John Henry Balch:  Congressional Medal of Honor

John Henry Balch: Congressional Medal of Honor

During a time to kill, he chose to heal.

2018 · 7 min · Documentary, War

John Henry Balch was a Pharmacist's Mate attached to the 3rd Battalion 6th Marine Regiment when his unit entered the Belleau Wood. His dedication to the Marines under his care earned him the Medal of Honor.

Directed by Sreang Hok · Written by Daniel L. Bernardi

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

1h 59m together

John Henry Balch: Congressional Medal of Honor

Tolkien

A close match in mood and era.

More from Sreang HokSee all →

PFC Benjamin Tollefson: A Mom's LossPFC Benjamin Tollefson: A Mom's Loss · 2017
PFC Benjamin Tollefson: A Mom's Loss
2017
MovieWarDocumentary
PFC Benjamin Tollefson was killed in action during Operation: Iraqi Freedom. His mother tells the story he never got a chance to share.
Pride of the Buffalo SoldierPride of the Buffalo Soldier · 2017
Pride of the Buffalo Soldier
2017
MovieWarDocumentary
African American soldiers throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries faced discrimination and segregation, yet many still chose to fight for their country.
Noble Sissle's Syncopated RagtimeNoble Sissle's Syncopated Ragtime · 2018
Noble Sissle's Syncopated Ragtime
2018
MovieDocumentaryMusic
Combining footage unseen since WWI with original scores from the era, this film tells the story of Noble Sissle's incredible journey that spans "The Harlem Hellfighters" of World War I, Broadway Theatre, the Civil Rights movement, and decades of Black cultural development.
Leo Patrick McArdle: Veterans Helping VeteransLeo Patrick McArdle: Veterans Helping Veterans · 2019
Leo Patrick McArdle: Veterans Helping Veterans
2019
MovieWarDocumentary
A veteran creates support systems that help other veterans and their families.
The American WarThe American War · 2018
The American War
2018
MovieDocumentaryWar
Using obscure archival footage, animated illustrations and interviews, this film tells the story of the Vietnam War from the perspective of five Vietcong veterans: a soldier, an officer, an informant, a guerilla, a My Lai survivor, and the leader of the Long Hair army.
Nurse Helen Fairchild: Killed in Action?Nurse Helen Fairchild: Killed in Action? · 2018
Nurse Helen Fairchild: Killed in Action?
2018
MovieDocumentaryWar
Bravery, compassion and the will to save lives motivated the young Nurse Helen Fairchild to leave home in Pennsylvania and embark on a journey to Europe, where she served as a surgical nurse during World War I before dying on the front lines.
The War to End all Wars... and its American VeteransThe War to End all Wars... and its American Veterans · 2020
The War to End all Wars... and its American Veterans
2020
MovieWarDocumentary
Relying on newly discovered archival footage, memoirs from the fallen, and expert commentary from scholars, this documentary tells the story of World War I from the American perspective: Its ace pilots, mine-laying Sailors, heroic doughboys, Harlem Hell Fighters, and courageous nurses.
Ionosphere: Dr. Eliana NossaIonosphere: Dr. Eliana Nossa · 2020
Ionosphere: Dr. Eliana Nossa
2020
MovieDocumentary
At Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, Eliana Nossa studies the ionosphere. This short films tells the story of Columbian researcher Eliana Nossa as she explains her study of the ever-changing universe, Arecibo's technology and data, and her role as a woman among her male colleagues. She studies the ionospheric irregularities that impact terrestrial communication.
Fighting Fred FunstonFighting Fred Funston · 2017
Fighting Fred Funston
2017
MovieDocumentaryWar
On April 18th, 1906, San Francisco witnessed its most devastating natural disaster – an earthquake that initiated a city-wide fire. The commanding officer of the U.S. Army base at the Presidio, Fred Funston, gathered citizens to fight the fire, patrol the streets, and rebuild the city – all without authorization.
Major Raoul Lufbery: Fighter AceMajor Raoul Lufbery: Fighter Ace · 2018
Major Raoul Lufbery: Fighter Ace
2018
MovieDocumentaryWar
The story of WWI Pilot Gervais Raoul Lufbery, a triple confirmed WWI ace, mechanic and world traveler. Explores the Lafayette Escadrille squadron, a formation of volunteer pilots serving in France on behalf of the United States whose service marked the early origins of the U.S. Air Force.
Solar Weather: Dr. Alessandra PaciniSolar Weather: Dr. Alessandra Pacini · 2022
Solar Weather: Dr. Alessandra Pacini
2022
MovieDocumentary
Alessandra Pacini, solar physicist and mother of two, has dedicated her life to researching our sun and its relation to the rest of our solar system. Traveling across the globe with her family, from Finland to Puerto Rico, Alessandra is on a mission to discover the great mysteries of our solar system.
Noble Sissle Jr.: Am I Still Going to Vietnam?Noble Sissle Jr.: Am I Still Going to Vietnam? · 2018
Noble Sissle Jr.: Am I Still Going to Vietnam?
2018
MovieWarDocumentary
The story of Noble Sissle Jr., a production company owner, community development expert, and veteran of the Vietnam War. Combining archival footage with interviews and family portraits, the film explores Sissle Jr.’s life, and the way he carries on the legacy of his father, Noble Sissle – the famous WWI Harlem Hell Fighter and leader of the Harlem Renaissance. Includes original music and footage of Noble Sissle.
Samuel Wilder King: Fighting for StatehoodSamuel Wilder King: Fighting for Statehood · 2018
Samuel Wilder King: Fighting for Statehood
2018
MovieDocumentaryWar
Samuel Wilder King, a descendant of Scottish sailors and Hawaiian royalty, served as a distinguished Naval officer in both World Wars before becoming Governor of the Hawaii Territory. This short film delves into King’s fearless leadership—from navigating the high seas during WWI to fighting against the internment of Japanese Americans in Hawaii during WWII—ultimately championing Hawaii's path to statehood as the 50th star on the American flag.
Brevet Major Pauline Cushman-Fryer: Civil War SpyBrevet Major Pauline Cushman-Fryer: Civil War Spy · 2017
Brevet Major Pauline Cushman-Fryer: Civil War Spy
2017
MovieWarDocumentary
Performed by Constance Smith, Pauline Cushman-Fryer tells us how she became a Union Spy, was almost hanged, was granted the rank of Major by Abraham Lincoln, and died lonely in San Francisco from an overdose of opium.
Cpl. Richard Carlson: A Brother's LossCpl. Richard Carlson: A Brother's Loss · 2017
Cpl. Richard Carlson: A Brother's Loss
2017
MovieWarDocumentary
Raymond Carlson remembers his older brother, a medic killed in action in the Vietnam War when Raymond was only seven years old. The impact of that loss lingers today more than fifty years later.
Near Earth Asteroids: Dr. Anne VirkkiNear Earth Asteroids: Dr. Anne Virkki · 2020
Near Earth Asteroids: Dr. Anne Virkki
2020
MovieDocumentary
At Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, “Near Earth Asteroids: Dr. Anne Virkki” tells the story of Research Scientist Anne Virkki and her ongoing studies on asteroids and their threat to humanity. Originally from Finland, Anne Virkki shares her experience in education as well as her studies on asteroids, including her work hunting and tracking asteroids headed for Earth.

