Gordon McSweeney received a Medal of Honor for destroying a Confederate barrel with a flamethrower during the Great War. His superior, Cecil Schneider, wanted to recommend McSweeney for another medal when McSweeney used his flamethrower on a Confederate machine gun nest in a daring solo raid, but instead recommended McSweeney for commission as an officer because he feared the review board would not believe his account of McSweeney's heroism.