John Wilson Minick was born on June 14, 1908, in Wall, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Anthony Fuhrman Minick and Alma Churchfield Minick. He was married to Mary Ruth Miller Mazzoni. He entered the U.S. Army from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in August 1943 and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant with Company I, 121st Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division.

On November 21, 1944, while fighting within the German defenses around Hürtgen and Vossenack, Germany, Minick voluntarily led a small group of soldiers through a minefield. He then single-handedly neutralized two enemy machine-gun positions and engaged a German force approximately the size of a company. While continuing his advance, he was killed as he attempted to cross a second minefield. For his courage and actions during the battle, Minick was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 1948. He was 36 years old at the time of his death and was laid to rest at Westminster Cemetery in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Medal of Honor Citation:
He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, in action involving actual conflict with the enemy on 21 November 1944, near Hurtgen, Germany. S/Sgt. Minick's battalion was halted in its advance by extensive minefields, exposing troops to heavy concentrations of enemy artillery and mortar fire. Further delay in the advance would result in numerous casualties and a movement through the minefield was essential. Voluntarily, S/Sgt. Minick led 4 men through hazardous barbed wire and debris, finally making his way through the minefield for a distance of 300 yards. When an enemy machinegun opened fire, he signaled his men to take covered positions, edged his way alone toward the flank of the weapon and opened fire, killing 2 members of the guncrew and capturing 3 others. Moving forward again, he encountered and engaged single-handedly an entire company killing 20 Germans and capturing 20, and enabling his platoon to capture the remainder of the hostile group. Again moving ahead and spearheading his battalion's advance, he again encountered machinegun fire. Crawling forward toward the weapon, he reached a point from which he knocked the weapon out of action. Still another minefield had to be crossed. Undeterred, S/Sgt. Minick advanced forward alone through constant enemy fire and while thus moving, detonated a mine and was instantly killed.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, en.wikipedia.org