John C. Squires
United States Army Medal of Honor recipient / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Charles Squires (May 19, 1925 – May 23, 1944) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.
John Charles Squires | |
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Born | (1925-05-19)May 19, 1925 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
Died | May 23, 1944(1944-05-23) (aged 19) near Padiglione, Ancona, Italy |
Place of burial | Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1943–1944 |
Rank | Sergeant |
Unit | 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Squires joined the Army from his birth city of Louisville, Kentucky in July 1943,[1] and by April 23, 1944, was serving as a private first class in Company A, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. During a battle on that day, near Padiglione, Italy, he repeatedly braved enemy fire to carry messages, bring up reinforcements, and fight the Germans throughout the night and into the next morning. Squires was killed in action a month later, after having been promoted to Sergeant. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on October 2, 1944.
Squires, aged 19 at his death, was buried in Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. In 2001, a memorial honoring Medal of Honor recipients from Kentucky was dedicated in Louisville. The memorial features a six-foot-tall bronze statue of Squires.[2]