Ernest Hemingway earned the Italian Silver Medal of Valor and a Bronze Star

After leaving the United States, Hemingway traveled to Paris before being ordered to report to Milan. A short time later, he relocated to Schio, where he drove ambulances. On July 8, 1918, while delivering chocolates and cigarettes to soldiers at the front, Hemingway was seriously injured by fragments from an Austrian mortar shell. Despite being severely injured by the mortar and machine-gun fire, Hemingway worked to ensure the safety of his fellow soldiers by moving them out of harm's way. For his heroic actions, the Italian government later awarded him the Silver Medal of Military Valor. He received an Italian Silver Medal of Valor for his actions.

Hemingway recuperated in a hospital in Milan, where he met Agnes von Kurowsky, a nurse from Washington, D.C. She was six years Hemingway's senior, but he fell in love with her and planned to bring her home to Oak Park. Agnes did not accompany Hemingway as planned. Their relationship ended due to her involvement with an Italian officer.

The Italian Silver Medal of Valor was matched almost 30 years later when the United States awarded him a Bronze Star for his bravery while covering the European theater as a journalist during World War II. His work appeared in Collier's and other publications.