John D. Kelly (World War II soldier)

Three assaults opened an enemy strongpoint at Cherbourg

John D. Kelly was a corporal in Company E, 314th Infantry, 79th Infantry Division. Near Fort du Roule at Cherbourg, France, on June 25, 1944, he volunteered to neutralize a strongpoint pinning down his unit. He climbed the exposed slope three times with explosive pole charges, disabling the guns and opening a rear entrance. Grenades then forced the surviving defenders to surrender.

Kelly survived the action and later became a technical sergeant, but died from subsequent battle wounds on November 23, 1944. Born in Pennsylvania on October 7, 1920, he was buried at Epinal American Cemetery in France. His widow received his posthumous Medal of Honor in February 1945.

Medal of Honor citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On 25 June 1944, in the vicinity of Fort du Roule, Cherbourg, France, when Cpl. Kelly's unit was pinned down by heavy enemy machine-gun fire emanating from a deeply entrenched strongpoint on the slope leading up to the fort, Cpl. Kelly volunteered to attempt to neutralize the strongpoint. Armed himself with a pole charge about 10 feet long and with 15 pounds of explosive affixed, he climbed the slope under a withering blast of machine-gun fire and placed the charge at the strongpoint's base. The subsequent blast was ineffective, and again, alone and unhesitatingly, he braved the slope to repeat the operation. This second blast blew off the ends of the enemy guns. Cpl. Kelly then climbed the slope a third time to place a pole charge at the strongpoint's rear entrance. When this had been blown open he hurled grenades inside the position, forcing survivors of the enemy guncrews to come out and surrender. The gallantry, tenacity of purpose, and utter disregard for personal safety displayed by Cpl. Kelly were an incentive to his comrades and worthy of emulation by all.