William Shemin ran across THREE battlefields amid machine gun fire to help injured soldiers . Lead his platoon to safety after higher officers were killed . Name used in National Defense bill encouraging recognition of Jewish soldiers . By . Associated Press . Last updated at 2:45 PM on 10th January 2012 . It was bravery at the highest level: William Shemin defied German machine gun fire to sprint across a World War I battlefield and pull wounded comrades to safety. Not just once, but three times. Then, with the platoon's senior soldiers wounded or killed, the 19-year-old American took over command of his unit and led it to safety, even after a bullet pierced his helmet and lodged behind an ear. Yet Mr Shemin never earned the nation's highest military citation- the Medal of Honor- many suspected this was because he was Jewish at a time when discrimination ran rampant throughout the U.S. military. Determined: Elsie Shemin-Roth has lobbied for her father, William, to be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during combat on the French battlefields of WWI . Now, nearly four decades after his death, Mr Shemin may finally get that medal, thanks to the tireless efforts of his daughter, whose long quest to see her father decorated also opens the door for other overlooked Jewish veterans of the Great War. 'A wrong has been made right here,' said Mr Shemin's daughter, 82-year-old Elsie Shemin-Roth of Labadie, Missouri, a small town about 40 miles southwest of St. Louis. Young: William Shemin enlisted at age 18, three years below the required age of 21 . Last month, President Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which contains a tiny provision known as the William Shemin Jewish World War I Veterans Act. It provides for a Pentagon review of Jewish soldiers and sailors who may have been overlooked for the Medal of Honor simply because of their faith. Mr Shemin's daughter was the driving force behind the measure, an effort that began a decade ago when she read news accounts of a similar law that provided for review of Jews possibly denied recognition in World War II. She was horrified there was no similar mechanism for World War I veterans. So she began gathering military records, photos, commendations and firsthand accounts of her father's heroism. Eventually, she enlisted the help of her congressman and support from both U.S. senators from Missouri. Retired Army Colonel Erwin Burtnick of Baltimore, who is active in the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., helped get the bill passed. He also reviewed Mr Shemin's war record and will present the case on his behalf to the Pentagon. 'I believe, based upon the criteria of . World War I, the level of heroism exhibited by Sargent Shemin will rise . to the Medal of Honor,' Mr Burtnick said. At . the time, the enlistment age was 21, but Mr Shemin lied about his age . and got in at 18. A tall, strapping athlete who played semi-pro baseball . at age 15 and later played college football at Syracuse, Mr Shemin was . sent off to France. On a hot day in August 1918, he and his platoon were doing battle near a river in Burgundy. One . of his superiors, Captain Rubert Purdon, later wrote in support of a . Medal of Honor: 'With the most utter disregard for his own safety, . (Shemin) sprang from his position in his platoon trench, dashed out . across the open in full sight of the Germans, who opened and maintained a . furious burst of machine gun and rifle fire.' Mr Shemin didn't stop there. Casualties were heavy and many senior platoon leaders had been killed or . badly hurt, so the young sergeant led the group out of harm's way over . the next three days. Along . the way, a German bullet hit him in the head, went through the steel . helmet and lodged behind his left ear. Mr Shemin eventually collapsed . and was hospitalized for three months. The wound left him deaf in that . ear. His heroics did not go . unnoticed: Shemin was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the . nation's second-highest military honor. Different times: Ms Shemin-Roth believes that anti-emitism during WWI lead to his slight. In a recent Defense bill, there is even a provision named after him encouraging Jewish soldiers to be recognized after the fact . He eventually left the military, got a degree from Syracuse and started a greenhouse-and-nursery business in the Bronx, where he raised three children. Mr Shemin was satisfied with the medal . he got, his daughter recalled, and only occasionally wondered if he was . passed over for the Medal of Honor because of anti-Semitism. 'My father told me there was a lot of discrimination, but he didn't dwell on it,' she said. But once, when another soldier paid a visit, Ms Shemin-Roth was struck by something the man told her. 'He witnessed my father's actions,' she said recalling the visit 70 years later. 'He told me, “Your father never got the medal he deserved because he was a Jew.” I thought to myself how terrible that was.' Mr Shemin was 78 when he died in 1973. Crowning achievement: A decision could come by spring. If the Pentagon approves, the president would present the medal on Mr Shemin's behalf to his daughter in a White House ceremony. The new law may have arrived too late to recognize many Jewish heroes from World War I. They're all gone now — the last surviving American World War I veteran died last year. Even many of their children have died or are well into their 80s and 90s, Mr Burtnick said, making it less likely that surviving relatives will have enough documentation to prove worthiness for the Medal of Honor. So far, Mr Burtnick said, the only veteran whose case will be presented for review is William Shemin. A decision could come by spring. If the Pentagon approves, the president would present the medal on Mr Shemin's behalf to his daughter in a White House ceremony. Just the thought chokes her up. 'I try so hard to think of what my father would think of this,' she said. 'He was such a humble man. All I can see in my head is this big handsome man sitting down, tears in his eyes.'
William Shemin ran across THREE battlefields amid machine gun fire to help injured soldiers .
Lead his platoon to safety after higher officers were killed .
Name used in National Defense bill encouraging recognition of Jewish soldiers .
