The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Captain (Infantry) John Gekler Reckord (ASN: 0-418344), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Commanding Officer of Company L, 3d Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces at Cherbourg, France, from 6 to 10 June 1944. On 6 June 1944, he personally led his men across a hostile fortified beach which was under a heavy concentration of artillery, machine gun and rocket fire. Moving quickly inland, he reorganized his company under fire and moved further inland to assault his company objectives without loss of life to his personnel. Personally leading his men in the assault and seizure of Saint Marie du Mont, France, he drove the enemy out of the town and secured the uninterrupted advance of following troops. He then established contact with a parachute unit which had landed behind the enemy prior to H-hour, and in the course of this operation, personally killed six of the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. On 7 June 1944, Captain Reckord personally led his company in an assault upon a fortified zone in Fousville and destroyed all opposition by means of supporting fires, maneuver, and hand-to-hand combat. In this phase of operations, he rescued one officer and twelve enlisted men from a parachute unit who had been captives of the Germans and in so doing, he and his men killed one hundred and ten Germans and captured seventy. On 8 June 1944, Captain Reckord personally led his company in an attack on a heavily fortified enemy ridge, driving out a number of snipers and effecting the capture of several machine gun nests, an action in which ten of the enemy were killed and five captured. On 9 June 1944, Captain Reckord personally led his company in an attack against a machine gun nest and an 88-mm. gun which was located in such a position as to seriously impede the advance of his company and his entire Battalion, killing twenty-seven Germans and capturing one. On 10 June 1944, Captain Reckord personally led his company across five hundred yards of open ground through a thick barrage of artillery and rocket fire, without loss of life, a feat accomplished by moving from one position to another under heavy fire, directing his troops in their advance, which brought his unit to the Corps objective. At all times during these four days, Captain Reckord was in front of his troops, moving from one position to another under the most dangerous circumstances, encouraging the individual men of his company, with complete disregard for his own safety. His extraordinary courage increased the fighting spirit of his organization to a maximum pitch, and the skill he displayed in directing and controlling the operations of his unit, held casualties to a minimum. Captain Reckord’s outstanding leadership, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 4th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.