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Contact Info
Home Town Castlewood
Last Address Bluefield, TN
Date of Passing Feb 25, 1984
Location of Interment Mountain Home National Cemetery (VA) - Mountain Home, Tennessee
James I. Spurrier, Jr. was born in Castlewood, Virginia. In September 1940, he enlisted in the Army. James filled his name in the wrong blanks, so he became "Junior J. Spurrier" to the Army.
Sent overseas on April 20, 1942, he first served in the infantry in the Pacific Theater. Injured in New Guinea in late 1943, he was returned to the United States for medical treatment, first to Camp Carson, Colorado, then to San Francisco, California.Deemed fit for duty, Spurrier was sent overseas again in June 1944 at his own request. He was eventually assigned to Company G of the 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, as a replacement private on July 19, 1944.
Near Lay St. Christopher, France, he earned the Distinguished Service Cross. He had spearheaded an assault on a stubbornly defended hill position. On a tank destroyer, he used a .50-caliber machine gun to kill over 12 Germans and captured 22 others. He climbed down to personally blow up bunkers with rifle fire and grenades.
On November 13, 1944, while serving as a Staff Sergeant with Company G, 134th Infantry, 35th Infantry Division, Spurrier fought Germans in Achain, Moselle, France. Repeatedly, Spurrier wandered into the command post with prisoners, replenished his ammo, then slipped out the door. Junior J. Spurrier earned the Medal of Honor for nearly single-handedly capturing the village of Achain that day. He received the Medal of Honor on March 6, 1945 from Lt. Gen. William Hood Simpson.
Spurrier was noted as an extraordinarily brave and independent prankster who often clashed with his commanders, and went absent without leave several times during his service.
Discharged after World War II, he attempted to go into business and had a brief stint as a pitcher with the Galax Leafs of the Class D Blue Ridge League before re-enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1947. He was elevated to the rank of technical sergeant and placed on recruiting duty.
He had a severe problem with alcohol, and was demoted to the rank of private in 1950; Spurrier deserted his post during the Korean War and the Army gave him a general discharge in 1951 rather than court-martial him.
Spurrier had a turbulent and remarkable life after the military. He had a difficult time adjusting to civilian life, possibly due to posttraumatic stress disorder, and had several run-ins with the law in Virginia and Maryland.
He eventually served three jail sentences, including one for attempted murder, being released for the last time in 1969.
Spurrier became a teetotaler, ran a radio and television repair business, and retired to a cabin in eastern Tennessee, where he died in relative obscurity on February 25, 1984, at the age of 61.
Other Comments:
Spurrier was known as the One Man Army and the Sgt. York of World War II for his valor in combat in Europe. He received both the Distinguished Service Cross and the Medal of Honor among several medals. Tony Whitlow president of the museum board of directors called Spurrier, a super hero whose exploits have no equal.
-Audie Murphy received one more medal than Junior did, and it was the Good Conduct Medal.- Remarks made by his commanding officers who characterized his composure under fire, his intelligence and the fact that he was the meanest, toughest and orneriest soldier in the war.
WWII - European Theater of Operations/Rhineland Campaign (1944-45)/Battle of Metz
From Month/Year
September / 1944
To Month/Year
December / 1944
Description The Battle of Metz (27 September - 13 December 1944) was a three-month battle fought between the United States Army and the German Army during World War II. It took place at the city of Metz following the Allied breakout after the Normandy landings. The attack on the city by the U.S. Third Army faced heavy resistance from the defending German forces, and resulted in heavy casualties for both sides. The heavily fortified city of Metz was captured by U.S. forces before the end of November 1944, and the battle ended in victory for the U.S. following the surrender of the remaining German forces.
Battle
Armoured cavalry elements of the United States XX Corps, while on a reconnaissance operation in the direction of the Moselle, made contact with elements from the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division on 6 September 1944. On 18 September, Panzer elements made contact with U.S. reconnaissance units again. The U.S. forces had not expected the German forces to be in the area, and had to bring together their units that were spread out.[5] Several small scale attacks were made by the U.S. forces after this encounter.
The first U.S. attack was launched by the 5th Infantry Division, in which they attempted to capture a bridgehead to the north of Metz. This attack was repelled by the German forces, as was another attack on the city that followed. In another attack, the US forces captured a small bridgehead across the Moselle to the south of Metz.
Troops of 5th Infantry Division conducting a house-to-house search in Metz on 19 November 1944
By the end of September, German forces positioned to the north were relocated in the southern area of Metz. A number of troops were also withdrawn from Metz. Following this new development, the XII Corps launched another attack but was countered by the German defenders. In the following two weeks, the U.S. forces limited themselves to small scale attacks and patrolling in the Metz area. During this time, the XX Corps underwent a training program, experimenting with methods of reducing the defenses of the fortress. By this time, the U.S. command had decided to attack Metz from its rear, coming from the east.
On November 3, a new attack was launched by the U.S. forces, which resulted in the capture of the outer defenses with the aid of the tactics developed during the training process. On November 14, Generalleutnant Heinrich Kittel was appointed as the new commander of the German forces.[6] By 17 November, U.S. forces had managed to isolate most of the forts, and were attacking the city. They entered the city of Metz on November 18, and on November 21, Kittel was wounded and subsequently captured by U.S. forces. Although the city was captured by U.S. forces and hostilities formally ceased on November 22, the remaining isolated forts continued to hold out. German forces had been retreating since November 17, and U.S. forces pursued them for the following two days.
Aftermath
Direct assault was forbidden against the holdout forts in order to preserve artillery ammunition for the XX Corps' advance to the Sarre River. However, the isolated forts subsequently surrendered one by one following the surrender of Fort Verdun on November 26. By the end of November, several forts were still holding out. The last of the forts at Metz to surrender was Fort Jeanne d'Arc, which surrendered on December 13.
Although the battle resulted in defeat for the German forces, it served the intended purpose of the German command of halting the advance of the U.S. Third Army for three months, enabling retreating German forces to make an organized withdrawal to the Sarre river and to organize their defenses.
