John C . Squires John C . 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 . Squires joined the Army from his birth city of Louisville , Kentucky in July 1943 , 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 . Medal of Honor citation . Sergeant Squires ' official Medal of Honor citation reads : For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty . At the start of his company ' s attack on strongly held enemy positions in and around Spaccasassi Creek , near Padiglione , Italy , on the night of 23 - April 24 , 1944 , Pfc . Squires , platoon messenger , participating in his first offensive action , braved intense artillery , mortar , and antitank gun fire in order to investigate the effects of an antitank mine explosion on the leading platoon . Despite shells which burst close to him , Pfc . Squires made his way 50 yards forward to the advance element , noted the situation , reconnoitered a new route of advance and informed his platoon leader of the casualties sustained and the alternate route . Acting without orders , he rounded up stragglers , organized a group of lost men into a squad and led them forward . When the platoon reached Spaccasassi Creek and established an outpost , Pfc . Squires , knowing that almost all of the noncommissioned officers were casualties , placed 8 men in position of his own volition , disregarding enemy machinegun , machine - pistol , and grenade fire which covered the creek draw . When his platoon had been reduced to 14 men , he brought up reinforcements twice . On each trip he went through barbed wire and across an enemy minefield , under intense artillery and mortar fire . Three times in the early morning the outpost was counterattacked . Each time Pfc . Squires ignored withering enemy automatic fire and grenades which struck all around him , and fired hundreds of rounds of rifle , Browning automatic rifle , and captured German Spandau machinegun ammunition at the enemy , inflicting numerous casualties and materially aiding in repulsing the attacks . Following these fights , he moved 50 yards to the south end of the outpost and engaged 21 German soldiers in individual machinegun duels at point - blank range , forcing all 21 enemy to surrender and capturing 13 more Spandau guns . Learning the function of this weapon by questioning a German officer prisoner , he placed the captured guns in position and instructed other members of his platoon in their operation . The next night when the Germans attacked the outpost again he killed 3 and wounded more Germans with captured potato - masher grenades and fire from his Spandau gun . Pfc . Squires was killed in a subsequent action .