MAJOR JOHN MITCHELL, whose Distiguished Service Cross came to him as a result of his extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy in Germany on 26 April 1945. During an assault crossing of the Danube River near Ingolstadt, Germany, Captain Mitchell on two occasions fearlessly exposed himself to intense hostile artillery, mortar and automatic weapons fire to make a reconnaissance of the crossing site and then courageously took a place in the leading assault boat during the actual crossing. When the company was pinned down by withering enemy machine gun fire as they landed on the far shore, he gallantly moved to the front of his troops and led them in an aggressive charge that silenced the enemy guns. Captain Mitchell’s heroic leadership and unflinching devotion to duty are in keeping with the finest traditions of the armed forces.

At the time of this action, the then Captain Mitchell was commanding A Co., 342nd Infantry Regiment of the 86th Infantry (Blackhawk) Division.

Major Mitchell joined the L.O.V. in 1973, and resided in Arizona..