Jack Llewellyn Knight (May 29, 1917 – February 2, 1945) was an

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officer who was killed in action during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He was awarded the

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highest military decoration for valor, the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

, posthumously. He was inducted to the Texas Military Hall of Honor in 1980, awarded the

Texas Legislative Medal of Honor The Texas Legislative Medal of Honor, commonly referred to as the Texas Medal of Honor, is the highest military decoration that can be conferred to a service member of the Texas Military Forces. It can also be conferred to service members of the ...

posthumously on May 31, 1999.Texas State Historical Association. Knight, Jack Llwellyn
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Biography

Knight was born in

Garner, Texas Garner is an unincorporated community on Farm Road 113 northwest of Weatherford in Parker County, Texas, United States. It has a population of around 100. History The original settlement in the area was called Trappe Springs and was founded in t ...

. He graduated from Weatherford Junior College, in

Weatherford, Texas Weatherford ( ) is a city and the county seat of Parker County, Texas, United States. In 2020, its population was 30,854. Weatherford is named after Thomas J. Weatherford, a State senator and advocate for Texas’ secession to the Confederate S ...

, in 1938, and joined the

Texas National Guard The Texas Military Forces (TXMF) are the principal instrument through which the Texas Military Department (TMD) executes security policy for Texas, which has the second-largest population and border in the United States, and the 9th-largest econ ...

with his brother Curtis on November 18, 1940.

World War II

Knight served as a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

in the 124th Cavalry Regiment, Mars Task Force. On February 2, 1945, near LoiKang,

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

, Knight single-handedly destroyed two

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese

pillbox Pillbox may refer to: * Pill organizer, a container for medicine * Pillbox hat, a woman's hat with a flat crown, straight upright sides, and no brim * Pillbox (military) A pillbox is a type of blockhouse, or concrete dug-in guard-post, norm ...

es. Despite being wounded, he led his rifle

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...

in an attack on other enemy positions but was again wounded, this time fatally. For his heroic actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously four months later, on June 25, 1945. Knight, aged 27 at his death, was buried at the Holders Chapel Cemetery in

Cool, Texas Cool is a town in Parker County, Texas, United States. The population was 157 at the 2010 census. The origin of the name "Cool" is obscure. Geography Cool is located at (32.798472, –98.012781). According to the United States Census Bureau, ...

Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor citation

First Lieutenant Knight's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

He led his cavalry troop against heavy concentrations of enemy mortar,
artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
, and
small arms A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
fire. After taking the troop's objective and while making preparations for a defense, he discovered a nest of Japanese pillboxes and foxholes to the right front. Preceding his men by at least 10 feet, he immediately led an attack. Single-handedly he knocked out 2 enemy pillboxes and killed the occupants of several foxholes. While attempting to knock out a third pillbox, he was struck and blinded by an enemy grenade. Although unable to see, he rallied his platoon and continued forward in the assault on the remaining pillboxes. Before the task was completed he fell mortally wounded. 1st Lt. Knight's gallantry and intrepidity were responsible for the successful elimination of most of the Japanese positions and served as an inspiration to officers and men of his troop.

Texas legislative Medal of Honor

He was awarded the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor in May 1999. The medal was given to sister who was to take it to his brother Curtis who also fought in the battle.

Building Dedication

Jack L Knight was honored with a building named after him at Weatherford College on November 11, 2014.

External links

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References

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Jack L. 1917 births 1945 deaths United States Army personnel killed in World War II United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Recipients of the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor People from Parker County, Texas United States Army officers World War II recipients of the Medal of Honor Military personnel from Texas