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Home Town Glen Iron, PA
Last Address Glen Iron, PA
Date of Passing Nov 03, 1953
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
John Church was born in the town of Glen Iron, Pennsylvania, on June 28, 1892. From 1915 until 1917, he was a student at New York University. When the United States entered the First World War, Church joined the army and was given the commissioned rank of second lieutenant. He fought valiantly and was wounded twice. After the war, Church decided to stay in the army. He instructed National Guard members and served in the Philippine Islands. When World War II broke out, Church, by then a brigadier general, became the assistant division commander of the 45th Infantry Division and later was given the same job in the 84th Infantry Division. He went back to the 45th in 1942 with the position of chief of staff. He helped lead the division from 1943-1944 in Sicily, southern Italy, Anzio, and Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France.
In September, 1944, he was sent back to the 84th Infantry Division to be the assistant commander. His division, along with several others, led the way to the Elbe River towards the end of the war. A year after the war ended, Brigadier General Church became the commander of the Infantry Replacement Training Center at Fort McClellan, Alabama. He was given the same post at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where he was soon given command of the 5th Infantry Division. From 1948 until 1949 Church served as the Deputy Chief of Army Field Forces in Fort Monroe, Virginia. In 1950, Church was serving in General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.
The Korean War
When the communist North Korean Army invaded South Korea, MacArthur sent Church to lead a survey team that decided that only American troops could stop the North Koreans. The 24th Infantry Division was sent over from Japan. A reinforced company of the division, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Brad Smith, was sent to Osan to try to halt the North Koreans. Church told Smith that all that was needed were American troops who didn't fear tanks. Task Force Smith was without tank support and had faulty communications. The first time it met in combat with the North Koreans it was promptly overrun. Major General William F. Dean gathered his troops in the city of Taejon and formed a strong defense. After a stubborn fight, the American troops retreated. Dean was captured. On July 22, Brigadier General Church was given command of the division.
The division was given a two-day period to rest, but then General Walton Walker, the commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, decided that he needed the 24th to guard his left flank. The North Korean 6th Division inflicted more losses on Church's men and gradually pushed the 24th back. Finally, Church was able to regroup his men, and they fought bravely, especially with the help of a Marine brigade, and eventually turning the tables on the Communist division that was fighting them. Church commanded the 24th Division until early 1951, when he became commandant of the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. On November 3, 1953, Major General John Huston Church passed away in Washington, D.C.
Other Comments:
Attended New York University 1915-1917. Commissioned in the Infantry in 1917. Served with the 28th Infantry, American Expeditionary Force at Cantigny, Montdidier-Noyon, Aisne-Marne and Muese-Argonne in 1918.
Aide-de-camp to Brigadier General F.C. Marshall in 1920. Instructor with the Maryland National Guard 1922-1926 and again 1929-1933. Duty in the Philippine Islands 1933-1936. Graduated from Command and General Staff School in 1937. Instructor with the Arizona National Guard 1938-1940.
Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, then Chief of Staff at 45th Division October 1940-September 1943. Commanding Officer of 157th Infantry 1943-1944. Assistant Division Commander of 45th Infantry Division, then 84th Infantry Division August 1944-January 1946. Brigadier General in August 1944.
Assignments after the war included Commanding General of 24th Infantry Division in the Korean War in 1950 and Commanding General of the Infantry Center, Fort Benning 1951-1952. Retired in June 1952. Decorations included the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit and three Purple Hearts.
Died on November 4, 1953.
CHURCH, JOHN H. Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, A.E.F. Date of Action: May 28 - 31, 1918 General Orders No. 99, W.D., 1918
Citation:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to John H. Church, Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action at Cantigny, France, May 28 - 31, 1918.
Knocked down and rendered unconscious by the explosion of a shell early in the attack, Second Lieutenant Church staggered forward as soon as he regained consciousness and insisted upon resuming command, thereby giving a striking example of fortitude to his men.
