Medal of Honor: John Henry Balch – World War I, July 19, 1918

Name: John Henry Balch
Rank at Time of Action: Pharmacist’s Mate First Class, U.S. Navy
Conflict: World War I
Unit: Attached to 6th Regiment, U.S. Marines
Dates of Action: July 19 and October 5, 1918
Locations: Vierzy and Somme-Py, France
Entered Service At: Kansas City, Missouri
Born: January 2, 1896, Edgerton, Kansas

Summary of Action:

In the maelstrom of World War I, few men exemplified courage under fire like John Henry Balch. Serving as a Navy corpsman attached to the battle-hardened 6th Marine Regiment, Balch risked everything—not with a rifle in hand, but with medical supplies, compassion, and an unbreakable will to save the wounded.

On July 19, 1918, during the Battle of Vierzy, Balch faced an inferno of machine gun and artillery fire as U.S. Marines pushed forward against German entrenchments. Disregarding his own safety, Balch voluntarily left the safety of his dressing station and plunged into the carnage. He worked without pause for sixteen hours, crawling through the smoke and blood-soaked fields to treat the fallen where they lay, often dragging them to safety himself.

Weeks later, on October 5, during the assault on Somme-Py, Balch again placed himself in mortal danger by establishing a forward aid station under intense shellfire. Amid exploding shells and flying shrapnel, he stabilized and evacuated the wounded—ensuring that Marines who might otherwise have died on the field had a fighting chance to live.

His selfless actions saved countless lives, and set a gold standard for battlefield courage in military medicine.

Later Career:

Balch's service did not end with the Armistice. He remained in the U.S. Navy, continuing his work in medicine and leadership. In the years that followed, he rose through the ranks and was eventually commissioned as a Navy officer, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. During World War II, he once again served his country, bringing his battlefield experience to new generations of Navy personnel and medical staff.

John H. Balch remains one of the few Navy corpsmen to ever receive the Medal of Honor, and the only U.S. Navy sailor awarded the medal for heroism during World War I. His legacy endures as a symbol of selfless devotion, unmatched bravery, and the quiet heroism of those who fight not to take lives—but to save them.

Medal of Honor Citation:

For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, with the 6th Regiment, U.S. Marines, in action at Vierzy, on 19 July 1918. Balch unhesitatingly and fearlessly exposed himself to terrific machinegun and high-explosive fire to succor the wounded as they fell in the attack, leaving his dressing station voluntarily and keeping up the work all day and late into the night unceasingly for 16 hours. Also in the action at Somme-Py on 5 October 1918, he exhibited exceptional bravery in establishing an advanced dressing station under heavy shellfire.