Oldest Medal of Honor recipient - Lt. John Finn dies
May 28th, 2010 - 7:30 pm ICT by Aishwarya Bhatt
San Diego, May 28 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The first American to be honored for defending sailors, who came under torrent of gunfire during the Pearl Harbor attack died at the age of 100 on Thursday. Retired Navy Lt. John Finn was honored with the nations highest military award on Dec. 7 2006, making him the oldest medal recipient who was still living, prior to his death. John Finn died in Chula Vista at a nursing home for veterans located at outside San Diego.
The Navy issued a statement concerning the veteran’s death. During the Pearl Harbor attack, John Finn sustained head and other injuries, but continued to fight with his .50 caliber machine gun, as the Japanese continued to shell the Naval Air Station.
John Finn was born on July 23, 1909 in Los Angeles and he was enlisted in the US Navy when he was barely 17 years old. Finn received his Medal of Honor in Sept. 15, 1942 and retired from the army in 1956, after thirty years of serving the Navy.
The United States Navy said they were working out the details of his funeral and the burial process with his family. The Navy plans to bury him with full military honors. “I had the privilege of meeting Lt. Finn last year, and I was struck by his warmth and humility. As we mark Memorial Day, and pay tribute all who have fallen in defense of this nation, the passing of Lt. Finn is a reminder of the sacrifices that generations have made to preserve the freedoms we hold dear,” according to a statement by Barack Obama.
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