John J. King

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to John J. King, Captain (Infantry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with the 349th Infantry Regiment, 88th Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces on 5 October 1944. Before dawn, Captain King led his company in an advance upon strong enemy positions located on a hill. As the company neared the crest of the hill the entire ridge suddenly erupted in a blaze of automatic weapons emitting deadly interlocking streams of fire which stalled the attack, killing five and wounding twenty of the men in the company. Captain King crawled to a precarious advance position in order to bring accurate artillery fire upon the enemy. At the first dim light of dawn, he noticed that German Machine-gunners were remaining in their emplacements and improvised pillboxes despite friendly artillery concentrations. In an intrepid one-man attack, Captain King arose in full view of the enemy and charged past German emplacements and miraculously escaping all enemy machine gun fire and grenades directed at him, entered the house the Germans had been using as a pillbox and completely routed the Germans from the five rooms they had been occupying, killing six Germans and wounding several others while eighteen fled to the basement to be subsequently captured. Still not content, and out of ammunition, Captain King seized another rifle from a fallen soldier and routed the enemy from their emplacements outside of the building and broke up a reorganization for a counterattack by the enemy. The enemy thus routed from the hill position, Captain King brought up his company and directed organization of the defense of the hill during which he was wounded by enemy mortar fire but refused to be evacuated until his defense had been completely organized. In his single-handed assault upon these strong and well defended enemy positions Captain King killed 16, wounded 6, and captured 18 of the enemy. The prodigious courage and tenacity displayed by Captain King will provide a lasting inspiration to all those who witnessed his intrepid deeds. His inspiring leadership, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 88th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.