b. 05/12/1917 Jersey City, New Jersey. d. 14/04/1996 Lyons, New Jersey.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 19/06/1945 near Ozato, Okinawa, Japan.
John W Meagher MOH
Meagher joined the Army from his birthplace of Jersey City, New Jersey, and by June 19, 1945, was serving as a technical sergeant in Company E, 305th Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division. On that day, near Ōzato, Okinawa, he prevented the tank he was riding on from being disabled by an enemy soldier and then single-handedly destroyed two enemy positions. For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor one year later, on June 14, 1946 from President Harry S. Truman on the White House Lawn.
Meagher left the Army while still a technical sergeant. He died at age 78 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He is survived by his wife and two daughters. His eldest son John W. Meagher died in 2008.
MOH CITATION:
He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. In the heat of the fight, he mounted an assault tank, and, with bullets splattering about him, designated targets to the gunner. Seeing an enemy soldier carrying an explosive charge dash for the tank treads, he shouted fire orders to the gunner, leaped from the tank, and bayonetted the charging soldier. Knocked unconscious and his rifle destroyed, he regained consciousness, secured a machine gun from the tank, and began a furious one-man assault on the enemy. Firing from his hip, moving through vicious crossfire that ripped through his clothing, he charged the nearest pillbox, killing six. Going on amid the hail of bullets and grenades, he dashed for a second enemy gun, running out of ammunition just as he reached the position. He grasped his empty gun by the barrel and in a violent onslaught killed the crew. By his fearless assault T/Sgt. Meagher singlehandedly broke the enemy resistance, enabling his platoon to take its objective and continue the advance.
BURIAL LOCATION: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.
SECTION 64, GRAVE 1701.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: FAMILY.
