At the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea, with the temperature thirty-five degrees below zero and with his superiors dead, John found himself in command of an infantry platoon. Despite more than ninety percent casualties, the platoon defended its position against 120,000 advancing Red Chinese, earning John his second Navy Cross and a Silver Star Medal for hand-to-hand combat that helped save two Marine regiments. During two days of what was later called one of the bloodiest battles of the Korean War, he suffered three wounds, one from grenade sharpnel lodged in the roof of his mouth, another from a bullet that tore into his nose and the third and most serious from a bullet that penetrated the sinus cavities of his right cheek and lodged in the back of his neck, popping his eye out on his cheek. Only after finally succumbing to loss of blood and not being able to see did he relinquish his command. John was recommended for the Medal of Honor, but as all of his superior officers were killed in the battle and there was no written report of his actions, the award was not processed. An effort was made on several occasions to get him nominated for the award but it was always denied.