John Henry Pruitt (October 4, 1896 – October 4, 1918) was a

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and is one of only 19 people who have received two

Medals 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. Th ...

Biography

John Henry Pruitt was born on October 4, 1896, in

Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville () is the second-largest city in Arkansas, the county seat of Washington County, and the biggest city in Northwest Arkansas. The city is on the outskirts of the Boston Mountains, deep within the Ozarks. Known as Washington until ...

. He entered military service from

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, in May 1917. As a corporal in the Marine Corps, Pruitt attacked and captured two enemy machine guns, and later captured forty of the enemy. The U.S. Army and later the U.S. Navy awarded him the Medal of Honor for his bravery on October 3, 1918, at the

Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge The Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge (3 October to 27 October 1918) occurred during World War I, northeast of Reims, in Champagne, France Champagne () was a province in the northeast of the Kingdom of France, now best known as the Champagne w ...

, France. The next day, his 22nd birthday, he was killed by shell-fire. His remains were returned to the United States and was buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

, in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

Military awards

Medal of Honor

Army citation

Navy citation

Namesake

The United States Navy named a destroyer in his honor and he was listed in Pershing's 100. Pruitt Hall on Marine Corps Base Quantico is named for him.

Decorations

Pruitt's military decorations and awards include:

References

Footnotes

Sources

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pruitt, John H. 1896 births 1918 deaths United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I American military personnel killed in World War I Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Double Recipients of the Medal of Honor People from Fayetteville, Arkansas Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Recipients of the Silver Star United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers World War I recipients of the Medal of Honor Military personnel from Arkansas