"I can't honestly say I hit any," he told the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2001. By April 1927 he was back in the San Diego area, having been assigned to Naval Air Station North Island. Then, at a little before eight in the morning his neighbour hammered on his door. He took the gun from the man knowing he had more experience firing a machine gun than a decorator. Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 5 Battle Star John William Finn was the last surviving recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions rendered at Pearl Harbor. With the aid of walking sticks, he stood beside U.S. President Barack Obama during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Medal of Honor Born on 24 July 1909, in Compton, California, Finn dropped out of school after the seventh grade. In 1947 he was reverted back to his enlisted rank of Chief Petty Officer, eventually becoming a Lieutenant with Bombing Squadron VB-102 and aboard the USS Hancock (CV-19). National Defense Service Medal, From 1956 until shortly before his death, Finn resided on a 93-acre ranch in the desert at Live Oak Springs, near Pine Valley, CA. For Finn it had started much like any other working day on the base. He survived the War, was commissioned in 1942 and eventually rose to the rank of Lieutenant aboard the USS Hancock. SAN DIEGO (AP) — Retired Navy Lt. John Finn, the oldest Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, died Thursday at his southern California ranch. Copy link. The Medal of Honor isn’t an award given without careful thought and consideration, so those who are chosen to receive it are known for having gone above and beyond the call of duty. John Finn was the last surviving recipient of the Medal of Honor awarded for heroism during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Directed by Julia Davis. John Finn seated bottom right with other Medal of Honor recipients celebrating his 100th birthday. pays his respects to the Sailors and Marines killed aboard USS Arizona during the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Share. His action resulted in Finn being awarded the first Medal of Honor of WWII. Chester Nimitz presented Finn with the Medal of Honor for his bravery, joining the ranks of the men, and one woman, recognized with the nation's highest award for heroism. It was his first visit to the White House, and his first time meeting a sitting President. In 2017, the US Navy commissioned the USS John Finn (DDG 113), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, in his honor. Medal of Honor Recipient He then found a movable tripod platform that was used as a gunnery training device and fixed the 50 caliber weapon to it. U.S. Navy Lieutenant John W. Finn was presented the Medal of Honor for military valor during World War II. Shopping. Two weeks ago, John Finn, the oldest living U.S. Medal of Honor winner, died at the age of 100. His wife, Alice Finn, died in 1998. John William Finn 5 min read. There he raised cattle, horses, and chickens, and ran a scrap yard with his wife, Alice. It was only by specific orders that he was persuaded to leave his post to seek medical attention. One man, John Finn, a Chief Ordnance Officer at the airbase at Kaneohe Bay, became the first to be recognized for his actions that day. Fifteen of them were onboard ship as servicemen tried to beat back the surprise attack from the Japanese Imperial Forces. American Defense Service Medal After a brief stint with a ceremonial guard company, he attended General Aviation Utilities Training at Naval Station Great Lakes, graduating in December. He enlisted in the Navy in July 1926, shortly before his seventeenth birthday, and completed recruit training in San Diego. Citation: For extraordinary heroism distinguished service, and devotion above and beyond the call of duty. For the USA, day one of WWII came on the 7th December 1941 at Pearl Harbor, where sixteen Medal of Honor acts of valor took place. He was strafed multiple times and received twenty-one distinct wounds. Info. For more than 2 1/2 hours he fired at wave after wave of strafing Japanese Zeroes until the attack ended, even after being seriously wounded, because, as he later said, "I didn't have enough sense to come in out of the rain." He retired in September 1956 after thirty years of service in the US Navy. He retired from the Navy as a Lieutenant in September 1956. Nimitz was quoted as saying "The 25 who are to receive awards today have earned them in a diversity of tasks symbolic of the Pacific Fleet's tremendous responsibilities. World War II. John William Finn was born in Compton, Calif. December 7, 2007 – Medal of Honor recipient Lt. John Finn (Ret.) Finn was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the attack on Pearl Harbor, and he is the only aviation ordnanceman to receive the medal. John William Finn with his wife, Alice, after receiving his Medal of Honor in September 1942. In order to get a better chance of hitting his targets Finn moved out into an open area on the runway, drawing the Japanese pilots’ fire. Finn recalled how a neighbor was the first to alert him, when she knocked on his door saying "They want you down at the squadron right away! ", His men were trying to fight back by using the machine guns mounted in the PBYs, either by firing from inside the flaming planes or by detaching the guns and mounting them on improvised stands. Finn received the Medal of Honor in recognition of heroism and distinguished service during the … Later that day, Finn was a guest at the White House. World War II. On the morning of 7 December 1941, Finn was at home in bed with his wife, Alice, when just before 8:00 am, he heard the rumble of low-flying aircraft and sporadic machine gun fire coming from the hangar a mile away. In total, he received 21 distinct wounds, including a bullet wound in his left arm; a broken left foot; shrapnel to his chest, stomach, right elbow and thumb; and a laceration on his scalp. 1941 finn promptly secured a .50 caliber machine gun while exposed,, in the open. 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. 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