Junior James Spurrier, born James I. Spurrier, Jr., was a United States Army soldier who received America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.
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. 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.
Staff Sergeant Spurrier's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy at Achain, France, on 13 November 1944. At 2 p.m., Company G attacked the village of Achain from the east. S/Sgt. Spurrier armed with a BAR passed around the village and advanced alone. Attacking from the west, he immediately killed 3 Germans. From this time until dark, S/Sgt. Spurrier, using at different times his BAR and Ml rifle, American and German rocket launchers, a German automatic pistol, and handgrenades, continued his solitary attack against the enemy regardless of all types of small-arms and automatic-weapons fire. As a result of his heroic actions he killed an officer and 24 enlisted men and captured 2 officers and 2 enlisted men. His valor has shed fresh honor on the U.S. Armed Forces.
Born on December 14, 1922 left this earth on February 25, 1984 (aged 61)
Place of birth Castlewood, Virginia
Place of death Tennessee
Place of burial Mountain Home National Cemetery, Johnson City, Tennessee
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Rank Staff Sergeant
Unit 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross
The following text is from the Vigrinia House Joint Resolution which passed the House and Senate on 3/8/2008:
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 408
Celebrating the life of Junior James Spurrier.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 22, 2008
Agreed to by the Senate, February 28, 2008
WHEREAS, Junior James Spurrier, born James Ira Spurrier, Jr., in Wise County in 1922, was one of the war heroes of the socalled "Greatest Generation," an exceptional soldier who singlehandedly engineered feats of extraordinary bravery during his military service; and WHEREAS, Junior Spurrier lived in Bluefield, West Virginia, and worked at a Civilian Conservation Corps camp there until he joined the United States Army in September of 1940, and he was deployed to
both the Pacific Theater and Europe; and
WHEREAS, a private when he enlisted, Junior Spurrier quickly rose to the rank of staff sergeant, and in the fall of 1944, he was a platoon commander for Company G, 134th Infantry, 35th Infantry Division, 9th Army stationed near Lay St. Christophe, France; and
WHEREAS, charged with taking a heavily guarded hill near Lay St. Christophe, Sergeant Spurrier mounted a tank destroyer, took its .50 caliber machine gun, and cleared the way for his platoon to advance, capturing over 20 German soldiers along the way; he received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions that day; and
WHEREAS, on November 14, 1944, Sergeant Spurrier led his platoon in an attack to take over the Germanheld town of Achain, France; he had his platoon approach the town from one side while he entered by himself from another direction; and
WHEREAS, the Germans successfully defended the town from the advancing platoon, but Sergeant Spurrier used his Browning Automatic Rifle, his M1 rifle, American and German rocket launchers, a German pistol, and hand grenades to kill 25 German soldiers and capture several more; and
WHEREAS, Sergeant Spurrier was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his unprecedented feats that day, and he received many other honors and distinctions for his valiant service, including a Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, Croix de Guerre, American Theater Service Medal, American Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, EuropeanAfricanMiddle Eastern Campaign Medal, Marksman Badge (M1
rifle), and Combat Infantry Badge; and
WHEREAS, Junior Spurrier died in 1984 in Tennessee, but the man dubbed a "one man army" by fellow veterans was honored in 2006 with a memorial in Bluefield, West Virginia; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby celebrate the life of Junior James Spurrier, a true patriot and a man of unbounded courage; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Junior James Spurrier as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect and admiration for his heroism and his dedication to duty.
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Capture of Achain was credited to one man: S/Sgt. James J. Spurrier, Bluefield, W. Va., a former farmer and Co. G, 134th, squad leader. When 2nd Bn. Attacked Achain Nov. 14, the 22-year-old sergeant entered the town alone from the west while his company drove in from the east.
Spurrier shot the first three Nazis with his M-1. Then, picking up BARs, Yank and German bazookas and grenades wherever he found them, he systematically began to clean out the town. He crumbled one stronghold with bazooka shells, killed three more Nazis with a BAR, captured a garrison commander, a lieutenant and 14 men. Another defense point was silenced when he killed its two occupants. Out of ammunition and under fire from four Nazis, Spurrier hurled a Nazi grenade into the house, killing the four Germans.
That night, the one-man army had charge of an outpost. While checking security, he heard four Germans talking in a barn. He set fire to the supply of oil and hay, captured the four as they ran out. Later, he spotted a Kraut crawling toward a sentry, killed him when there was no reply to his challenge.
According to the 25-year-old Lt. Col. Frederick Roecker, his battalion CO, Spurrier killed 25 Germans, captured 20 others. In March, 1945, Sgt. Spurrier was awarded the division's first Congressional Medal of Honor.