WWII - European Theater of Operations/Sicily Campaign (1943)/Operation Husky
From Month/Year
July / 1943
To Month/Year
August / 1943
Description The decision to invade Sicily was agreed by the Western Allies at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943. 'Operation Husky' was to be a combined amphibious and airborne attack scheduled for that summer under the supreme command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The Allies began air attacks on targets in Sicily and Italy in the early summer of 1943. They also attacked the Italian island of Pantellaria, which surrendered to the British 1st Division who arrived there on 11 June.
The Allied convoys concentrated near Malta on the 9 July and headed for Sicily's southern beaches. The careful planning of the landings was slightly hindered by a storm, which slowed down the landing craft. The Italian defenders believed such weather conditions would deter any attempt of an invasion and were on a low state of alert.
The British 1st Airlanding Brigade mounted in 137 gliders, were the first to land. They were to seize the Ponte Grande Bridge south of Syracuse. These landings were, on the whole, unsuccessful. Of the 137 gliders, 69 came down in the sea, drowning some 200 men. A further 56 landed in the wrong area of Sicily and just 12 reached the target area and managed to take the bridge. The US paratroopers had difficulties too, the pilots were inexperienced and dust and anti-aircraft fire resulted in the 2,781 paratroopers being scattered over an area 80km radius.
The main amphibious landings involved three British divisions in the east and two US divisions in the west, all supported by heavy fire from off shore warships.
The British did not meet strong resistance from the Italian coastal troops and were able to bring tanks and artillery ashore ahead of schedule. By the end of the day 13th Corps had taken Syracuse and 30th Corps had secured Panchino.
The US divisions had a far more difficult landing, with stiff resistance from the Italians and German air attacks. Later in the day the Hermann Goering Panzer Division, with it's 56 ton Tiger tanks, joined the defence, but the US 2nd Armored Division and US 18 Regimental Combat Team landed in the evening and the Americans managed to stand firm against the fierce fighting. Eventually, naval supporting gunfire forced the tanks to disperse.
The sudden appearance of so many paratroopers gave the appearance of a much greater invasion and the Axis defenders called for reinforcements.
By 12 July, the British had captured Augusta and Montgomery decided to head northwards, to the east of Mount Etna, to take Messina. The Commander of the US 7th Army, Lieutenant-General George S Patton, unhappy with this change of plan, was to fight westwards, towards Palermo. The Americans advanced well. They captured 53,000 prisoners and also the port of Palermo on July 22. This enabled the US 9th Division to land there, instead of on the southern beaches, and was valuable for receiving Allied supplies. Alexander ordered Patton to advance to Messina.
Meanwhile the British Eighth Army was making slow progress. The German paratroopers, with 88mm anti-tank guns, were a formidable enemy and the mountainous Sicilian countryside was hard to negotiate. The Highlanders fought hard for Biancavilla and the XIII Corps eventually took Catania and then Paterno.
The Canadians of Lord Tweedsmuir's Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment managed to take the hill town of Assoro by scaling a cliff and taking their enemy completely by surprise and advanced to Leonforte, which fell to them on 22 July.
By August, the invasion of Sicily was almost complete. The race for Messina continued; the British were helped greatly by airborne forces landing ahead and saving bridges from destruction by the Axis troops. On 17 August, the US 3rd Division entered Messina at 10am, just 50 minutes before the arrival of the British Army. The Germans had been evacuated, but had left huge amounts of weapons, ammunition and fuel. The historic city of Messina had been ravaged by Allied bombs and after the invasion, by shells from the Italian mainland.
Operation Husky was a success. The Allies achieved their goal - the 'soft underbelly' of Europe had been exposed and the Mediterranean could be fully used as a sea route. The cost of casualties was high, though less than anticipated. The Allies lost more than 16,000 men and estimated that 164,000 Axis troops were either killed or taken prisoner.
