World War II Honoree

John R. Crews

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Golden, Oklahoma

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

WAS AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. STAFF SERGEANT, U.S. ARMY, COMPANY F, 253D INFANTRY, 63RD INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: NEAR LOBENBACHERHOF, GERMANY, APRIL 8, 1945. ENTERED SERVICE AT BOWLEGS, OKLAHOMA. CITATION: 'DISPLAYED CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY ON APRIL 8, 1945 NEAR LOBENBACHERHOF, GERMANY; AS HIS COMPANY WAS ADVANCING TOWARD THE VILLAGE UNDER HEAVY FIRE, AN ENEMY MACHINE GUN AND AUTOMATIC RIFLE WITH RIFLE SUPPORT OPENED UPON IT FROM A HILL ON THE RIGHT FLANK. SEEING THAT HIS PLATOON LEADER HAD BEEN WOUNDED BY THEIR FIRE, ACTING ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE, RUSHED THE STRONG POINT WITH 2 MEN OF PLATOON. DESPITE THE FACT THAT 1 OF THESE MEN WAS KILLED AND THE OTHER WAS BADLY WOUNDED, HE CONTINUED HIS ADVANCE UP THE HILL IN THE FACE OF TERRIFIC ENEMY FIRE. STORMING THE WELL DUG IN POSITION SINGLE HANDEDLY, HE KILLED 2 OF THE CREW OF THE MACHINE GUN AT POINT BLANK RANGE WITH HIS M 1 RIFLE AND WRESTED THE GUN FROM THE HANDS OF THE GERMAN WHOM HE HAD ALREADY WOUNDED. HE THEN WITH HIS RIFLE CHARGED THE STRONGLY EM PLACED AUTOMATIC RIFLE. ALTHOUGH BADLY WOUNDED IN THE THIGH BY CROSSFIRE FROM THE REMAINING ENEMY, HE KEPT ON AND SILENCED THE ENTIRE POSITION WITH HIS ACCURATE AND DEADLY RIFLE FIRE. HIS ACTIONS SO UNNERVED THE REMAINING ENEMY SOLDIERS THAT 7 OF THEM SURRENDERED AND THE OTHERS FLED. HIS HEROISM CAUSED THE ENEMY TO CONCENTRATE ON HIM AND PERMITTED THE COMPANY TO MOVE FORWARD INTO THE VILLAGE.'