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Meagher, John William

Date of birth:
December 5th, 1917 (Jersey City/New Jersey, United States)
Date of death:
April 14th, 1996
Buried on:
Arlington National Cemetery
Nationality:
American (1776 - present, Republic)

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Technical Sergeant
Unit:
Company E, 305th Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division "Statue of Liberty", U.S. Army
Awarded on:
June 26th, 1946
Awarded for:
Operation Iceberg
"He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. In the heat of the fight, he mounted an assault tank, and, with bullets splattering about him, designated targets to the gunner. Seeing an enemy soldier carrying an explosive charge dash for the tank treads, he shouted fire orders to the gunner, leaped from the tank, and bayoneted the charging soldier. Knocked unconscious and his rifle destroyed, he regained consciousness, secured a machinegun from the tank, and began a furious 1-man assault on the enemy. Firing from his hip, moving through vicious crossfire that ripped through his clothing, he charged the nearest pillbox, killing 6. Going on amid the hail of bullets and grenades, he dashed for a second enemy gun, running out of ammunition just as he reached the position. He grasped his empty gun by the barrel and in a violent onslaught killed the crew. By his fearless assaults T/Sgt. Meagher single-handedly broke the enemy resistance, enabling his platoon to take its objective and continue the advance."
Medal of Honor - Army (MoH)

Sources

  • - Jordan, Kenneth N., Yesterday’s Heroes – 433 men of World War II awarded the Medal of Honor 1941-1945, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., USA, 1996
    - Myers, M. (editor), Ours to Hold it High – The History of the 77th Infantry Division in World War II, The Battery Press, Nashville, USA, 2002

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