John C. Squires

Who was John C. Squires?

John C. Squires 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.