Madison County Honors Herman Gentry in Hall of Heroes
The Madison County Military Heritage Commission inducted World War I soldier Herman D. Gentry, the county's first WWI death, into its Hall of Heroes.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Awards
The Madison County Military Heritage Commission inducted Herman D. Gentry into the Hall of Heroes. Gentry was the first person from Madison County to die in World War I, mortally wounded in France in March 1918.
Why it matters
The induction recognizes a local soldier whose service and sacrifice in World War I had long gone without formal county-level recognition. It places his story in the record of Huntsville and Madison County's military heritage.
Gentry was born March 20, 1896, in Gurley, Alabama, and died at age 21 on March 11, 1918. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously by President Woodrow Wilson on July 9, 1918.
The players
Madison County Military Heritage Commission
The commission that oversees the Hall of Heroes and selects honorees for recognition of Madison County's military service.
Herman D. Gentry
A World War I soldier from Madison County who was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for holding his position in France.
Woodrow Wilson
The U.S. president who posthumously awarded Gentry the Distinguished Service Cross on July 9, 1918.
The details
Gentry enlisted in the Alabama National Guard in summer 1917, and his unit landed in France in the first week of November 1917. When his unit fell back under heavy fire, Gentry stayed behind to hold a key position while the rest retreated; he was mortally wounded March 5, 1918, and received a meritorious promotion to corporal before his death.
Timeline
March 20, 1896: Gentry is born in Gurley, Alabama.
Summer 1917: Gentry enlists in the Alabama National Guard.
March 5, 1918: Gentry is mortally wounded in France.
March 11, 1918: Gentry dies.
September 1921: Gentry's remains are returned to Huntsville and buried in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Historical Context
Gentry's posthumous Distinguished Service Cross was among the wartime honors President Woodrow Wilson conferred on American soldiers during the 1918 campaigns in France. The county's Hall of Heroes induction extends that recognition into local heritage honors more than a century later.
Residents of Huntsville and Madison County can learn about a local soldier whose service is now part of the county's official military heritage honors. The induction adds his name to a publicly accessible record of local veterans recognized by the community.
The takeaway
Local honors like the Hall of Heroes keep individual sacrifices from World War I visible to the communities they came from. Recognition can outlast the generation that remembers the soldier.
Further reading
Explore more local honors in Awards coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Waff.
