Navy Federal Credit Union

John Sjogren joined the Michigan National Guard after earning the Medal of Honor on active duty. Originally he was classified by his draft board as 4-F for “curvature of the spine,” but talked his way into the service. In his Medal of Honor the man the Army initially found medically unqualified destroyed 9 enemy pillboxes and killed 43 enemy soldiers.

Awards Received

  • Medal of Honor

    Service:

    United States Army

    Rank:

    Staff Sergeant

    Regiment:

    160th Infantry Regiment

    Division:

    40th Infantry Division

    Action Date:

    May 23, 1945

    War Department, General Orders No. 97 (November 1, 1945)

    The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant John Carleton Sjogren, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1945, while serving with Company I, 160th Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division, in action at San Jose Hacienda, Negros, Philippine Islands. Staff Sergeant Sjogren led an attack against a high precipitous ridge defended by a company of enemy riflemen, who were entrenched in spider holes and supported by well-sealed pillboxes housing automatic weapons with interlocking bands of fire. The terrain was such that only one squad could advance at one time; and from a knoll atop a ridge a pillbox covered the only approach with automatic fire. Against this enemy stronghold, Staff Sergeant Sjogren led the first squad to open the assault. Deploying his men, he moved forward and was hurling grenades when he saw that his next in command, at the opposite flank, was gravely wounded. Without hesitation he crossed 20 yards of exposed terrain in the face of enemy fire and exploding dynamite charges, moved the man to cover and administered first aid. He then worked his way forward and, advancing directly into the enemy fire, killed eight Japanese in spider holes guarding the approach to the pillbox. Crawling to within a few feet of the pillbox while his men concentrated their bullets on the fire port, he began dropping grenades through the narrow firing slit. The enemy immediately threw two or three of these unexploded grenades out, and fragments from one wounded him in the hand and back. However, by hurling grenades through the embrasure faster then the enemy could return them, he succeeded in destroying the occupants. Despite his wounds, he directed his squad to follow him in a systematic attack on the remaining positions, which he eliminated in like manner, taking tremendous risks, overcoming bitter resistance, and never hesitating in his relentless advance. To silence one of the pillboxes, he wrenched a light machinegun out through the embrasure as it was firing before blowing up the occupants with hand grenades. During this action, Staff Sergeant Sjogren, by his heroic bravery, aggressiveness, and skill as a soldier, single-handedly killed 43 enemy soldiers and destroyed nine pillboxes, thereby paving the way for his company’s successful advance.