John Henry Quick (June 20, 1870 – September 9, 1922) was a

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

who received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for his actions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 1898 during the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

and the Distinguished Service Cross and the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Naval Service's second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is equivalent to the Army ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Early years

Quick was born June 20, 1870, in Charles Town, Jefferson County, West Virginia.

Military service

He enlisted in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

on August 10, 1892, from

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. He received the

"for gallantry in action" in signalling the gunfire support vessel while exposed to heavy enemy fire at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on June 14, 1898. Throughout his 26-year career as a Marine, Quick participated in every campaign the Marines were involved in during his enlistment and he was the holder of several awards for valor. The campaigns he participated in include The West Indies Campaign, The

, the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

, Cuban Campaign, Battle of Vera Cruz (1914) and, World War I.

Spanish–American War

During the morning of June 14, 1898, Companies "C" and "D" of Lt. Col Robert W. Huntington's Marine Battalion and approximately fifty Cubans moved through the hills to seize Cuzco Well, the main water supply for the Spanish garrison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The moved east along the shore ready to furnish naval gunfire support upon call. The Spanish soon discovered the movement and their main body near the Well was alerted. The Marines and Cubans occupied the hill which overlooked the enemy's position, but were immediately subjected to heavy long-range rifle fire. Captain George F. Elliott (later

Commandant of the Marine Corps Commandant of the Marine Corps may refer to: * Commandant of the Marine Corps (Indonesia) * Commandant of the Netherlands Marine Corps * Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps * Commandant of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps * Commandant of th ...

), who had succeeded to command of the Marine Detachment, signaled the Dolphin to shell the Spanish position; but because the sender was not clearly visible, the message was misinterpreted, and the vessel began dropping shells on a small detachment of Marines who were en route to join the fight. The problem of directing the fire of the USS Dolphin was solved by Sergeant Quick who heroically placed himself in plain sight of the vessel, but in danger of falling shells as well as a brisk enemy fire, and signaled for the bombardment to be stopped. War correspondent and author

Stephen Crane Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 – June 5, 1900) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism an ...

, who was with the Marines there, later described the scene in his war tale "Marines Signaling Under Fire at Guantanamo": When Sergeant Quick finished this message, the ship answered. Quick then picked up his

M1895 Lee Navy The M1895 Lee Navy was a straight-pull magazine rifle adopted in limited numbers by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in 1895 as a first-line infantry rifle.Walter, John, ''The Rifle Story: An Illustrated History from 1776 to the Present Day'', MBI ...

rifle and resumed his place on the firing line. The Dolphin shifted her fire and by 2:00 p.m. the Spaniards had begun to retreat. For his gallant and selfless conduct during this action, Quick received the

Philippine–American War

During the

, he served as a Gunnery Sergeant in the Samaran campaign from October 26, 1901, to March 26, 1902. He participated in a battle at the Sohoton Cliffs, where he played a decisive role laying down covering fire for the advancing Marines with an

M1895 Colt–Browning machine gun The Colt–Browning M1895, nicknamed "potato digger" because of its unusual operating mechanism, is an air-cooled, belt-fed, gas-operated machine gun that fires from a closed bolt with a cyclic rate of 450 rounds per minute. Based on an 1889 desi ...

, and in Waller's March across Samar under the command of Major Littleton W. T. Waller.

Veracruz

Quick served on expeditionary duty in Mexico (April 21, 1914 – November 23, 1914). During the

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

Campaign of 1914, Quick was again cited for valor during the assault of that city, for which the Secretary of the Navy commendation says of his performance:

He was continually exposed to fire during the first two days of the operation and showed coolness, bravery, and judgment in the prompt manner in which he performed his duties.

World War I

Quick sailed to France as one of the Battalion Sergeants Major of the

6th Marine Regiment The 6th Marine Regiment (also referred to as "6th Marines") is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The regiment falls under the command of the 2nd Marine Division of th ...

in 1917. The

Battle of Belleau Wood The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) was a major battle that occurred during the German spring offensive in World War I, near the Marne (river), Marne River in France. The battle was fought by the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division (United State ...

was the opening battle of the War for him and he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the

for assisting in the delivery of ammunition, over a road swept by enemy artillery and machine gun fire, to Boureches. He earned these decorations on June 6, 1918, when "he volunteered and assisted in taking a truckload of ammunition and material into Bouresches, France, over a road swept by artillery and machine-gun fire, thereby relieving a critical situation." He was further awarded the 2d Division Citation, and his regiment was awarded the French fourragère of the croix de guerre. In addition to Belleau Wood he participated in every battle that was fought by the Marines in France until October 16, 1918, including the Toulon Sector at Verdun, the Aisne-Marne Offensive (popularly known as the Battle of Soissons), the Marbache Sector near Pont-a-Mousoon, the

St. Mihiel Offensive The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12 to 15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States agains ...

, the

Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge The Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge (3 October to 27 October 1918) occurred during World War I, northeast of Reims, in Champagne, France. The US Army's 2nd Infantry Division and the 36th Infantry Division alongside the French Fourth Army opposed ...

, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive Sector.

Retirement and death

He retired November 20, 1918 and after requesting to come back, was recalled from July 26, 1920 – September 15, 1920. He died in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

on September 9, 1922, at the age of 52 and is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in

Jennings, Missouri Jennings is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 12,895. History The city was named after James Jennings, a farmer and merchant who moved to the area from Virginia with his family and ret ...

Honors and awards

Military decorations

* Medal of Honor * Distinguished Service Cross * Navy Cross *

Silver Star Medal The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an ...

(

Citation Star The Citation Star was a Department of War personal valor decoration issued as a ribbon device which was first established by the United States Congress on July 9, 1918 (Bulletin No. 43, War Dept. 1918). When awarded, a silver star was placed o ...

)

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: June 20, 1870, Charleston, W. Virginia Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No. 5: December 4, 13, 1898. Other Navy award: Navy Cross. Citation:

In action during the battle of Cuzco, Cuba, 14 June 1898. Distinguishing himself during this action, Quick signaled the U.S.S. Dolphin on 3 different occasions while exposed to a heavy fire from the enemy.

Navy Cross citation

Citation:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Sergeant Major John Henry Quick (MCSN: 68644), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving with the Headquarters Company, 6th Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F. in action at Bouresches, France, 6 June 1918. Sergeant Major Quick volunteered and assisted in taking a truck load of ammunition and material into Bouresches, France, over a road swept by artillery and machine-gun fire, thereby relieving a critical situation.

Distinguished Service Cross citation

Citation:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Sergeant Major John Henry Quick (MCSN: 68644), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving with the Headquarters Company, Sixth Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F., in action at Bouresches, France, 6 June 1918. Sergeant Major Quick volunteered and assisted in taking a truck load of ammunition and material into Bouresches, France, over a road swept by artillery and machine-gun fire, thereby relieving a critical situation.

Other honors

In addition to his military medals the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

named a ''Gleaves''-class

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

in his honor. The ship was completed and launched on May 3, 1942, and was sponsored by Quick's niece. The ship earned four battle stars for actions during World War II. The

Liberty ship Liberty ships were a ship class, class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Although British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost cons ...

'' SS John H. Quick ''was also named after him.

Notes

References

: : * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Quick, John Henry 1870 births 1922 deaths United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I American military personnel of the Banana Wars United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) American military personnel of the Philippine–American War United States Marines Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Military personnel from Charles Town, West Virginia Spanish–American War recipients of the Medal of Honor