Jack Llewellyn Knight - Cool, TX
N 32° 48.216 W 098° 00.277
14S E 593191 N 3629953
Medal of Honor recipient Jack Llewellyn Knight is buried in Holders Chapel Cemetery, Cool, TX, and his headstone notes that he was killed in action during World War II.
Waymark Code: WMY752
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 05/03/2018
Views: 1
Lieutenant Knight is buried with several members of his family, and his upright, gray granite headstone has a photo medallion of him at the top, complemented by flowers and "Precious Memories". His Medal of Honor is depicted below the inscription, which reads:
1st Lt. Jack L. Knight
Troop F, 124th Cav.
Born May 29, 1917
Killed in Action on Burma Road
Feb. 2, 1945
Awarded Congressional Medal of Honor
For Meritorious Valor Beyond the Call of Duty
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A 1990 Texas Historical Marker at his grave provides some background:
Born on a farm near Garner (4 mi. N) Jack L. Knight enlisted in the Texas National Guard in 1940. Mobilized for service during World War II, his unit was posted to Southeast Asia to help open the Burma Road between India and China. During one of the last battles in that region, Knight was killed while leading an attack on a Japanese position. Four months later, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the only one awarded for the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations. In 1949 he was buried in this cemetery named for his great-grandfather.
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His Medal of Honor Citation elaborates:
He led his cavalry troop against heavy concentrations of enemy mortar, artillery, and small arms fire. After taking the troop's objective and while making preparations for a defense, he discovered a nest of Japanese pillboxes and foxholes to the right front. Preceding his men by at least 10 feet, he immediately led an attack Single-handedly he knocked out 2 enemy pillboxes and killed the occupants of several foxholes. While attempting to knock out a third pillbox, he was struck and blinded by an enemy grenade. Although unable to see, he rallied his platoon and continued forward in the assault on the remaining pillboxes. Before the task was completed he fell mortally wounded. 1st Lt. Knight's gallantry and intrepidity were responsible for the successful elimination of most of the Jap positions and served as an inspiration to officers and men of his troop.
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