Julius Aaronson

Julius Aaronson was born on 14 February 1894 (altered to ‘2 February’ in the 1940s) in either Staveska, Russia (now Stavishche, Ukraine) OR Jedwabne, Poland (now Jedwabne, Lomza County, Russia) to unknown parents. He had one known sibling, a sister, Tillie Aaronson (?-?). Aaronson arrived in the United States on or around 1 June 1912 and filed a petition for Naturalization on 19 March 1919 whilst still in the U.S. Army. Aaronson lived in Lansford, Carbon County, Pennsylvania up to the 1920s.

Aaronson was inducted at Carbon County, Pennsylvania on 1 April 1918 and assigned to 8 Co. 2^nd Battalion, 154^th Depot Brigade at Camp Meade, Maryland. He was reassigned to Co. G, 109^th Infantry Regiment, 28^th Division on 27 April 1918, and potentially a member of Co. K, 148^th Infantry Regiment, 37^th Division at an unknown point*. Private Aaronson and his Company left Brooklyn, New York aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship Alsatian on 3 May 1918. Private Aaronson was appointed to Private 1^st Class on 15 September.

*Only noted on one source, DSC citation. 

Private 1C Aaronson received the first of his two Distinguished Service Crosses for his actions near Apremont, France on 7 October 1918;

“The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Private Julius Aaronson (ASN: 1811631), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company K, 148th Infantry Regiment, 37th Division, A.E.F., near Apremont, France, 7 October 1918. When his company was suddenly fired upon by enemy machine guns during an advance and forced to seek shelter Private Aaronson remained in the open under a continuous shower of machine-gun bullets, caring for eight wounded men, dressing their wounds and securing their evacuation.”

He received the Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a second Distinguished Service Cross for his actions near Apremont, France on the same day, 7 October 1918;

“The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Service Cross to Private Julius Aaronson (ASN: 1811631), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company G, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division, A.E.F., near Apremont, France, on 7 October 1918. Private Aaronson is awarded one bar to be worn with the Distinguished Service Cross. Having become separated from his company and wounded by a bullet which pierced his helmet, Private Aaronson advanced alone on a machine-gun nest across an open field in broad daylight, killed the gunner and captured two of the crew, whom he pressed into the service of carrying wounded.”

Private 1C Aaronson also received the Italian War Merit Cross and French Croix de Guerre with Silver Gilt Star for unknown action(s). The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania “Evening News” published an account of Aaronson’s actions in early May 1919;

How Private Aaronson Rescued Eight Wounded Comrades Then Captured a Machine Gun Single Handed

In a hot action between the German and American forces near Apremont, France on Oct. 7, just a month before the signing of the Armistice, Aaronson’s company was suddenly fired upon by enemy machine guns during an advance. The Hun’s nest was cleverly concealed, and the hall of bullets which swept the ranks of the oncoming Yankees was entirely unlooked for. A number of men had dropped dead at the first fire, and many more, seriously wounded, lay on the ground as the sweep of the merciless guns continued. By some sort of luck, however, Aaronson found himself weathering the storm. Then came the command to seek shelter, and when it reached the ears of the New York boy it was just as he had stumbled upon a party of eight wounded comrades who had been shot down only a few steps ahead of him. Aaronson heard the command to take cover, but he heard another command, too. This came from within and it was stronger to him than the orders of his officers, and Aaronson decided to obey it.

He stopped short, gathered the wounded men together and unslinging his first-aid kit knelt down amid the flying bullets and began to bind up the wounds of his buddies. Finally when he had bound up the wounds of the last man, he immediately started in on the second part of his plan. He picked up the most seriously wounded of the men, got him on his back, ad carried him to the nearest shell hole, then returned and took a second to the shelter, than a third, and so on until he had carried all to the shelter, and there he stayed with his patients until the fight had been carried sufficiently forward to allow him to get them to a receiving station in the rear.

Later on the same day, Aaronson, having become separated from his company, and wounded by a bullet which pierced his helmet, advanced alone on a machine gun nest over an open field and in broad daylight, killed the gunner and captured two of the crew, whom he pressed into service as stretcher bearers carrying American wounded behind lines”.*

*Andrews, Mark. Unhearalded Heroes of the War: How Private Aaronson Rescued Eight Wounded Comrades Then Captured a Machine Gun Single Handed. “The Evening News”. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 8 May 1919.

Aaronson and the Sick and Wounded Detachment #26 left Brest, France on 3 February 1919 aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship Leviathan, arriving in New York on 11 February.

Aaronson had the following injuries reported; “Fracture simple, lt. tibia & fibula, at lower 3^rd from a fall. Sust. I.A. Nov. 2, 1918. (Sold. Stat.). On Adm. Union; slight deformity; limitation of motion left ankle…Disposition taken March 11, 1919”, occurred in line of duty. Aaronson was transferred to USA Gen. Hospital #22, Philadelphia, PA, then to USA Gen. Hospital #3, Colonia, NJ.

Aaronson was Honorably Discharged on 15 May 1919.

Upon his return home, Aaronson married Rose Dickman (1901-1962), a native of Volin, Russia (now Volyne, Czech Republic); the couple had one child, Gloria Roberta (1925-2005) in Brooklyn, New York. The family lived in Brooklyn in the 1930s (at 175 Hooper Street) and the Bronx, New York in the 1940s (at 990 Bronx Park South) through 1950s, where Aaronson worked as a jeweler and watchmaker. At one point, Aaronson owned his own business at 145 Hester St., Manhattan, New York.

Aaronson died on 12 November 1965 of an unknown cause; he and his family are buried at Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, New York.