Lt. John Finn awarded The Medal of Honor for his actions at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 has died at age 100. Lt. Finn was the last surviving person who received the M.O.H. for valor at Pearl Harbor. When asked what had made him so brave, he told all who asked that he loved the Navy and just got mad when he saw what the Japanese was doing to it.
I have taken the liberty of enclosing the citation for the medal below.
For extraordinary heroism distinguished service, and devotion above and beyond the call of duty. During the first attack by Japanese airplanes on the Naval Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, on 7 December 1941, Lt. Finn promptly secured and manned a .50-caliber machinegun mounted on an instruction stand in a completely exposed section of the parking ramp, which was under heavy enemy machinegun strafing fire. Although painfully wounded many times, he continued to man this gun and to return the enemy's fire vigorously and with telling effect throughout the enemy strafing and bombing attacks and with complete disregard for his own personal safety. It was only by specific orders that he was persuaded to leave his post to seek medical attention. Following first aid treatment, although obviously suffering much pain and moving with great difficulty, he returned to the squadron area and actively supervised the rearming of returning planes. His extraordinary heroism and conduct in this action were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
Lt. Finn was truly a member of the "Greatest Generation"
No comments:
Post a Comment