World War I Medal of Honor Recipient. He received the award from US Army General John J. Pershing at Chaumont, France on February 9,1919, for his actions as a 1st Lieutenant with Company M, 60th Infantry, 5th Infantry Division, US Army, on October 12, 1918, near Cunel, France. He joined the US Army in March 1901 and served in the Philippines until 1904, then was posted to Alaska until 1912, when he was assigned to Fort Thomas, Kentucky. In 1914 he served as a guard along the Mexico-US Border during the Mexican Revolution. When the US entered World War I in April 1917, he was deployed to the Western Front in France as part of the American Expeditionary Force, and was promoted to the rank of 2nd lieutenant, due to a shortage of experienced officers. He participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (September-November 1918) for which he would later be awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1919 and was discharged seven months later. He then reenlisted and was given the rank of sergeant. He left the Army in 1923 at the rank of master sergeant. During his military service, he was also awarded the World War I Victory Medal (with three service stars), the French Croix de guerre (with palm), the Belgian Order of Leopold (Knight), the Italian Croce al Merito di Grerra, and the Kingdom of Montenegro Order of Prince Danilo ! (Knight), among others. During World War II, he served from 1942 until 1944 as a major, training recruits. He died at the age of 68. He was originally interred at the Jefferson County Cemetery near Madison, Indiana, but his remains were later reinterred at Arlington Nation Cemetery. His Medal of Honor citation reads: "While he was leading his company against the enemy, First Lieutenant Woodfill's line came under heavy machinegun fire, which threatened to hold up the advance. Followed by two soldiers at 25 yards, this officer went out ahead of his first line toward a machinegun nest and worked his way around its flank, leaving the two soldiers in front. When he got within ten yards of the gun it ceased firing, and four of the enemy appeared, three of whom were shot by First Lieutenant Woodfill. The fourth, an officer, rushed at First Lieutenant Woodfill, who attempted to club the officer with his rifle. After a hand-to-hand struggle, First Lieutenant Woodfill killed the officer with his pistol. His company thereupon continued to advance, until shortly afterwards another machinegun nest was encountered. Calling on his men to follow, First Lieutenant Woodfill rushed ahead of his line in the face of heavy fire from the nest, and when several of the enemy appeared above the nest he shot them, capturing three other members of the crew and silencing the gun. A few minutes later this officer for the third time demonstrated conspicuous daring by charging another machinegun position, killing five men in one machinegun pit with his rifle. He then drew his revolver and started to jump into the pit, when two other gunners only a few yards away turned their gun on him. Failing to kill them with his revolver, he grabbed a pick lying nearby and killed both of them. Inspired by the exceptional courage displayed by this officer, his men pressed on to their objective under severe shell and machinegun fire."