- Junior J. Spurrier
Infobox Military Person
name=Junior James Spurrier
born= birth date|1922|12|14
died= death date and age|1984|2|25|1922|12|14
placeofbirth=Castlewood,Virginia
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=
caption=
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch=United States Army
serviceyears=
rank= Staff Sergeant
commands=
unit=134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division
battles=World War II
awards=Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross
laterwork=Junior James Spurrier, born James I. Spurrier, Jr., was a
United States Army soldier who received America's highest military decoration—theMedal of Honor —for his actions inWorld War II .James I. Spurrier, Jr. was born in Castlewood,
Virginia . In September 1940, he enlisted in the Army. James filled his name in the wrong blanks, so he became "Junior J. Spurrier" to the Army. Near Lay St. Christopher,France , he earned the Distinguished Service Cross. He had spearheaded an assault on a stubbornly defended hill position. On a tank destroyer, he used a .50-caliber machine gun to kill over 12 Germans and captured 22 others. He climbed down to personally blow up bunkers with rifle fire and grenades.On
November 13 1944 , while serving as a Staff Sergeant with Company G, 134th Infantry, 35th Infantry Division, Spurrier fought Germans in Achain,Moselle , France. Many times Spurrier wandered into the command post with prisoners, replenished his ammo, then slipped out the door. Junior J. Spurrier earned the Medal of Honor for nearly single-handedly capturing the village of Achain that day. He received the Medal of Honor onMarch 6 1945 from Lt. Gen.William Hood Simpson .Medal of Honor citation
Staff Sergeant Spurrier's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy at Achain, France, on 13 November 1944. At 2 p.m., Company G attacked the village of Achain from the east. S/Sgt. Spurrier armed with a BAR passed around the village and advanced alone. Attacking from the west, he immediately killed 3 Germans. From this time until dark, S/Sgt. Spurrier, using at different times his BAR and Ml rifle, American and German rocket launchers, a German automatic pistol, and handgrenades, continued his solitary attack against the enemy regardless of all types of small-arms and automatic-weapons fire. As a result of his heroic actions he killed an officer and 24 enlisted men and captured 2 officers and 2 enlisted men. His valor has shed fresh honor on the U.S. Armed Forces.
ee also
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients References
*http://www.medalofhonor.com
Persondata
NAME= Spurrier, Junior J.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
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