John Lewis Barkley

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Private First Class John Lewis Barkley (ASN: 2214317), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 7 October 1918, while serving with Company K, 4th Infantry, 3d Division, in action at Cunel, France. Private First Class Barkley, who was stationed in an observation post half a kilometer from the German line, on his own initiative repaired a captured enemy machinegun and mounted it in a disabled French tank near his post. Shortly afterward, when the enemy launched a counterattack against our forces, Private First Class Barkley got into the tank, waited under the hostile barrage until the enemy line was abreast of him and then opened fire, completely breaking up the counterattack and killing and wounding a large number of the enemy. Five minutes later an enemy 77-millimeter gun opened fire on the tank pointblank. One shell struck the drive wheel of the tank, but this soldier nevertheless remained in the tank and after the barrage ceased broke up a second enemy counterattack, thereby enabling our forces to gain and hold Hill 25.