American hero John Finn passes away
Just before 8:00 a.m. on December 7, 1941, Chief Petty Officer John Finn awoke to the sound of airplanes flying overhead and gunfire. He quickly threw on some clothes, jumped in his car and headed for the base, keeping his speedometer below the base’s 20-mph speed limit.
“I got around, and I heard a plane come roaring in from astern of me. As I glanced up, the guy made a wing-over and I saw that big old red meatball, the rising sun insignia, on the underside of the wing,” Finn recalled in a 2003 interview. “Well, I threw it into second, and it was a wonder I didn’t run over every sailor in the air station.”
Although Japan had not yet declared war on the United States, Japanese aircraft carriers had launched the first wave of 183 aircraft in a “sneak attack” on the anchored U.S. fleet. Another wave of 170 planes would strike just after 8:30 a.m., in all killing 2345 military personnel, 57 civilians, damaging or destroying hundreds of aircraft, sinking four battleships, two destroyers, and damaging numerous other ships.
The 32 year-old Finn arrived at Kaneohe Bay Naval Air Station where the PBY Catalina seaplanes were based. All but six of the base’s 33 Catalinas were destroyed by the Japanese, and the only seaplanes that could still function were those that had been out on an anti-submarine patrol. Some of his men were inside aircraft that were on fire, shooting the planes’ machine guns at Japanese aircraft overhead. As men scrambled to improvise firing platforms for the machine guns, Finn commandeered a .50 caliber and mounted it on an instruction stand normally used for teaching gunnery.
In: Articles, Military History · Tagged with: John W. Finn, Medal of Honor, Pearl Harbor, World War II
Medal of Honor history: Littrell and Baker
4 April 1970 in Kontum Province, Vietnam: Sergeant First Class Gary L. Littrell was advising a battalion of Vietnamese Rangers when the unit came under intense mortar fire, killing the Vietnamese commander, one of Littrell’s advisors, and seriously wounding all the remaining advisors. Littrell established a defensive perimeter, and single-handedly bolstered the unit as his battalion endured assault after assault over the next four days. Littrell’s citation
5 April 1945 near Viareggio, Italy: When First Lieutenant Vernon J. Baker’s company was stopped by concentrated fire, Baker crawled forward and destroyed three machine gun positions and an observation post – either single-handedly or with the aid of only one man. The next night, he voluntarily led a battalion through a mine field and heavy fire to a division objective. Baker’s citation
In: Military History · Tagged with: Gary L. Littrell, Medal of Honor, Vernon J. Baker
Medal of Honor history: Lemon and Beikirch
40 years ago, SP4 Peter Lemon and Sgt. Gary Beikirch earned the Medal of Honor in two separate incidents in Vietnam.
When Fire Support Base Illingworth came under attack, Lemon – a native Canadian and one of the youngest Medal recipients – engaged a numerically-superior enemy with his weapons until they both malfunctioned. Then Lemon used hand grenades to defend against an intense attack, killing all but one soldier – whom he chased down and dispatched during hand-to-hand combat. He rescued team mates, fought off further assaults with grenades, machine gun, and hand-to-hand fighting before collapsing from his multiple wounds. Read Lemon’s citation.
During the defense of Camp Dak Seang, Beikirch moved through withering fire to rescued and treated numerous soldiers after a devastating assault. Although Beikirch received multiple, serious wounds himself, he refused treatment and continued searching for wounded teammates before collapsing from his wounds. Read Beikirch’s citation.
In: Uncategorized · Tagged with: Gary B. Beikirch, Medal of Honor, Peter C. Lemon, Vietnam War
Military Roundup
Get out your flags! Today is National Medal of Honor Day. On this day in 1863, the first Medals were awarded. And as a reminder, the 2010 Medal of Honor convention will be held in Charleston, S.C. from Sept. 29 – Oct. 30.
Osama bin Laden threatened to kill more Americans if al Qaeda detainees are executed (as if he wouldn’t have done so otherwise).
Photo of the day: the Navy’s futuristic ride that belongs on a Bond film
Private security contractors have killed a Somali pirate for the first time.
This week in U.S. military history
An al Qaeda group in Indonesia has been kind enough to clear up the confusion about whether Jihad is peaceful or violent (the Qur’an also covers this matter – see for yourself).
In: Military Roundup · Tagged with: al Qaeda, jihad, Medal of Honor, Osama bin Laden, pirates, US Navy
Medal of Honor History: Hagemeister and McNerney
Just days from separating from the Army, Charles Hagemeister learned that he would receive the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Binh Dinh province of Vietnam on 20 Mar 1967. While Richard Nixon presented the Medal of Honor to Hagemeister he asked, “How long do you have left in the service, son?” Hagemeister smiled and replied, “Seventy-two hours, sir.” The president turned to a member of the brass and said, “I want you to talk to this young man after we’re done here and change his mind.”
It must have worked. Hagemeister retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1990.
David McNerney was serving his third tour in Vietnam on 22 Mar 1967. While looking for a missing reconnaissance unit near Polei Doc, Vietnam, his unit came under heavy fire from a numerically-superior North Vietnamese Army. His officers were killed, so McNerney took command, calling in artillery withing 65 feet of his own men. The fighting was so intense that McNerney climbed a tree in full view of the enemy in order to identify their location to friendly aircraft. When helicopters were needed to evacuate the wounded, McNerney moved through a fusillade of fire to obtain demolition charges from abandoned rucksacks outside the perimeter.
McNerney would later volunteer for another tour – his fourth.
