John H. Quick

Infobox Military Person
name= John Henry Quick
born= birth date|1870|6|20
died= Death date and age|1922|9|9|1870|6|20
placeofbirth= Charleston, West Virginia
placeofdeath= St. Louis, Missouri
placeofburial=Memorial Park Cemetery, Jennings, Missouri


caption=
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Marine Corps
serviceyears= 1892-1918, 1920
rank= Sergeant Major
commands=
unit= 16th Regiment
battles= Spanish-American War Philippine-American War Battle of Vera Cruz (1914) World War I *Battle of Belleau Wood *Battle of Soissons
awards= Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross Navy Cross
laterwork=

John Henry Quick (June 20, 1870 – September 9, 1922) was a United States Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.

Early years

Quick was born in Charleston, Kanawaha County, West Virginia, on June 20, 1870. Incidentally, this was 8 years to the day that West Virginia became a State.

Military service

He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on August 10, 1892. He was awarded the Medal of Honor “for gallantry in action” in signalling the gunfire support vessel "Dolphin" (PG-24) while exposed to heavy enemy fire at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on June 14, 1898.

Throughout his 26 year career as a Marine, Quick participating 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 includes The West Indies Campaign, The Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, Cuban Campaign, Battle of Vera Cruz (1914) and , World War I.

panish-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 USS Dolphin (PG-24) 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), who had succeeded to command of the Marine Detachment, signaled the Dolphin to shell the Spanish position; but due to the fact that the sender was not clearly visible, the message was misinterpreted, and the vessel began dropping shells on a small detachment of Marines who were enroute 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, who was with the Marines there, later described the scene in his war tale "Marines Signaling Under Fire at Guantanamo":

"Sergeant Quick arose, and announced that he was a signalman. He produced from somewhere a blue polka-dot neckerchief as large as a quilt. He tied it on a long, crooked stick. Then he went to the top of the ridge, and turning his back to the Spanish fire, began to signal to the Dolphin. Again we gave a man sole possession of a particular part of the ridge. We didn't want it. He could have it and welcome. If the young sergeant had had the smallpox, the cholera, and the yellow fever, we could not have slid out with more celerity.

As men have said often, it seemed as if there was in this war a God of Battles who held His mighty hand before the Americans. As I looked at Sergeant Quick wig-wagging there against the sky, I would not have given a tin tobacco-tag for his life. Escape for him seemed impossible. It seemed absurd to hope that he would not be hit; I only hoped that he would be hit just a little, in the arm, the shoulder, or the leg.

I watched his face, and it was as grave and serene as that of a man writing in his own library. He was the very embodiment of tranquillity in occupation. He stood there amid the animal-like babble of the Cubans, the crack of rifles, and the whistling snarl of the bullets, and wig-wagged whatever he had to wig-wag without heeding anything but his business. There was not a single trace of nervousness or haste.

To say the least, a fight at close range is absorbing as a spectacle. No man wants to take his eyes from it until that time comes when he makes up his mind to run away. To deliberately stand up and turn your back to a battle is in itself hard work. To deliberately stand up and turn your back to a battle and hear immediate evidences of the boundless enthusiasm with which a large company of the enemy shoot at you from an adjacent thicket is, to my mind at least, a very great feat. One need not dwell upon the detail of keeping the mind carefully upon a slow spelling of an important code message.

I saw Quick betray only one sign of emotion. As he swung his clumsy flag to and fro, an end of it once caught on a cactus pillar, and he looked sharply over his shoulder to see what had it. He gave the flag an impatient jerk. He looked annoyed." ["Marines Signaling Under Fire at Guantanamo" by Stephen Crane, 1899]

When Sergeant Quick finished this message, the ship answered. Quick then picked up his M1895 Lee Navy 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 Medal of Honor.

Philippine-American War

During the Philippine-American War, 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, and in Waller's March across Samar under the command of Major Littleton W. T. Waller.

Vera Cruz

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

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

World War I

When World War I began Quick sailed for France as the Battalion Sergeant Major of a battalion of the 6th Regiment.

The Battle of Belleau Wood was the opening battle of the War for him and he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross 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 the French Fourragere.

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 Battle of Belleau Wood, 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 Blanc Mont Ridge, and the Meuse-Argonne Sector.

Retirement and death

Retiring November 20, 1918, Sgt. Major Quick was recalled, at his own request, for the period July 26, 1920 – September 15, 1920.

He died in St. Louis, Missouri on September 9, 1922 at the age of 52 and is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Jennings, Missouri.findagrave|6825680. Retrieved on 2007-12-31] His grave can be found in Section 3, Lot 343, Grave 7.findagrave|6825680 Retrieved on 2007-12-31]

Honors and awards

The World War 2 era destroyer USS "Quick" (DD-490) was named in his honor. This vessel earned four battle stars for actions during the War.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: June 20, 1870, Charleston, W. Va. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 504 December 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.

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Spanish-American War

Notes

References

:DANFS
*cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/q1/quick.htm
title="Quick"
work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
publisher=Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy
*cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.mclm.com/tohonor/jquick.html
title=Sergent Major John H. Quick, USMC
publisher=Marine Corps legacy Museum
*findagrave|6825680 Retrieved on 2007-12-31
*cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/warspain.html
title="Quick, John Henry"
work=Medal of Honor Recipients: War With Spain
publisher=Center of Military History, United States Army
*cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.spanamwar.com/1stmarinesquick.htm
title=A Brief Biography of Sergeant John Henry Quick, Signalman, United States Marine Corps
author=Pendleton, Robert
publisher=Spanish American War Centennial Website
*cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.medalofhonor.com/JohnQuick.htm
title=John Quick
publisher=MedalofHonor.com
*cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.tolland.k12.ct.us/tms/grade7/dchassanoff/funeral%20John%20H%20Quick.html
title="Funeral Arrangements of the late Sergeant Major John H. Quick, USMC (retired)
date=September 13, 1922
publisher=Memo from United States Marine Corps, Central Recruiting Division

Persondata
NAME= Quick, John Henry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=