William Shemin ran across THREE battlefields amid machine gun fire to help injured soldiers . Lead his platoon to safety after higher officers were killed . Name used in National Defense bill encouraging recognition of Jewish soldiers . By . Associated Press . Last updated at 2:45 PM on 10th January 2012 . It was bravery at the highest level: William Shemin defied German machine gun fire to sprint across a World War I battlefield and pull wounded comrades to safety. Not just once, but three times. Then, with the platoon's senior soldiers wounded or killed, the 19-year-old American took over command of his unit and led it to safety, even after a bullet pierced his helmet and lodged behind an ear. Yet Mr Shemin never earned the nation's highest military citation- the Medal of Honor- many suspected this was because he was Jewish at a time when discrimination ran rampant throughout the U.S. military. Determined: Elsie Shemin-Roth has lobbied for her father, William, to be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during combat on the French battlefields of WWI . Now, nearly four decades after his death, Mr Shemin may finally get that medal, thanks to the tireless efforts of his daughter, whose long quest to see her father decorated also opens the door for other overlooked Jewish veterans of the Great War. 'A wrong has been made right here,' said Mr Shemin's daughter, 82-year-old Elsie Shemin-Roth of Labadie, Missouri, a small town about 40 miles southwest of St. Louis. Young: William Shemin enlisted at age 18, three years below the required age of 21 . Last month, President Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which contains a tiny provision known as the William Shemin Jewish World War I Veterans Act. It provides for a Pentagon review of Jewish soldiers and sailors who may have been overlooked for the Medal of Honor simply because of their faith. Mr Shemin's daughter was the driving force behind the measure, an effort that began a decade ago when she read news accounts of a similar law that provided for review of Jews possibly denied recognition in World War II. She was horrified there was no similar mechanism for World War I veterans. So she began gathering military records, photos, commendations and firsthand accounts of her father's heroism. Eventually, she enlisted the help of her congressman and support from both U.S. senators from Missouri. Retired Army Colonel Erwin Burtnick of Baltimore, who is active in the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., helped get the bill passed. He also reviewed Mr Shemin's war record and will present the case on his behalf to the Pentagon. 'I believe, based upon the criteria of . World War I, the level of heroism exhibited by Sargent Shemin will rise . to the Medal of Honor,' Mr Burtnick said. At . the time, the enlistment age was 21, but Mr Shemin lied about his age . and got in at 18. A tall, strapping athlete who played semi-pro baseball . at age 15 and later played college football at Syracuse, Mr Shemin was . sent off to France. On a hot day in August 1918, he and his platoon were doing battle near a river in Burgundy. One . of his superiors, Captain Rubert Purdon, later wrote in support of a . Medal of Honor: 'With the most utter disregard for his own safety, . (Shemin) sprang from his position in his platoon trench, dashed out . across the open in full sight of the Germans, who opened and maintained a . furious burst of machine gun and rifle fire.' Mr Shemin didn't stop there. Casualties were heavy and many senior platoon leaders had been killed or . badly hurt, so the young sergeant led the group out of harm's way over . the next three days. Along . the way, a German bullet hit him in the head, went through the steel . helmet and lodged behind his left ear. Mr Shemin eventually collapsed . and was hospitalized for three months. The wound left him deaf in that . ear. His heroics did not go . unnoticed: Shemin was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the . nation's second-highest military honor. Different times: Ms Shemin-Roth believes that anti-emitism during WWI lead to his slight. In a recent Defense bill, there is even a provision named after him encouraging Jewish soldiers to be recognized after the fact . He eventually left the military, got a degree from Syracuse and started a greenhouse-and-nursery business in the Bronx, where he raised three children. Mr Shemin was satisfied with the medal . he got, his daughter recalled, and only occasionally wondered if he was . passed over for the Medal of Honor because of anti-Semitism. 'My father told me there was a lot of discrimination, but he didn't dwell on it,' she said. But once, when another soldier paid a visit, Ms Shemin-Roth was struck by something the man told her. 'He witnessed my father's actions,' she said recalling the visit 70 years later. 'He told me, “Your father never got the medal he deserved because he was a Jew.” I thought to myself how terrible that was.' Mr Shemin was 78 when he died in 1973. Crowning achievement: A decision could come by spring. If the Pentagon approves, the president would present the medal on Mr Shemin's behalf to his daughter in a White House ceremony. The new law may have arrived too late to recognize many Jewish heroes from World War I. They're all gone now — the last surviving American World War I veteran died last year. Even many of their children have died or are well into their 80s and 90s, Mr Burtnick said, making it less likely that surviving relatives will have enough documentation to prove worthiness for the Medal of Honor. So far, Mr Burtnick said, the only veteran whose case will be presented for review is William Shemin. A decision could come by spring. If the Pentagon approves, the president would present the medal on Mr Shemin's behalf to his daughter in a White House ceremony. Just the thought chokes her up. 'I try so hard to think of what my father would think of this,' she said. 'He was such a humble man. All I can see in my head is this big handsome man sitting down, tears in his eyes.'
William Shemin ran across THREE battlefields amid machine gun fire to help injured soldiers . Lead his platoon to safety after higher officers were killed . Name used in National Defense bill encouraging recognition of Jewish soldiers . By .