Navy Lt. John Finn, Oldest WWII Honor Recipient, Dies

Retired Navy Lt. John Finn, the oldest Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, died Thursday at his San Diego-area home at age 100.

Finn died early this morning on his ranch near Live Oak Springs, where he had lived for more than 50 years.

“We lost a national treasure and a national hero today,” Navy Capt. David Lepard told NBC 7/39. “It’s really touching his death occurred on Memorial Day weekend and he’ll never be forgotten.”

Finn received the Medal of Honor on Sept. 15, 1942, from President Franklin D. Roosevelt for heroism during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

During the Dec. 7, 1941, attack, Finn manned a machine gun and began firing from an exposed location on Japanese aircraft, suffering serious wounds in the process.

Funeral plans are pending, but Finn will be buried with full military honors on the Campo Indian Reservation, where his wife is buried, according to NBC 7/39.

FINN, JOHN WILLIAM

Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Place and date: Naval Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Territory of Hawaii, 7 December 1941. Entered service at: California. Born: 24 July 1909, Los Angeles, Calif.

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, Kaneohe Bay, on 7 December 1941, Lt. Finn promptly secured and manned a .50-caliber machinegun mounted on an instruction stand in a completely exposed section of the parking ramp, which was under heavy enemy machinegun 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 U.S. Naval Service.

Retired Navy Lt. John Finn, sitting at bottom right, celebrates his 100th birthday on 25 July 2009 with other Medal of Honor recipients at Naval Air Station North Island. Finn, the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient, was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack on attack on Pearl Harbor.

Front row, left to right: James Allen Taylor; Sybil Stockdale, widow of James Stockdale; John W. Finn
Back row, left to right: Leonard B. Keller; unknown; Drew Dennis Dix; Michael Thornton; Jay R. Vargas; Thomas R. Norris; Robert J. Modrzejewski; Walter Joseph Marm; Walter D. Ehlers; Jon R. Cavaiani

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