Medal of Honor: John L. Barkley, World War I, October 7, 1918

Name: John L. Barkley
Rank: Private First Class
War: World War I
Date of Action: October 7, 1918
Unit: Company K, 4th Infantry Regiment, 3d Division
Entered Service At: Blairstown, Missouri
Born: August 28, 1895, Blairstown, Missouri

Summary of Action
Near Cunel, France, as the Meuse-Argonne Offensive raged, PFC John Barkley manned a lonely observation post less than half a kilometer from the enemy line. Spotting a disabled French tank nearby, he crawled to it under fire and repaired a captured German machine gun. When the enemy launched a fierce counterattack, Barkley climbed inside the crippled tank, waited until the German wave was within range, and unleashed a storm of fire that shattered the assault—inflicting heavy casualties and forcing the survivors to fall back. Moments later, German artillery zeroed in, pounding his position with 77-millimeter shells. One round smashed into the tank’s drive wheel, but Barkley refused to abandon his post. When the barrage lifted, another attack formed—and once again, alone and undaunted, he mowed them down. His fearless stand allowed American troops to seize and hold Hill 25, turning what could have been a rout into a triumph.

Medal of Honor Citation
BARKLEY, JOHN L.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company K, 4th Infantry, 3d Division. Place and date: Near Cunel, France, 7 October 1918. Entered service at: Blairstown, Mo. Born: 28 August 1895, Blairstown, Mo. G.O. No.: 44, W.D., 1919. Citation: Pfc. Barkley, who was stationed in an observation post half a kilometer from the German line, on his own initiative repaired a captured enemy machinegun and mounted it in a disabled French tank near his post. Shortly afterward, when the enemy launched a counterattack against our forces, Pfc. Barkley got into the tank, waited under the hostile barrage until the enemy line was abreast of him and then opened fire, completely breaking up the counterattack and killing and wounding a large number of the enemy. Five minutes later an enemy 77-millimeter gun opened fire on the tank point-blank. One shell struck the drive wheel of the tank, but this soldier nevertheless remained in the tank and after the barrage ceased broke up a second enemy counterattack, thereby enabling our forces to gain and hold Hill 25.