The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Technical Sergeant John William Meagher (ASN: 32261405), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty as Acting Platoon Leader, Company E, 2d Battalion, 305th Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division, in action on 19 June 1945, at Ozato, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, in an attack against enemy bunkers and machine gun nests. In the heat of the fight, Technical Sergeant Meagher mounted an assault tank, and, with bullets splattering about him, designated targets to the gunner. Seeing an enemy soldier carrying an explosive charge dash for the tank treads, he shouted fire orders to the gunner, leaped from the tank, and bayoneted the charging soldier. Knocked unconscious and his rifle destroyed, he regained consciousness, secured a machinegun from the tank, and began a furious one man assault on the enemy. Firing from his hip, moving through vicious crossfire that ripped through his clothing, he charged the nearest pillbox, killing six. Going on amid the hail of bullets and grenades, he dashed for a second enemy gun, running out of ammunition just as he reached the position. He grasped his empty gun by the barrel and in a violent onslaught killed the crew. By his fearless assaults Technical Sergeant Meagher single-handedly broke the enemy resistance, enabling his platoon to take its objective and continue the advance.