Lakeland in Polk County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Private James H. Mills
Medal of Honor Recipient
— Veterans Memorial Park —
Photographed By Brandon D Cross, March 7, 2022
1. Private James H. Mills Marker
Inscription.
Private James H. Mills. Medal of Honor Recipient.
Private James H. Mills Company F 15th Infantry United States Army May 3, 1923 - November 11, 1973 ★ ★ Medal of Honor For Conspicuous Gallantry May 24, 1944 Cisterna Di Littoria, Italy The Whitehouse - Washington The President of the United States takes pleasure in awarding the Medal of Honor to Private James H. Mills, Company F, 15th Infantry, United States Army . For service as set forth in the following Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 24 May 1944 near Cisterna Di Littoria, Italy. Private Mills, undergoing his baptism of fire, preceded his platoon down a draw to reach a position from which an attack could be launched against a heavily fortified strongpoint. After advancing about 300 yards Private Mills was fired on by a machine gun only five yards distant. He killed the gunner with one shot and forced the surrender of the assistant gunner. Continuing his advance, he saw a German soldier in a camouflaged position behind a large bush pulling the pin on a “potato masher” grenade; covering the German with his rifle, he forced him to drop the grenade and captured him. When another enemy soldier attempted to throw a hand grenade into the draw Private Mills killed him with one shot. Brought under fire by a machine gun, two machine pistols and three rifles at a range of only fifty feet, he charged headlong into the furious chain of automatic fire. Shooting his M-1 from the hip the enemy was completely demoralized by Private Mills’ daring charge and when he reached a point within ten feet of their position all six surrendered. As he neared the end of the draw Private Mills was brought under fire by a machine gunner only twenty yards distant. Despite the fact that he had absolutely no cover, Private Mills killed the gunner with one shot. Two enemy soldiers near the machine gun fired wildly at Private Mills and then fled. Private Mills fired twice, killing one of the enemy. Continuing on to the position he captured a fourth soldier. When it became apparent that an assault on the strongpoint would, in all probability, cause heavy casualties in the platoon, Private Mills volunteered to cover the advance down a shallow ditch to a point within fifty yards of the objective. Standing on the bank in full view of the enemy less than 100 yards away. He shouted and fired his rifle directly into the position. His ruse worked exactly as planned, the enemy centering his fire on Private Mills. Tracers passed within inches of his body; Rifle and machine pistol bullets ricocheted off the rocks at his feet, yet he stood their firing until his rifle was empty. Intent on covering the movement of his platoon, Private Mills jumped into the draw, reloaded his weapon, climbed out again and continued to lay down a base of fire. Repeating this action four times he enabled his platoon to reach the designated spot undetected. From which position it assaulted and overwhelmed the enemy, capturing 22 Germans and taking its objective without casualties. Franklin D.Roosevelt
Private James H. Mills
Company F 15th Infantry
United States Army
May 3, 1923 - November 11, 1973
★ ★ Medal of Honor
For Conspicuous Gallantry
May 24, 1944
Cisterna Di Littoria, Italy
The Whitehouse - Washington
The President of the United States takes pleasure
in awarding the Medal of Honor to
Private James H. Mills, Company F,
15th Infantry, United States Army
For service as set forth in the following
Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 24 May 1944 near Cisterna Di Littoria, Italy. Private Mills, undergoing his baptism of fire, preceded his platoon down a draw to reach a position from which an attack could be launched against a heavily fortified strongpoint. After advancing about 300 yards Private Mills was fired on by a machine gun only five yards distant. He killed the gunner with one shot and forced the surrender of the assistant gunner. Continuing his advance, he saw a German soldier in a camouflaged position behind a large bush pulling the pin on a “potato masher” grenade; covering the German with his rifle, he forced him to drop the grenade and captured him. When another enemy soldier attempted to throw
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a hand grenade into the draw Private Mills killed him with one shot. Brought under fire by a machine gun, two machine pistols and three rifles at a range of only fifty feet, he charged headlong into the furious chain of automatic fire. Shooting his M-1 from the hip the enemy was completely demoralized by Private Mills’ daring charge and when he reached a point within ten feet of their position all six surrendered. As he neared the end of the draw Private Mills was brought under fire by a machine gunner only twenty yards distant. Despite the fact that he had absolutely no cover, Private Mills killed the gunner with one shot. Two enemy soldiers near the machine gun fired wildly at Private Mills and then fled. Private Mills fired twice, killing one of the enemy. Continuing on to the position he captured a fourth soldier. When it became apparent that an assault on the strongpoint would, in all probability, cause heavy casualties in the platoon, Private Mills volunteered to cover the advance down a shallow ditch to a point within fifty yards of the objective. Standing on the bank in full view of the enemy less than 100 yards away. He shouted and fired his rifle directly into the position. His ruse worked exactly as planned, the enemy centering his fire on Private Mills. Tracers passed within inches of his body; Rifle and machine pistol bullets ricocheted off the rocks at his feet, yet
Photographed By Brandon D Cross, March 7, 2022
2. Private James H. Mills Marker
he stood their firing until his rifle was empty. Intent on covering the movement of his platoon, Private Mills jumped into the draw, reloaded his weapon, climbed out again and continued to lay down a base of fire. Repeating this action four times he enabled his platoon to reach the designated spot undetected. From which position it assaulted and overwhelmed the enemy, capturing 22 Germans and taking its objective without casualties. Franklin D.Roosevelt
Location. 28° 2.454′ N, 81° 57.992′ W. Marker is in Lakeland, Florida, in Polk County. Memorial can be reached from Lake Beulah Drive, 0.1 miles north of Lime Street. Located on the grounds of Veterans Memorial Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 138 Lake Beulah Dr, Lakeland FL 33815, United States of America. Touch for directions.
James Henry Mills was born on May 2, 1923 in Fort Meade, Florida, the only Polk County, Florida native to receive the Medal of Honor in World War II, Private Mills was recognized for his actions in the Italian Campaign of 1944 for demonstrating conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his lite above and beyond the call of duty. Mills actions allowed his platoon to make their objective without casualties. After the war, Mills served as a Game Warden with the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission and then with the Veterans Administration. James Henry Mills died on Veterans Day, November 11, 1973 and was laid to rest at Oak Hill Burial Park Cemetery in Lakeland, Florida. "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” . Franklin D. Roosevelt
Also see . . . James Henry Mills. (Submitted on May 6, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
Photographed By U.S. Army
4. Private James H. Mills Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 7, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 6, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 279 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 6, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.
