John H. Leims

US Marine Corps officer and Medal of Honor recipient (1921–1985)

Captain John Harold Leims (June 8, 1921 – June 28, 1985) was a Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor as a second lieutenant on Iwo Jima for his heroic actions on March 7, 1945.

John Harold Leims was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 8, 1921. He attended St. Hilary Parochial School, Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, and graduated from Saint George High School in Evanston, Illinois, in 1939. At Saint George's, he played varsity football and track, was sports editor of the school paper, and was an Assistant Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts of America. After high school, he attended Northwestern University for two and a half years, and worked part time at the Commonwealth Edison Company. He left college in 1941 following his marriage, and worked subsequently for the Standard Oil Company; the Paschen Construction Company; the Naval Station at Great Lakes, Illinois, and the Austin Construction Company.

Enlisting in the Marine Corps Reserve on November 27, 1942, he completed recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and was assigned to the 3rd Service Battalion, 3rd Marine Division. He left for overseas duty with that unit, on February 23, 1943. After four months in New Zealand and two months at Guadalcanal, he was selected for officer training and returned to the United States in September 1943. He was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant on March 1, 1944, at Quantico, Virginia. On June 29, 1944, 2nd Lt Leims went overseas again and rejoined the 3rd Marine Division. This time, he was a company officer in a rifle company of the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. In October and November, he was actively engaged in patrolling against Japanese holdouts on Guam. Landing on Iwo Jima on February 24, 1945, he was slightly wounded by a shell fragment on February 27, but returned to duty on the same day. On March 3, due to heavy casualties, he became company commander (B 1 9), a position usually filled by a captain. On March 7, he led his company in a surprise attack against a strongly fortified enemy hill position, succeeded in capturing the objective, and in spite of withering fire returned forward to rescue two of his wounded men. Promoted to first lieutenant on June 1, 1945, he returned to the United States that November and was detached from active duty on January 25, 1946. On June 14 of that year, he was temporarily recalled to active duty to receive the Medal of Honor, presented to him by President Harry S. Truman in a White House ceremony. A member of the 9th Reserve District, Leims was subsequently promoted to captain in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1956, and retired on July 1, 1962. He died on June 28, 1985, at the age of 64. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.