In: Military History · Tagged with: Charles C. Hagemeister, David H. McNerney, Medal of Honor, Vietnam War
Today in Medal of Honor history: Allan J. Kellogg
40 years ago in the Quang Nam Province of Vietnam, SSgt. Kellogg was leading a 14-man blocking force for a company of Marines trying to force the enemy in their direction. Unable to find the enemy, Kellogg was about to pull out his men when a Marine tripped on a howitzer shell which caused it to explode, killing one and seriously wounding three.
Kellogg called for a helicopter (the radio operator was among the wounded) to extract the casualties, the enemy force began to close in. The Marines moved to the extraction site with columns of Viet Cong soldiers in pursuit. When Kellogg crossed a narrow, rickety footbridge through a hail of gun fire, an enemy grenade hit him in the chest, which he stomped into the mud and then covered with his body to shield his teammates from the explosion.
Although seriously injured from the grenade blast, Kellogg resumed command of the unit and lead them to safety. While he was recovering in the hospital, a corpsman informed him that he would receive the Navy Cross (later upgraded to the Medal of Honor). Kellogg reportedly shot back, “Just get me out of here, and we’ll call it even.” Kellogg’s Medal of Honor citation can be viewed here.
In: Military History · Tagged with: Allan J. Kellogg Jr., Medal of Honor, Vietnam War
Today in Medal of Honor history: Bernard F. Fisher
44 years ago, the US was evacuating personnel from a special operations camp in the Battle of A Shau. As Major Bernard F. Fisher and other pilots from the 1st Air Commando Squadron were attacking targets in support of the withdrawal, a A1-E Skyraider flown by Maj. Dafford “Jump” Myers was hit by enemy fire, forcing Myers to crash-land on the base’s airstrip. Fisher landed his plane and rescued Myers before the 2,000-strong enemy force could capture or kill him. The Skyraider flown by Fisher was restored and is now on display at the Air Force Museum, which I highly recommend everyone take a few days to visit.
Fisher’s actions made him the Air Force’s first Medal of Honor recipient (the Air Force was formed in 1947). His citation can be viewed here.
Interestingly enough, a similar event took place during World War II: when flying over Romania, flak damaged Capt. Richard “Dick” Willsie’s P-38 Lighting and forced the pilot to crash land. But before enemy soldiers could capture the pilot, Flight Officer Dick Andrews landed his Lightning and rescued Willsie. Remarkably, both Willsie and Andrews were involved in the A Shau rescue.
In: Military History · Tagged with: Medal of Honor, Vietnam War
Today in Medal of Honor History: Jack H. Jacobs
42 years ago, First Lieutenant Jack Jacobs was searching for Viet Cong soldiers when the South Vietnamese battalion that he was advising suddenly came under devastating fire from a large enemy force hidden in bunkers. Many of the soldiers were killed instantly, and Jacobs himself was severely wounded.
Despite his wounds, Jacobs took command of the unit and ordered airstrikes against an enemy that was so strong that the incoming aircraft were driven off by the intense fire. Jacobs repeatedly braved incoming rifle, machine gun, and mortar fire and rescued 13 of his fallen comrades before collapsing from his wounds.
“I come to the conclusion that I’m going to die.” Jacobs said in an interview. “Because I am, I might as well just carry on.” His Medal of Honor citation can be viewed here.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
In: Military History · Tagged with: Jack H. Jacobs, Medal of Honor
65 years ago: The Battle of Iwo Jima
Marines raise the U.S. flag on Mount Siribachi on Feb. 23, 1945. Holding the flagpole are Sergeant H.O. Hansen, Platoon Sergeant E.I. Thomas, and First Lieutenant H.G. Schrier. In the foreground Private First Class J.R. Michaels stands guard with an M-1 Carbine. Corporal C.W. Lindberg is behind him. USMC Photo/SSgt. Louis R. Lowery
On Feb. 19, 1945, thousands of Marines landed on the beaches of Iwo Jima, the first U.S. assault on Japanese home islands. For over a month, the Marines fought an epic fight with Japanese troops before declaring the island secured on March 16, 1945. Of the thousands (estimates run as high as 22,000) of Japanese troops defending the island, only 216 were captured. The rest were either killed either in battle or by ritual suicide.
The intense fighting produced over 26,000 U.S. casualties. Nearly 7,000 Marines (and 300 sailors) were killed. After the battle, Admiral Chester Nimitz said, “Among the Americans serving on Iwo island, uncommon valor was a common virtue.”
Indeed, 27 Medals of Honor were awarded to Marines and sailors for their actions at Iwo Jima. Unto the Breach will post each Honor citation on the anniversary of the action, so check back frequently.
In: Military History · Tagged with: Iwo Jima, Medal of Honor, World War II
This Week in American Military History
Feb. 10, 1763: The Treaty of Paris is signed ending the Seven Years War, known as the French and Indian War in the North American colonies. For America – militarily speaking – the war strengthens Great Britain’s territorial dominance and strategic supremacy in North America. The war also serves as the conflict prior to the American Revolution in which many future Continental Army commanders cut their teeth.
Feb. 10, 1962: In a dramatic Cold War prisoner swap between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is exchanged for Soviet spy Rudolph Ivanovich Abel on the Glienecker Bridge between West Berlin and Potsdam in East Germany.
Powers is a former U.S. Air Force officer who had been flying U-2s for the CIA when he was shot down over the Soviet Union and captured in May 1960. Abel, a KGB colonel, had been arrested in New York in 1957 and convicted of espionage activities against the United States.
In: Military History · Tagged with: Adm. William F. "Bull" Halsey, Civil War, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Francis Gary Powers, French and Indian War, Guadalcanal, Medal of Honor, USS Batfish, Vietnam War, W. Thomas Smith Jr.
