Kilbourne, Charles, Jr., MG

First Lieutenant, U.S. Volunteer Signal Corps. Place and Date: At Paco Bridge, Philippine Islands, 5 February 1899. Entered Service At: Portland. Oreg. Birth: Fort Myer, Va. Date of Issue: 6 May 1905.

KILBOURNE, CHARLES E.

Rank and Organization:

Philippine Insurrection Medal of Honor Recipient. He was a First Lieutenant, in the U.S. Volunteer Signal Corps on February 5, 1899, at Paco Bridge, Philippine Islands, when he earned his Medal. His citation reads: Within a range of 250 yards of the enemy and in the face of a rapid fire climbed a telegraph pole at the east end of the bridge and in full view of the enemy coolly and carefully repaired a broken telegraph wire, thereby reestablishing telegraphic communication to the front. He was awarded his Medal on May 6, 1905. He later received the Distinguished Service Cross for "extraordinary heroism in action" near Thiacourt, France, September 12, 1918; the Distinguished Service Medal "for services in 89th Division and 36th Artillery Brigade"; Croix de Guerre (France) for "reconnaissances preparatory to assault on the St. Mihiel Salient," and the Legion of Honor; Philippine and Victory Medals. He later rose to Major General, US Army.

A Signal Corps officer’s son (Charles Kilbourne Sr., as a captain in 1892, invented the outpost cable cart, which had an automatic spooling device that enabled a soldier to lay two miles of insulated double-conductor telephone cable), Charles Evans Kilbourne Jr. is the only Signal officer to win the Medal of Honor while performing a combat communications mission. The Signal Officer Basic Course at Fort Gordon, Ga., named its leadership award for him, and the Signal Regiment inducted him as a Distinguished Member of the Regiment in 1997.
 

After LT Kilbourne returned to the United States, he was accepted as an infantry officer in 14th Infantry Regiment. In late 1899, he participated in the Boxer Rebellion in China, where he led his platoon in the assault that captured the Imperial City Gates. After helping suppress the rebellion, his regiment returned to duty in the Philippines, where he performed duties with the provost marshal’s office. It was during this tour that LT Kilbourne made an important career decision; in 1902 he requested and was granted a branch transfer to the Artillery Corps.