John William Finn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| John William Finn | |
|---|---|
| Born July 23, 1909 | |
 John William Finn wearing his Medal of Honor |
|
| Place of birth |  Los Angeles, California |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1926-1956 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | World War II *Pearl Harbor |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Lieutenant John William Finn (born July 23, 1909) is a retired officer of the United States Navy who received the Medal of Honor in recognition of heroism and distinguished service during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
As of October 2007, at age 98, Finn is the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient and is also the only living Pearl-Harbor-Day Medal of Honor recipient.[1]
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[edit] Biography
Born in Los Angeles, California, Finn enlisted in the Navy in July 1926, and was stationed as a Chief Petty Officer at the Naval Air Station at Kāne'ohe Bay in Oʻahu, one of the Hawaiian Islands. During the first attack by the Japanese aircraft, Finn took control of a machine gun post and continued to fire on the attacking planes despite being hit five times by enemy strafing fire. Following that incident, he was presented the Medal of Honor for his heroism.
During World War II, Finn served as an Ensign and eventually a Lieutenant with the Bombing Squadron VB-102 on board the USS Hancock (CV-19). He retired from the Navy in September 1956.
In addition to the Medal of Honor, Finn's decorations include the Purple Heart Medal; American Defense Service Medal; Good Conduct Medal with two bronze stars; American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; and the Navy Occupation Service Medal.[2]
Today he lives in California by himself (his wife Alice died in 1998). He is the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the attack on Pearl Harbor, as well as being the oldest living recipient.[1]
[edit] Medal of Honor citation
| “ | 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, 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. His extraordinary heroism and conduct in this action were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.[3] | ” |
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
| This article includes information collected from the Naval Historical Center, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. |
- "Lieutenant John William Finn, USN, (1909-____)". Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy.
- MOH Citation for John Finn. HomeofHeroes.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
[edit] External links
- Wimberly, Tom. John William Finn. Pearl Harbor Survivors Project. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- Congressional Medal of Honor Heroes of Pearl Harbor. World War II History Info. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
[edit] Further reading
- Smith, Larry (2003). Beyond Glory: Medal of Honor Heroes in Their own Words. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0393325628. See Chapter 4 — "John William Finn" (Retrieved on 2007-10-26)
