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John Henry Balch entered the Navy in Kansas City, Missouri, by volunteering via the officers procurement program. Before his enlistment on 26 May 1917, he had been a student at Kansas State University in Lawrence. After his training, he joined the 3d Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment and served with it in France.
Before he performed the actions for which he would receive the Medal of Honor, Balch participated in the bloody battle of Belleau Wood. He subsequently suffered a wound during a battle in the Chateau-Thierry sector. These harsh introductions to combat, however, failed to discourage him from putting his own life at risk to save other people. On 18 July 1918, the 6th Marines relieved elements of the 2d Infantry Division, whose units ere weakened and exhausted from the attack on Soissons the day before. The 6th Marines faced difficulty in properly preparing for another attack in Soissons because of vague orders from the French command. Despite these problems, and having to pass through areas raked by intense machinegun and artillery fire that caused heavy casualties, the attack progressed according to plan. The troops had gone 10 kilometers before reaching the wheat field facing the Soissons-Chateau-Thierry highway. On 19 July, the exhausted and battered troops could barely face another effort. Nevertheless, the 6th Marines received orders to push the attack forward to the highway, and by late afternoon they had reached all objectives. However, the battle had been extremely fierce, with heavy artillery and machine-gun fire having caused further casualties. Of the 2,400 men engaged, 1,300 died or were wounded. Balch voluntarily left the aid station to help the wounded, fearlessly exposing himself to heavy barrages of enemy fire, and managed to work all day and late into the night for 16 hours straight. His sustained courage under fire saved the lives of many men.
In the regimentâ??s attack during the Champagne offensive on 5 October 1918, Balch again showed exceptional bravery by establishing an advanced aid station under heavy shellfire. On this occasion, with 2,350 Marines engaged, the regiment suffered 940 casualties.
On 19 August 1919, Balch was honorably discharged as a Pharmacistâ??s Mate First Class. One-month later, Rear Admiral F. B. Bassett presented the Medal of Honor to him at the YMCA in Chicago, Illinois. On 2 September 1942, Balch rejoined the Navy as a lieutenant and served in the United States, Australia and the Philippines before retiring on 1 June 1950 from the Naval Reserve as a commander.
In addition to the Medal of Honor, Balch also received the Distinguished Service Cross (Army), the Silver Star Medal (Army), the French Croix de Guerre with diploma (Gilt Star and Bronze Star), the Italian Crux de Guerre with diploma, and the Portuguese Cruz de Guerra for his actions during World War I.
Other Comments:
                                                          Â
                                                     The President of the United States
                                                                 in the name of
                                                                 The Congress
                                                      takes pleasure in presenting the
                                                                 Medal of Honor
                                                                            to
                                                            BALCH, JOHN HENRY
Rank and Organization: Pharmacist's Mate First Class, U.S. Navy. Place and Date: Vierzy, France, and Somme-Py, France, 19 July and 5 October 1918. Entered Service At: Kansas City, Mo. Born: 2 January 1896, Edgerton, Kans.
                                                                        Citation:
For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, with the 6th Regiment, U.S. Marines, in action at Vierzy, on 19 July 1918. Balch unhesitatingly and fearlessly exposed himself to terrific machinegun and high-explosive fire to succor the wounded as they fell in the attack, leaving his dressing station voluntarily and keeping up the work all day and late into the night unceasingly for 16 hours. Also in the action at Somme-Py on 5 October 1918, he exhibited exceptional bravery in establishing an advanced dressing station under heavy shellfire.
Navy Pharmacist.s Mate Honored at Dedication Ceremony
Date
Jul 27, 2005
Last Updated: Sep 24, 2013
Comments
Navy Pharmacist's Mate Honored at Dedication Ceremony Story Number: NNS050727-12 Release Date: 7/27/2005 10:09:00 PM
By Christine A. Mahoney, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs
QUANTICO, Va. (NNS) -- Naval Medical Clinic Quantico was renamed the John Henry Balch Clinic during a dedication ceremony July 21. The clinic is part of Marine Corps Base Quantico (MCBQ), Va.
The clinic was dedicated to Balch, who received the Medal of Honor for his courageous service during World War I.
Lt. Cmdr. J. Lynch, master of ceremonies, welcomed clinic and base personnel and honored guests to the dedication ceremony. Among the honored guests was Dr. Clyde Balch, nephew to John Henry Balch, and his family.
Not long after the beginning of World War I, Balch answered the call to serve the nation by enlisting in the Navy. He served as a Navy corpsman, then a pharmacist's mate, and after he received his medical training, Balch was assigned to the 6th Regiment Marines at Quantico.
Navy Surgeon General Vice Adm. Donald Arthur, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, emphasized the long-standing commitment Navy corpsmen have to providing the finest medical treatment to those in need.
?Every time someone yells ?corpsman up,' the call is answered by competent medical help that has been the cornerstone our Navy corpsmen?s promise to serve, as in the example of pharmacist's mate John Henry Balch,? he said.
Balch received the Medal of Honor for his courageous service at the battle at Vierzy, France, when he risked his life to save his fellow 6th Regiment Marines wounded in battle. He exposed himself to machine-gun and high explosive fire, leaving his dressing station to provide medical treatment to fallen Marines and continued treatment to the wounded for a 16-hour period. Oct. 5 of the same year, Balch also exhibited his unyielding commitment to providing medical care to injured Marines at Somme-Pay, where he established an advanced dressing station under heavy shellfire.
?During World War I, while serving in the field with the 6th Regiment Marines, Balch was doing the same mission that corpsmen are doing today, helping Marines," said Capt. Jane Przybyl, commanding officer, MCBQ. ?We are here to look back on that day and honor this courageous corpsman who took care of Marines. We are also here to pay tribute to the corpsmen of today who train to go into harm's way with Marines.?
In the ceremony?s closing, Przybyl and Balch, with help from his grandson Austin, unveiled a plaque dedicated to Balch?s service, that was mounted on the front of the clinic.
The John Henry Balch Naval Health Clinic Quantico opened five years ago in July 2000 and has a patient population of 127,000.