Calvin Pearl Titus

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.

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.

Titus first joined the Army in May 1898, serving with the 1st Vermont Volunteer Infantry (although raised for the Spanish–American War, this unit never left the United States). He joined the 14th Infantry Regiment in April 1899, serving in the Philippines and China. He was appointed to 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 centennial. 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. Instead, he rejoined his regiment as a second lieutenant. Titus later served in the Mexican Expedition and with the US occupation forces in Germany. He retired from the Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel in October 1930. In September 2016, Titus was honored with the painting of his image of the Benton County Freedom Rock, located in Shellsburg, Iowa.

Medal of Honor citation

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.