Banco de dados da Segunda Guerra Mundial (WW2DB)

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseJack L. Knight was born to Roy and Martha Knight in Garner, Texas, United States. After graduating from Weatherford Junior College in 1938, Knight and his two brothers, Curtis and Loyd, enlisted in Troop F, 124th Cavalry Regiment (Special), Texas National Guard, based out of Mineral Wells. The 124th Cavalry was transferred to India in 1940, unmounted to become an infantry unit and was incorporated into the 5332nd Brigade (Provisional) "Mars Task Force".

ww2dbaseOn 2 Feb 1945, near Loi-Kang, Burma, First Lieutenant Knight led his troops up a hill, killing two Japanese soldiers en route while charging fully exposed, yelling "[t]here's nothing up here, come on!" As his men moved forward cautiously, Knight scouted the frontlines alone, taking out a pillbox with a grenade in the process. However, Knight soon discovered they were surrounded on three sides by a U-shaped enemy formation, and decided he must lead his men to back out of the ambush. Despite shrapnel wound to his face that nearly blinded him with blood, he led an attack which took down another enemy position. A Japanese grenade wounded him, dropping him to the ground, and his brother Curtis attempted to run to his side to aid him, but was wounded by machine gun fire in the process. Knight ordered some of his men to get his brother out of harm's way, while Knight himself ran up to the sixth pillbox he attacked during the battle. As he ran toward the sixth pillbox, he was killed by Japanese rifle fire.

ww2dbaseFor the brave at the battle that was later christened the Battle of Knight's Hill by Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Knight was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the only Medal of Honor awarded to the infantry in the China-Burma-India theater. Colonel William Osborne, commander of the 124th Cavalry, said

ww2dbaseKnight's 6 Jun 1945 Medal of Honor citation read as follows:

ww2dbaseOn 14 Oct 1972, Mountbatten dedicated a marble marker at Mineral Wells, Texas to honor Knight and the rest of the Troop F of the 124th Cavalry Regiment (Special). Knight rests in peace at Holders Memorial Chapel Cemetery at Cool, Texas.

Jack Knight Timeline