John J. Pinder, Jr. was born on June 6, 1912 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of John J. Pinder and Laura B. Wickline Pinder. Pinder joined the Army from Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, and after initial training was assigned to Headquarters Company, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. In the vicinity of Gangi, Sicily, Pinder's heroic actions on 23 July 1943 earned him the Bronze Star Medal (Posthumously). By June 6, 1944 was serving as a Technician Fifth Grade. On that day, he participated in the Allied landings near Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Pinder landed on the coast 100 yards offshore under devastating enemy machine gun fire and artillery fire which caused severe casualties among the boatload. Carrying a vitally important radio, he struggled towards shore in waist-deep water. Only a few yards from his craft he was hit by enemy fire and was gravely wounded. Pinder never stopped. He made shore and delivered the radio. Pinder, though terribly weakened by loss of blood and in fierce pain, on three occasions went int the fire-swept surf to salvage communication equipment. On the third trip he again was hit, suffering machine-gun bullet wounds in the legs. Remaining exposed to heavy enemy fire, growing steadily weaker, he aided in establishing the vital radio communications on the beach. While so engaged this dauntless soldier was hit for the third time and killed. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. John is now buried in Grandview Cemetery, Florence, Washington County, Pennsylvania, USA. His name is commemorated on the First Infantry monument in Omaha Beach, France and ranked as a Corporal.
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Pinder_Jr.