Medal of Honor site

Amazing that some lived through the action where they were awarded the MoH.

Most were 19-24 years old that I’ve read.

Jared Monti, was a friend of mine and one hell of a man.
Gave away his dining room set because he had a young soldier who couldn't afford one and his kids were sitting on the floor to eat. One of many stories of a great man and leader

Jared Monti

2nd cousin from Lake Charles, Douglas B Fournet
MoH Site

Ross Gray was from about 25 miles down the road and I know two of his nephews.

Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 21 February 1945:

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Alone and unarmed but carrying a huge satchel charge, he crept up on the Japanese emplacement, boldly hurled the short-fused explosive, and sealed the entrance. Instantly taken under machine-gun fire from a second entrance to the same position, he unhesitatingly braved the increasingly vicious fusillades to crawl back for another charge, returned to his objective, and blasted the second opening, thereby demolishing the position. Repeatedly covering the ground between the savagely defended enemy fortifications and his platoon area, he systematically approached, attacked, and withdrew under blanketing fire to destroy a total of six Japanese positions, more than 25 troops, and a quantity of vital ordnance gear and ammunition.

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Gray was KIA six days later.





He didn't die in combat, which is the point of Memorial Day, but meet Robert L. Howard

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He was wounded 14 times over 54 months of combat, was awarded the Medal of Honor, eight Purple Hearts, a Distinguished Service Cross, a Silver Star, and four Bronze Stars.

Howard was nominated for the Medal of Honor three times over a 13-month period but received lesser medals for the first two nominations, which were for actions performed in Cambodia where the U.S. was fighting covertly.

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The man should have, in all likelihood, received 3 CMoHs.

My Grandmother’s first husband..

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For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On October 13, 1943, when the drive across the Volturno River began, Capt. Olson and his company spearheaded the advance of the regiment through 30 miles of mountainous enemy territory in 13 days. Placing himself at the head of his men,

Capt. Olson waded into the chest-deep water of the raging Volturno River and despite pointblank machine-gun fire aimed directly at him made his way to the opposite bank and threw 2 handgrenades into the gun position, killing the crew. When an enemy machinegun 150 yards distant opened fire on his company, Capt. Olson advanced upon the position in a slow, deliberate walk. Although 5 German soldiers threw handgrenades at him from a range of 5 yards, Capt. Olson dispatched them all, picked up a machine pistol and continued toward the enemy. Advancing to within 15 yards of the position he shot it out with the foe, killing 9 and seizing the post.

Throughout the next 13 days Capt. Olson led combat patrols, acted as company No. 1 scout and maintained unbroken contact with the enemy. On October 27, 1943, Capt. Olson conducted a platoon in attack on a strongpoint, crawling to within 25 yards of the enemy and then charging the position. Despite continuous machinegun fire which barely missed him, Capt. Olson made his way to the gun and killed the crew with his pistol. When the men saw their leader make this desperate attack they followed him and overran the position. Continuing the advance, Capt. Olson led his company to the next objective at the summit of Monte San Nicola. Although the company to his right was forced to take cover from the furious automatic and small arms fire, which was directed upon him and his men with equal intensity, Capt. Olson waved his company into a skirmish line and despite the fire of a machinegun which singled him out as its sole target led the assault which drove the enemy away.

While making a reconnaissance for defensive positions, Capt. Olson was fatally wounded. Ignoring his severe pain, this intrepid officer completed his reconnaissance, supervised the location of his men in the best defense positions, refused medical aid until all of his men had been cared for, and died as he was being carried down the mountain.

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Didn't read, upvoting anyway.

That grave should have gold leaf in the lettering

John William Finn- Pearl Harbor



With the passing of years and in a growing climate of “political correctness”, the shock and horror of Pearl Harbor, the day “which will live in infamy”, appears to be forgotten. Movies like “Letters from Iwo Jima” depict the forces of Imperial Japan as sympathetic victims forgetting that on December 7th, 1941 the Japanese Navy without a declaration of war launched a deadly sneak attack against the civilian and military population of Hawaii while people were asleep believing they were at peace.

One such person was John William Finn. Born in Compton, California in 1909, Finn had dropped out of school and enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17. Now at 32, Finn had risen to the rank of Chief Petty Officer and was assigned as the chief aviation ordanceman in charge of a detail of twenty men at Kaneohe Bay Naval Air Station on Oahu.

On the morning of December 7th, Finn was at home with his wife when he was awakened by the sound of gunfire and a neighbor knocking on his door yelling that he was needed at the base right away. Still not fully aware what was going on, Finn jumped in his car and proceeded to the air strip observing the base speed limit until a plane passing overhead revealed the Japanese “Rising Sun” insignia on its wing. According to Finn, at that point “I threw it into second [gear], and it was a wonder I didn’t run over every sailor in the air station.“

On reaching the hangers, Finn arrived at a scene of hell and chaos with men scrambling between burning planes trying to find cover or a means to defend themselves. Finn spotted his squadron’s painter who was carrying a 50 caliber machine gun salvaged from one of the damaged planes. Finn commandeered the gun from him. As he observed later, “I knew I had more experience firing a machine gun than a painter.”

Finn took the gun and mounted it on a movable platform used for training. Finn pushed the platform and all the ammo he could find into an open area where he had a clear view of the attacking Japanese planes, ignoring the personal risk that this also meant that he was completely exposed to enemy fire. Finn said, “I got the gun and I started shooting at Jap planes..in some cases I could see [the pilot’s] faces.”

For the next two hours Finn would conduct his personal war with the attacking Japanese. He continued to fire his improvised antiaircraft gun despite the fact that he received 21 distinct wounds including a bullet through his foot and a shrapnel wound in his shoulder that caused him to lose the use of his left arm. Still Finn kept up his personal counterattack: Finn is credited with shooting down at least one enemy fighter and is believed to have damaged several. “I can’t honestly say I hit any,” Finn said modestly during a 2001 interview, “But I shot at every damn plane I could see.”

Finn did not leave his position until he was ordered to seek medical attention. Finn said when he got to sick bay, he saw many worse off than he. He allowed the medics to bandage him and then checked himself out to return to the armory where he spent the rest of the day and night repairing damaged weapons in case of a further assault. Given a second and more explicit order to seek medical attention, Finn would spend the next two weeks in hospital.

Well is it true?