Jack J . Pendleton Jack James Pendleton ( March 31 , 1918 – October 12 , 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 . Biography . Pendleton joined the Army from Yakima , Washington in July 1942 , and by October 12 , 1944 was serving as a Staff Sergeant in Company I , 120th Infantry Regiment , 30th Infantry Division . On that day , in Bardenberg , Germany , Pendleton voluntarily led his squad in an attack against an enemy machine gun . After being seriously wounded , he continued forward alone , purposely drawing the machine gun ' s fire so that another squad could advance and destroy the enemy position . Killed by the intense fire from the machine gun , Pendleton was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor six months later , on April 6 , 1945 . Pendleton , aged 26 at his death , was buried in Tahoma Cemetery , Yakima , Washington . Medal of Honor citation . Staff Sergeant Pendleton ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 12 October 1944 . When Company I was advancing on the town of Bardenberg , Germany , they reached a point approximately two - thirds of the distance through the town when they were pinned down by fire from a nest of enemy machineguns . This enemy strong point was protected by a lone machinegun strategically placed at an intersection and firing down a street which offered little or no cover or concealment for the advancing troops . The elimination of this protecting machinegun was imperative in order that the stronger position it protected could be neutralized . After repeated and unsuccessful attempts had been made to knock out this position , S / Sgt . Pendleton volunteered to lead his squad in an attempt to neutralize this strongpoint . S / Sgt . Pendleton started his squad slowly forward , crawling about 10 yards in front of his men in the advance toward the enemy gun . After advancing approximately 130 yards under the withering fire , S / Sgt . Pendleton was seriously wounded in the leg by a burst from the gun he was assaulting . Disregarding his grievous wound , he ordered his men to remain where they were , and with a supply of handgrenades he slowly and painfully worked his way forward alone . With no hope of surviving the veritable hail of machinegun fire which he deliberately drew onto himself , he succeeded in advancing to within 10 yards of the enemy position when he was instantly killed by a burst from the enemy gun . By deliberately diverting the attention of the enemy machine gunners upon himself , a second squad was able to advance , undetected , and with the help of S / Sgt . Pendleton ' s squad , neutralized the lone machinegun , while another platoon of his company advanced up the intersecting street and knocked out the machinegun nest which the first gun had been covering . S / Sgt . Pendleton ' s sacrifice enabled the entire company to continue the advance and complete their mission at a critical phase of the action . Honored in ship naming . The , launched on May 26 , 1944 by the United States Navy , was named in Sgt . Pendleton ' s honor .