38:
174:
299:
282:
capturing 13 more
Spandau guns. Learning the function of this weapon by questioning a German officer prisoner, he placed the captured guns in position and instructed other members of his platoon in their operation. The next night when the Germans attacked the outpost again he killed 3 and wounded more Germans with captured
258:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. At the start of his company's attack on strongly held enemy positions in and around
Spaccasassi Creek, near Padiglione, Italy, on the night of 23-April 24, 1944, Pfc. Squires, platoon messenger, participating
281:
ammunition at the enemy, inflicting numerous casualties and materially aiding in repulsing the attacks. Following these fights, he moved 50 yards to the south end of the outpost and engaged 21 German soldiers in individual machinegun duels at point-blank range, forcing all 21 enemy to surrender and
267:
explosion on the leading platoon. Despite shells which burst close to him, Pfc. Squires made his way 50 yards forward to the advance element, noted the situation, reconnoitered a new route of advance and informed his platoon leader of the casualties sustained and the alternate route. Acting without
272:
were casualties, placed 8 men in position of his own volition, disregarding enemy machinegun, machine-pistol, and grenade fire which covered the creek draw. When his platoon had been reduced to 14 men, he brought up reinforcements twice. On each trip he went through barbed wire and across an enemy
273:
minefield, under intense artillery and mortar fire. Three times in the early morning the outpost was counterattacked. Each time Pfc. Squires ignored withering enemy automatic fire and grenades which struck all around him, and fired hundreds of rounds of rifle,
268:
orders, he rounded up stragglers, organized a group of lost men into a squad and led them forward. When the platoon reached
Spaccasassi Creek and established an outpost, Pfc. Squires, knowing that almost all of the
336:
423:
443:
433:
428:
317:
385:
216:
348:
377:
208:
137:
212:
141:
438:
227:
throughout the night and into the next morning. Squires was killed in action a month later, after having been promoted to
312:
242:
honoring Medal of Honor recipients from
Kentucky was dedicated in Louisville. The memorial features a six-foot-tall
239:
235:
87:
274:
269:
20:
223:, he repeatedly braved enemy fire to carry messages, bring up reinforcements, and fight the
418:
413:
200:
57:
8:
204:
185:
109:
352:
389:
304:
283:
19:
This article is about the World War II soldier. For the college soccer coach, see
260:
228:
127:
264:
189:
188:
soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the
161:
286:
and fire from his
Spandau gun. Pfc. Squires was killed in a subsequent action.
407:
193:
165:
151:
231:. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on October 2, 1944.
173:
263:, and antitank gun fire in order to investigate the effects of an
37:
224:
243:
177:
Kentucky Medal of Honor memorial, featuring a statue of
Squires
75:
278:
220:
254:
Sergeant
Squires' official Medal of Honor citation reads:
259:
in his first offensive action, braved intense artillery,
203:, in July 1943, and by April 23, 1944, was serving as a
294:
424:
United States Army personnel killed in World War II
318:List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
238:in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. In 2001,
405:
378:"Medal of Honor recipients - World War II (M-S)"
199:Squires joined the Army from his birth city of
444:World War II recipients of the Medal of Honor
386:United States Army Center of Military History
234:Squires, aged 19 at his death, was buried in
434:Military personnel from Louisville, Kentucky
429:United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
16:United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
249:
184:(May 19, 1925 – May 23, 1944) was a
36:
172:
406:
215:. During a battle on that day, near
349:"Memorial honors Kentucky's heroes"
13:
14:
455:
313:List of Medal of Honor recipients
297:
236:Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
88:Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
388:. June 8, 2009. Archived from
341:
330:
1:
370:
351:. August 2001. Archived from
337:WWII Army Enlistment Records
7:
439:United States Army soldiers
290:
10:
460:
18:
157:
147:
133:
123:
115:
103:
95:
82:
64:
44:
35:
28:
382:Medal of Honor citations
323:
275:Browning automatic rifle
270:noncommissioned officers
250:Medal of Honor citation
288:
284:potato-masher grenades
277:, and captured German
209:30th Infantry Regiment
178:
138:30th Infantry Regiment
90:, Louisville, Kentucky
256:
213:3rd Infantry Division
176:
142:3rd Infantry Division
116:Years of service
21:John Squires (soccer)
201:Louisville, Kentucky
192:—for his actions in
182:John Charles Squires
58:Louisville, Kentucky
30:John Charles Squires
246:statue of Squires.
205:private first class
279:Spandau machinegun
186:United States Army
179:
110:United States Army
171:
170:
74:near Padiglione,
451:
400:
398:
397:
364:
363:
361:
360:
345:
339:
334:
307:
305:Biography portal
302:
301:
300:
105:
71:
54:
52:
40:
26:
25:
459:
458:
454:
453:
452:
450:
449:
448:
404:
403:
395:
393:
376:
373:
368:
367:
358:
356:
347:
346:
342:
335:
331:
326:
303:
298:
296:
293:
252:
164:
119:1943–1944
91:
83:Place of burial
73:
69:
56:
50:
48:
31:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
457:
447:
446:
441:
436:
431:
426:
421:
416:
402:
401:
372:
369:
366:
365:
340:
328:
327:
325:
322:
321:
320:
315:
309:
308:
292:
289:
251:
248:
207:in Company A,
190:Medal of Honor
169:
168:
162:Medal of Honor
159:
155:
154:
149:
145:
144:
135:
131:
130:
125:
121:
120:
117:
113:
112:
107:
101:
100:
97:
93:
92:
86:
84:
80:
79:
72:(aged 19)
66:
62:
61:
46:
42:
41:
33:
32:
29:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
456:
445:
442:
440:
437:
435:
432:
430:
427:
425:
422:
420:
417:
415:
412:
411:
409:
392:on 2008-04-30
391:
387:
383:
379:
375:
374:
355:on 2008-11-20
354:
350:
344:
338:
333:
329:
319:
316:
314:
311:
310:
306:
295:
287:
285:
280:
276:
271:
266:
265:antitank mine
262:
255:
247:
245:
241:
237:
232:
230:
226:
222:
218:
214:
210:
206:
202:
197:
195:
191:
187:
183:
175:
167:
163:
160:
156:
153:
150:
146:
143:
139:
136:
132:
129:
126:
122:
118:
114:
111:
108:
102:
99:United States
98:
94:
89:
85:
81:
77:
67:
63:
59:
47:
43:
39:
34:
27:
22:
394:. Retrieved
390:the original
381:
357:. Retrieved
353:the original
343:
332:
257:
253:
233:
198:
194:World War II
181:
180:
166:Purple Heart
152:World War II
148:Battles/wars
70:(1944-05-23)
68:May 23, 1944
55:May 19, 1925
419:1944 deaths
414:1925 births
408:Categories
396:2007-10-31
371:References
359:2007-10-31
240:a memorial
217:Padiglione
96:Allegiance
51:1925-05-19
291:See also
229:Sergeant
128:Sergeant
104:Service/
225:Germans
78:, Italy
261:mortar
244:bronze
158:Awards
106:branch
76:Ancona
60:, U.S.
324:Notes
221:Italy
134:Unit
124:Rank
65:Died
45:Born
410::
384:.
380:.
219:,
211:,
196:.
140:,
399:.
362:.
53:)
49:(
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
