John C. Squires

He held an isolated outpost against repeated hostile attacks

John C. Squires was born on May 19, 1925, in Louisville, Kentucky. He served in Company A, 30th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division, during World War II, holding the rank of private first class during his Medal of Honor action and later sergeant.

On April 23–24, 1944, near Padiglione, Italy, Squires investigated casualties from a mine explosion, found an alternate route, and organized scattered men. At Spaccasassi Creek, he helped position the defenders after their leaders became casualties. Twice he crossed a minefield and barbed wire to bring reinforcements. He fought off counterattacks, captured enemy soldiers and machine guns, and instructed fellow soldiers in using the captured weapons.

Squires died in another action in Italy on May 23, 1944. Major General Charles L. Scott presented his posthumous Medal of Honor to his parents at Fort Knox on October 7, 1944. He was buried at Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville. His award records initiative and leadership during his first offensive action.

Official citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the 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 effect 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 eight men in position of his own volition, disregarding enemy machine-gun, 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 machine-gun 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 machine-gun 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 three and wounded more Germans with captured potato-masher grenades and fire from his Spandau gun. Pfc. Squires was killed in a subsequent action.