Robert “Haywood” Butler
30th Infantry Division
119th Infantry Regiment
Company M
Haywood Butler was wounded (gassed) during WWI and finally received his Purple Heart. His 86 year old daughter accepted the award. Additionally, she received other medals her father earned…the North Carolina WWI Service Medal, WWI Victory Medal and the Mexican Border Service Medal.
Haywood Butler (full name: Robert Haywood Butler) of Duke (Erwin), North Carolina enlisted in to the North Carolina National Guard on September 18, 1915. He was assigned to the 2nd Infantry, Company M. In September of 1916 the unit, along with other National Guard units, was sent by President Wilson to the Mexican-American border to protect US interests from the murderous raids into the United States by Jose Doroteo Arango Arámbula “Pancho Villa”. The units returned to North Carolina in early 1917 and Company M, 2nd Infantry became Company M, 119th Infantry Regiment, 60th Brigade, 30th Division when the unit was federalized in July.
After training in May of 1918, the Division shipped off to Europe. After additional training, the Division was sent to Belgium in July. In August the Division replaced the troops in the trenches on the front line. Throughout the next month the Division held its position against the German’s Hindenburg line and participated in the Ypres-Les and Somme Operations. On September 29th, the 30th Division (119th and the 120th Infantry Regiments) assaulted the Hindenburg line and Division broke through. The Division was relieved the next day; however the rest was short lived when the Division was ordered to return to the front on Oct 5th. The Division, specifically the 119th Regiment, encountered vigorous fighting for the next two weeks, on occasion against relentless machine-gun and mortar fire and still reaching their objectives. They fought on the front lines the entire time, except when they were held in reserve from the 13th to the 14th of October. Butler was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action. Later in October during the fighting, Butler was wounded during a “gas” attack.
Erwin, North Carolina (2009)
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