World War II Honoree

John W. Dutko

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Dilltown, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. PRIVATE FIRST CLASS, U.S. ARMY, 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: NEAR PONTE ROTTO, ITALY MAY 23, 1944. ENTERED SERVICE AT: RIVERSIDE, NEW JERSEY. CITATION: FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT RISK OF LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY ON MAY 23, 1944, NEAR PONTE ROTTO, ITALY. LEFT THE COVER OF AN ABANDONED ENEMY TRENCH AT THE HEIGHT OF AN ARTILLERY CONCENTRATION IN A SINGLE-HANDED ATTACK UPON 3 MACHINE-GUNS AND AN 88MM MOBILE GUN. DESPITE THE INTENSE FIRE OF THESE 4 WEAPONS WHICH WERE AIMED DIRECTLY AT HIM, HE RAN 10 YARDS THROUGH THE IMPACT AREA, PAUSED MOMENTARILY IN A SHELL CRATER AND THEN CONTINUED HIS L-MAN ASSAULT. ALTHOUGH MACHINE-GUN BULLETS KICKED UP THE DIRT AT HIS HEELS, AND 88MM SHELLS EXPLODED WITHIN 30 YARDS OF HIM, NEVERTHELESS MADE HIS WAY TO A POINT WITHIN 30 YARDS OF THE FIRST ENEMY MACHINE-GUN AND KILLED BOTH GUNNERS WITH A HAND GRENADE. ALTHOUGH THE SECOND MACHINE-GUN WOUNDED HIM, KNOCKING HIM TO THE GROUND, REGAINED HIS GROUND AND ADVANCED ON THE 88MM GUN, FIRING HIS BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLE (BAR) FROM THE HIP. WHEN HE CAME WITHIN 10 YARDS OF THIS WEAPON HE KILLED ITS 5-MAN CREW WITH 1 LONG BURST OF FIRE. WHEELING ON THE MACHINE-GUN WHICH HAD WOUNDED HIM, HE KILLED THE GUNNER AND HIS ASSISTANT. THE THIRD GERMAN MACHINE-GUN FIRED ON HIM FROM A POSITION 20 YARDS DISTANT WOUNDING HIM A SECOND TIME AS HE PROCEEDED TOWARD THE ENEMY WEAPON IN A HALF RUN. HE KILLED BOTH MEMBERS OF ITS CREW WITH A SINGLE BURST FROM HIS BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLE, CONTINUED TOWARD THE GUN AND DIED, HIS BODY FALLING ACROSS THE DEAD GERMAN CREW.