John Henry Pruitt

The Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor at Blanc Mont Ridge

John Henry Pruitt was only 21 years old when he performed one of the most extraordinary feats of the First World War. In a matter of minutes, the young United States Marine attacked two German machine gun positions by himself, killed two enemy soldiers, captured the guns, and then took 40 more prisoners from a nearby dugout. Before the battle was over, he was mortally wounded. For that single act of courage, Pruitt received both the Army and Navy Medals of Honor.

Born on 4 October 1896 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, John Henry Pruitt enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on 3 May 1917, less than a month after the United States entered World War I. He joined the 6th Regiment of Marines that July and deployed to France with the 78th Company, serving with the 2nd Division of the American Expeditionary Forces. His combat service would take him through some of the most famous fighting involving the Marines on the Western Front.

Pruitt fought at Château-Thierry, Bouresches, and Belleau Wood, where the Marines built a reputation for aggressive combat under some of the harshest conditions of the war. On 14 June 1918, during the fighting around Belleau Wood, Pruitt was injured in a gas attack and evacuated to a base hospital. After recovering, he returned to combat rather than leaving the front. He subsequently served in the Marbache sector and fought during the St. Mihiel operations before moving toward the battles that would define his legacy.

His courage had already attracted official recognition before Blanc Mont. On 15 September 1918 near Thiaucourt, France, Pruitt distinguished himself while helping capture an enemy machine gun. The official citation praised his gallantry in action and authorized a silver star to be placed on the ribbon of his Victory Medal. This citation later became part of his entitlement to the Silver Star Medal.

Just weeks later, Pruitt entered the battle for Blanc Mont Ridge, one of the most important attacks undertaken by the 2nd Division in the final months of World War I. During the fighting from 1 to 10 October 1918, he received two further citations for gallantry while serving with the 78th Company, 6th Marines. These second and third citations brought his recognized Silver Star entitlement to three awards. Then came 3 October 1918.

While attacking the German positions at Blanc Mont Ridge, Corporal Pruitt advanced against two enemy machine guns single-handedly. He captured both weapons and killed two enemy soldiers. Continuing forward, he reached a nearby dugout and compelled 40 German soldiers to surrender. The official Medal of Honor citation describes an astonishing sequence of actions carried out under enemy fire by a Marine who refused to stop advancing.

His Army Medal of Honor citation recorded that Pruitt had attacked and captured the two machine guns, killed two of the enemy, and then captured 40 prisoners. The Navy citation recognized the same deed as extraordinary gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. Because Marines of the 2nd Division were operating with the Army in France, Pruitt was ultimately awarded both the Army and Navy Medals of Honor for the same action, placing him among the exceptionally small group of American servicemen who received the nation's highest military decoration twice.

The extraordinary action did not end safely for Pruitt. After taking the German prisoners, he continued fighting and was struck by enemy shellfire while sniping at German positions. He died on 4 October 1918, his 22nd birthday, only one day after the action for which he would become famous. His Medal of Honor awards were made posthumously.

Pruitt's wartime service brought recognition beyond the United States as well. France honored him with the Médaille militaire and Croix de Guerre 1914 to 1918 with bronze palm, while Italy awarded him the Croce al Merito di Guerra. His wartime wounds were also later reflected in his Purple Heart entitlement. These honours joined his American gallantry awards as evidence of a remarkably intense combat career that lasted little more than a year. His surviving medals, documents, photographs, and personal material were eventually donated by the Pruitt family to the Marine Corps Museum, preserving the documentary record of his service for future generations. U.S. Marine Corps Pruitt was returned to the United States and buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 18, Grave 2453. His name continued in United States military history after his death. The Navy named the destroyer USS Pruitt (DD-347) in his honor, and the Marine Corps later named Pruitt Hall at Quantico for the young corporal whose brief service had become synonymous with battlefield courage.

John Henry Pruitt's story is remarkable not simply because he received two Medals of Honor, but because his record shows repeated acts of courage throughout the final months of his life. From Belleau Wood and Thiaucourt to the machine gun positions of Blanc Mont Ridge, Pruitt repeatedly returned to the fight. He died at just 22 years old, but his actions on 3 October 1918 secured his place among the most highly decorated and enduring heroes in United States Marine Corps history.