John J. McVeigh

He held off a counterattack to protect his machine-gun squad

John J. McVeigh was born on September 26, 1921, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Northeast Catholic High School in 1939 and entered the United States Army in Philadelphia in September 1942. After training at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, he went to Northern Ireland in October 1943 with Company H, 23d Infantry, 2d Infantry Division. His unit prepared for the invasion of France in Wales before landing in Normandy on June 8, 1944. He earned the Bronze Star for heroism against a German counterattack the following month and became a sergeant.

On August 29, 1944, near Brest, France, a German counterattack threatened machine-gun positions supporting a rifle platoon that had not yet dug in. McVeigh stood exposed to direct his squad's fire as attackers closed on the guns. When his position was nearly overrun, he charged with his trench knife and was killed. His action gave the two remaining members of his squad time to concentrate their machine-gun fire, helping stop the assault and allowing the rifle platoon to reorganize and hold its ground.

Brigadier General Malcolm F. Lindsey presented his posthumous Medal of Honor to his daughter, Joan, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on April 20, 1945. McVeigh was buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. His award commemorates the protection he gave his squad during a rapidly developing counterattack.

Official Medal of Honor citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty near Brest, France, on 29 August 1944. Shortly after dusk an enemy counterattack of platoon strength was launched against one platoon of Company G, 23d Infantry. Since the Company G platoon was not dug in and had just begun to assume defensive positions along a hedge, part of the line sagged momentarily under heavy fire from small-arms and two flak guns, leaving a section of heavy machine guns holding a wide frontage without rifle protection. The enemy drive moved so swiftly that German riflemen were soon almost on top of one machine-gun position. Sgt. McVeigh, heedless of a tremendous amount of small-arms and flak fire directed toward him, stood up in full view of the enemy and directed the fire of his squad on the attacking Germans until his position was almost overrun. He then drew his trench knife, and singlehandedly charged several of the enemy. In a savage hand-to-hand struggle, Sgt. McVeigh killed one German with the knife, his only weapon, and was advancing on three more of the enemy when he was shot down and killed with small-arms fire at point-blank range. Sgt. McVeigh's heroic act allowed the two remaining men in his squad to concentrate their machine-gun fire on the attacking enemy and then turn their weapons on the three Germans in the road, killing all three. Fire from this machine gun and the other gun of the section was almost entirely responsible for stopping the enemy assault, and allowing the rifle platoon to which it was attached time to reorganize, assume positions on and hold the high ground gained during the day.