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Thank you for your web-site. Sidney E. Manning was my Great, great, great Uncle. He was my Grandmother's mother's brother. His sister's name was Mamie Manning who married a Bondurant. My grandmother, F. Evelyn Bondurant Gilley was Mamie's daughter.
I have been told that he was a man of honor. The government tried to give him many gifts and recognitions one of which to be buried in the Arlington Cemetery which he declined. He gave away many gifts that he received and declined a movie documentary of himself. On his trip home from the war, the town of Flomaton was to give him a great celebration. Nearing his home town, he jumped the train as to not be honored above all others. What humility. I have been to his home as a child and remember the Government red, white, and blue that his home was painted in. His home was the only thing that the government gave him that he did not give away because he couldn't sell it. Ha! I would like to know so much more about him. I intend to try and find out. Thanks, Dorothy Morgan
MANNING, SIDNEY E. Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army Company G, 167th Infantry, 42d Division. Place and date: Near Breuvannes, France, 28 July 1918. Entering service at: Flomaton, Ala. Born: 17 July 1892, Butler County, Ala. G.O. No.: 44, W.D., 1919. Citation: When his platoon commander and platoon sergeant had both become casualties soon after the beginning of an assault on strongly fortified heights overlooking the Ourcq River, Cpl. Manning took command of his platoon, which was near the center of the attacking line. Though himself severely wounded he led forward the 35 men remaining in the platoon and finally succeeded in gaining a foothold on the enemy's position, during which time he had received more wounds and all but 7 of his men had fallen. Directing the consolidation of the position, he held off a large body of the enemy only 50 yards away by fire from his automatic rifle. He declined to take cover until his line had been entirely consolidated with the line of the platoon on the front when he dragged himself to shelter, suffering from 9 wounds in all parts of the body.
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