John Druse Hawk

He exposed himself to guide tank destroyers at enemy armour.

John Druse Hawk was born in San Francisco on 30 May 1924 and grew up on Bainbridge Island, Washington. He entered the Army shortly after finishing high school in 1943. Assigned to Company E, 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division, he fought in Normandy during the Allied advance across France.

On 20 August 1944 near Chambois, Hawk's machine-gun position faced German infantry and tanks attempting to escape the closing Falaise pocket. Wounded in the thigh, he continued fighting until enemy fire disabled his weapon. He helped assemble a working machine gun from damaged equipment and resumed firing.

When American tank destroyers arrived, their crews could not see the concealed German armour. Hawk repeatedly exposed himself to observe the enemy and then returned to direct their fire. His guidance helped destroy two tanks and drive another away. The German forces confronting his position eventually surrendered in large numbers. He received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman at Olympia on 21 June 1945.

Hawk continued serving after Normandy, fighting around Metz and in the later European campaign. He received four Purple Hearts as well as American and British decorations. Discharged in July 1945, he returned to Washington and studied at the University of Washington, graduating in biology.

In 1952 he began teaching in the Central Kitsap schools. He later became an elementary-school principal and spent thirty-one years in education before retiring in 1983. His family suffered the loss of his young son David in a road accident in 1956. Alongside his school career, Hawk remained involved with veterans, military units and civic organizations.

France honoured him with the Legion of Honour in 2007. A school and a post office were named for him, and he continued meeting service members and students into old age. He died in Bremerton on 4 November 2013.