (D.I.). When the French unit was withdrawn from the sector in mid July, the 77th Division took command, remaining in action in the front lines until 4 August 1918. June 25, 1918 Dear Ben and Everybody, I have decided to write this letter to you. I have not received any letters from you for a long time. In fact I have not received any mail from home in over two weeks. I’d rather have one letter from home now than a steak. That’s going some. Seriously, I am anxious. Our outfit is now situated in a large deserted village. When I say deserted, I mean deserted. Not a civilian in sight. You ought to see the houses. They look like Seventh Avenue, after a subway cave in. Only a hundred percent worse. The buildings banged to pieces, wall and stairways crumbled. You ought to see the church. Every French village has to have a church. This one used to be a church. When Fritz got through playing with it, it ceased to be one. My squad is billeted in an old busted up shack that’s fallen to pieces. There is a squad on the floor above us. We are pretty comfortable, except when the boys upstairs forget themselves, and tread a little too hard on the floor, that brings the ceiling down on our heads. Otherwise we are quite comfortable. You know we are supposed to be in the front lines. Two of our platoons are actually in the trenches. Our platoon is right back of the line … It’s a very quiet sector … The only way we know we are at war here is when the big guns keep banging away once in a while. At present they are very quiet. Also we have to wear our gas masks at all times. Several nights ago the big guns were banging away all night. We were up for an hour listening to the bang and whine and then we went to sleep again. In August, the 306th Infantry Regiment with the 77th Division was ordered to the U.S. 1st Army Corps area where it relieved elements of the U.S. 4th Division and the French 62nd Division in the Vesle Sector. On August 17, the sector merged into the Oise-Aisne operation where the regiment remained until 15-16 September. September 15, 1918 Dear Sis, The days come and they go and I don’t know which is which. I just found out the day and date. I also think today is Yom Kippur. I’m not doing much fasting. Nor feasting either. Rosh Hashanah has gone by. General Pershing’s order was all men were allowed a pass to town, if it does not interfere with your military duties. As it happens, we were in the front line. There was a town nearby, but there was not a whole building left in the place. So what’s the use…. Guess after I finish this letter I’ll go down and see if I can CPL Yamin poses with his mother before leaving for France.
find a spring and take a bath. Three of us slept in the same tent last night. A tent made for two … all night we argued about the covers. The blankets were made for two, and three under them, we had a perfectly good time …. As for the rest, we are going somewhere. Don’t know where but we know it’s for a long rest. It is good to be out of range of the old whiz bangs. On 19-20 September, the 77th Division was ordered to the area of the U.S. I Corps to relieve the French 120th D.I. in the Foret-d’Argonne Sector, preparatory to entering the Meuse-Argonne operation. The 306th Infantry entered the front line area on 19 September. The regiment was in line when the Meuse Argonne operation began on 26 September 1918. On 26 September, the command post of the 1st Battalion was located at Le Claon, France. The battalion was moved forward in front of Route Marchand on the late evening of 25 September. H Hour was fixed for 5:30 a.m. on 26 September. Artillery preparation lasted for three hours. At 5:30 a.m., the 1st Battalion attacked with the 3rd Battalion in close support, following a rolling barrage at the rate of 100 yards in five minutes. During that day an advance of two kilometers was made through the vast trench complex. The line for the night was established just north of the Four de Paris-Barricade Pavilion Road. At 3:00 a.m. COL George Vidmer and his staff moved forward to the front line. Two companies of the 1st Battalion had become separated in the dense network of trenches and could not be found. Officers and orderlies rushed about reestablishing the front line and trying to find the lost companies. As daylight appeared, soldiers of the German 2nd Landwehr Division could be seen across the little valley immediately to the front in the vicinity of Abri de St. Louis and St. Hubert’s Pavillion. A German red rocket shot up into the sky and a bugle call signaled the Germans to fire trench mortar shells, machine guns and grenades. The intense fire caused the men of Company B to hug the ground for 15 minutes. When the fire ceased, a sergeant and six men found a gap in the German barbed wire, crawled through, and capturing two enemy machine guns and two prisoners. One of the prisoners reported that a large force of German infantry held the position. The doughboys called back to the main body to cut the wire and come through. Yamin and PFC Carl I. Johanson volunteered to cut a strip of enemy barbed wire to make an opening for their company, which was at that time under renewed heavy fire from artillery and machine guns. The two soldiers went into action and, inside of three minutes, cut a wide path through the wire enabling Companies B and K to file through and occupy the vacated trenches. Just as his task was completed and he had given the signal for his platoon to advance, Yamin fell with six wounds. He died two days later and was buried in the cemetery at Commune of La Chalade, Meuse, France. His remains were later moved to the U.S. cemetery at Romagne, France. Yamin was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1919. His mother accepted the award. His heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the U.S. Army. Why Belong to the NIA? • To support the work of the ONLY organization representing the entire Infantry and the Chief of Infantry. The combined strength of our membership ensures that the Infantry voice is heard by decision makers. • To share the camaraderie of like minded soldiers and citizens who believe in maintaining the Infantry spirit, and to help recognize outstanding Infantrymen. • To grow professionally through participation in Association activities, programs and publications. • To support a new, expanded National Infantry Museum and the educational values associated with its contents. 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