James Dougal McRacken was born on June 1, 1916 at Montrose, North Carolina. He was the son of James B. McRacken and Mary I. McRacken. Private McRacken was served with Company A, 315th Engineer Combat Battalion, 90th Infantry Division during World War II. On August 5, 1944 PVT McRacken’s Company A, 315th Engineer Combat Battalion was attached to Task Force Weaver in action against German forces. The team made a 37-mile dash to Mayenne, France, where the retreating Germans had already blown up 2 of the 3 bridges that spanned the Mayenne River in order to slow the American advance and allow the Germans to consolidate and defend the town. Only a final massive stone bridge (then known as the “Pont de la Caisse d’Epargne”) 50 meters long, remained standing and it was wired to a 125kg bomb and 15 cases of dynamite, all ready to explode. That night, under direct fire, engineers of the 1st squad of the 2nd platoon of A Company began a dash to cross the bridge in order to clip the firing wires and defuse the huge aerial bomb charges with which the Germans were trying to destroy this key bridge over the Mayenne River. Huddled behind a tank, PVT McRacken and 11 other soldiers had begun moving toward the bridge when PVT McRacken moved from the protection of the tank, ran 500m to the bridge, and quickly began cutting the small white cords. As he did this, all the German sharpshooters and machine guns were already focused on the bridge and hit PVT McRacken with their intense fire. PVT McRacken instantly fell dead in the middle of the bridge, his wire cutters at his side. The remaining 11 men feverishly finished cutting the remaining wires and removing the detonation cord threatening to blow the bridge at any time. Later, in a flanking movement, Company A ferried the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 357th Infantry Regiment across the river and the entire city was captured. This allowed for the continued Allied advance. PVT McRacken’s selfless, courageous actions and extraordinary heroism earned him, at the cost of his life, the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

PVT McRacken gave his life for the destruction of an important strategic point, the sole remaining bridge over the Mayenne River. The citizens of Mayenne had watched the unfolding drama of his dash and subsequent death from houses that rise steeply from the river on both sides. They also watched as the Americans raced after him to chase the Germans from the town. The townspeople descended on the bridge and placed a white sheet over the body of PVT McRacken and scattered Dahlias over the young American who had saved their town. Pvt McRacken is now buried in the Alloway Cemetery, Red Springs, Robeson County, North Carolina, USA.

-Distinguished Service Cross citation-
[The citation for Private McRacken's DSC spells his name as "Macracken." However, his family name is McRacken and that spelling is used in this biography except for the DSC citation which is left as provided by the U.S. Army.]
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (posthumously) to James D. Macracken, Private, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company A, 315th Engineer Combat Battalion, in action against enemy forces on 5 August 1944. Private Macracken's intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty at the cost of his life, exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Headquarters, U.S. Forces-European Theater, General Orders No. 43 (1947)
Mayenne

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, militaryhallofhonor.com