Mere months away from his 101 birthday, America has lost a hero. Lt. John Finn has died:
Retired Navy Lt. John Finn, the oldest Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, died Thursday at his southern California ranch. He was 100.
Finn was the first man to receive the nation’s highest military award for heroism during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. He was the oldest of 97 Medal of Honor recipients still living.
Ace has his Medal of Honor citation, which he lifted from this great article on Finn by Mary Katherine Hamm:
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.
A truer all American has not been honored here.
