Medal of Honor: John C. Squires – World War II – April 23–24, 1944

Name: John C. Squires
Rank: Sergeant (then Private First Class)
Branch: U.S. Army
War: World War II
Unit: Company A, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division
Date of Action: April 23–24, 1944
Location: Near Padiglione, Italy

Summary of Action

On the night of 23–24 April 1944, Private First Class John C. Squires distinguished himself during an attack on heavily defended enemy positions around Spaccasassi Creek near Padiglione, Italy.

Participating in his first offensive combat action, Squires served as platoon messenger.

When an antitank mine exploded among the leading platoon, he voluntarily moved forward through intense artillery, mortar, and antitank gun fire to investigate.

Advancing fifty yards under bursting shells, he reached the lead elements, assessed casualties, reconnoitered a new route of advance, and returned to report to his platoon leader.

Without waiting for orders, Squires then gathered stragglers, organized lost men into a squad, and personally led them forward.

At Spaccasassi Creek, with most noncommissioned officers already casualties, he independently placed eight men into defensive positions despite machine-gun, machine-pistol, and grenade fire sweeping the draw.

When the platoon was reduced to only fourteen men, Squires twice brought forward reinforcements.

Each trip required crossing barbed wire and an enemy minefield under heavy artillery and mortar fire.

During the early morning hours, the outpost was counterattacked three times.

Each time, Squires ignored intense automatic fire and exploding grenades while firing hundreds of rounds from rifles, a Browning Automatic Rifle, and captured German Spandau machine guns.

His fire inflicted numerous casualties and helped repel every assault.

After the fighting, he moved to the south end of the outpost and entered point-blank machine-gun duels with twenty-one German soldiers.

He forced all twenty-one to surrender and captured thirteen more Spandau guns.

Questioning a captured German officer, Squires learned how to operate the weapons, placed them in position, and taught his platoon how to use them.

The next night, when the Germans attacked again, he killed three enemy soldiers and wounded others using captured potato-masher grenades and a Spandau gun.

He was later killed in subsequent action.

Through fearless initiative, extraordinary combat skill, and complete devotion to mission, John C. Squires reflected the highest traditions of the United States Army.

Medal of Honor Citation

SQUIRES, JOHN C.

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 23-24 April 1944, Pfc. Squires, platoon messenger, participating in his first offensive action, braved intense artillery, mortar, and antitank gun fire in order to investigate the effects of an antitank mine 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 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 noncommissioned officers 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 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, Browning automatic rifle, and captured German Spandau machinegun 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 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 potato-masher grenades and fire from his Spandau gun. Pfc. Squires was killed in a subsequent action.