More Like This

The African QueenThe African Queen · 1952
The African Queen
★ 7.31952
MovieAdventureRomance
At the start of the First World War, in the middle of Africa’s nowhere, a gin soaked riverboat captain is persuaded by a strong-willed missionary to go down river and face-off a German warship.
Grand IllusionGrand Illusion · 1937
Grand Illusion
★ 7.91937
MovieDramaHistory
A group of French soldiers, including the patrician Captain de Boeldieu and the working-class Lieutenant Maréchal, grapple with their own class differences after being captured and held in a World War I German prison camp. When the men are transferred to a high-security fortress, they must concoct a plan to escape beneath the watchful eye of aristocratic German officer von Rauffenstein, who has formed an unexpected bond with de Boeldieu.
Legends of the FallLegends of the Fall · 1994
Legends of the Fall
★ 7.41994
MovieDramaWestern
In early 20th-century Montana, Col. William Ludlow lives on a ranch in the wilderness with his sons, Alfred, Tristan, and Samuel. Eventually, the unconventional but close-knit family are bound by loyalty, tested by war, and torn apart by love, as told over the course of several decades in this epic saga.
Oh! What a Lovely WarOh! What a Lovely War · 1969
Oh! What a Lovely War
★ 6.61969
MovieComedyMusic
The working-class Smiths change their initially sunny views on World War I after the five boys of the family witness the harsh reality of trench warfare.
Hell's AngelsHell's Angels · 1930
Hell's Angels
★ 6.61930
MovieDramaWar
As the Great War breaks out in Europe, English brothers Roy and Monte enlist in the Royal Flying Corps to fight for king and country, while their Oxford College friend Karl is ordered back to Germany. As a love triangle develops involving Monte, Roy, and Roy's girlfriend, Helen, the brothers' disparate personalities, and Monte's cowardice in the face of war soon threaten to compromise a top-secret bombing mission over German territory.
BigglesBiggles · 1986
Biggles
★ 5.31986
MovieActionFamily
Unassuming catering salesmen Jim Ferguson falls through a time hole to 1917 where he saves the life of dashing Royal Flying Corps pilot James "Biggles" Bigglesworth after his photo recon mission is shot down. Before he can work out what has happened, Jim is zapped back to the 1980s......
The Fighting SeabeesThe Fighting Seabees · 1944
The Fighting Seabees
★ 6.21944
MovieDramaAction
Construction workers in World War II in the Pacific are needed to build military sites, but the work is dangerous and they doubt the ability of the Navy to protect them. After a series of attacks by the Japanese, something new is tried, Construction Battalions (CBs=Seabees). The new CBs have to both build and be ready to fight.
A Farewell to ArmsA Farewell to Arms · 1932
A Farewell to Arms
★ 6.21932
MovieDramaRomance
A tale of the World War I love affair, begun in Italy, between American ambulance driver Lt. Frederic Henry and British nurse Catherine Barkley. Eventually separated by Frederic's transfer, tremendous challenges and difficult decisions face each as the war rages on.
The Life and Death of Colonel BlimpThe Life and Death of Colonel Blimp · 1943
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
★ 7.51943
MovieWarDrama
General Candy, who's overseeing an English squad in 1943, is a veteran leader who doesn't have the respect of the men he's training and is considered out-of-touch with what's needed to win the war. But it wasn't always this way. Flashing back to his early career in the Boer War and World War I, we see a dashing young officer whose life has been shaped by three different women, and by a lasting friendship with a German soldier.
TolkienTolkien · 2019
Tolkien
★ 6.92019
MovieWarDrama
England, early 20th century. The future writer and philologist John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) and three of his schoolmates create a strong bond between them as they share the same passion for literature and art, a true fellowship that strengthens as they grow up, but the outbreak of World War I threatens to shatter it.
A Very Long EngagementA Very Long Engagement · 2004
A Very Long Engagement
★ 7.32004
MovieDramaRomance
Young Frenchwoman Mathilde searches for the truth about her missing fiancé, lost during World War I, and learns many unexpected things along the way. The love of her life is gone. But she refuses to believe he's gone forever — and she needs to know for sure.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter