21 November

SSG JOHN W. MINICK
Co I, 121st Infantry, 8th ID
Hurtgen, Germany
21 Nov 1944

SSG Minick’s battalion was stopped in their tracks by extensive minefields and heavy concentrations of enemy artillery and mortar fire.

The Bn could not afford to stop advancing or it would be in the open and end up taking extensive casualties.

SSG. Minick volunteered to lead a 4 man team through the hazardous barbed wire and debris that littered the mined area. When they had moved approx 300 meters through the minefield an enemy gun emplacement directed their fire on the team.

Minick signaled his men to take covered positions then he crept alone toward the flank of the enemy position opening fire.  Minick killed 2 of the gun crew and captured the other 3.

Moving forward again, Minick engaged a platoon-sized enemy unit killing 20 Germans and capturing 20.

Minick delivered his prisoners to the rear then moved ahead spearheading his battalion’s advance encountering a new enemy gun emplacement, then crawled forward toward the weapon until he had a good vantage point at which time he dispatched the enemy crew to their god.

As SSG John W. Minick was moving to engage the next enemy position he inadvertently detonated an antipersonnel mine and was killed instantly.