Oldest living Medal of Honor recipient turns 100

[Story]

Finn is the oldest of 96 living recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest decoration for valor. His birthday isn't until July 23, but his schedule was so full that his party was arranged a month early.

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stor...528-going-great-guns-100/?metro&zIndex=123785

He looks pretty damned good for 100. The article is poorly written, in that it fails to tell you that...

..during the first attack by Japanese airplanes on the Naval Air Station, Kanoehe Bay, on 7 December 1941, Lieutenant Finn promptly secured and manned a 50-caliber machine gun mounted on an instruction stand in a completely exposed section of the parking ramp, which was under heavy enemy machine-gun 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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William_Finn

 

[FinalVestige79]

That is amazing a great story! Each year the CHG does the Huntington Beach 4th of July parade with the last Medal of Honor Recipient of the Normandy Campaign Walter Ehlers, I can't seem to find the pictures at the moment I'll let Dave find them and post them.

i found some...not the ones I was looking for but some.

 

[bbc1969]

Truly an inspiring American. I have seen a couple of Pearl Harbor documentaries that he is featured in, and he is still a very articulate guy.

 

[Widebrim]

Yeah, he does look good for 100. God bless these men for the valor they demonstrated.

 

[Davep]

Here is just a sample of a few photos. There are several dedicated reenactors, men and women, who always seem to attend such events :eusa_clap

http://picasaweb.google.com/CHGphotos/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCPrriszSvMi1fA#slideshow/

 

[Marcus]

Uggh! I was supposed to be there, but my septic system decided to bubble up in the backyard!:eusa_doh:

 

[Chas]

Uggh! I was supposed to be there, but my septic system decided to bubble up in the backyard!:eusa_doh:

That's a priority.

The stoicism and selflessness of that fellow's generation is something I wish I had more of, and never ceases to win my admiration.

I bet if you asked him about it, he'd probably just say that he "was just lucky, and I had a job to do".