From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John William Finn
(July 23, 1909 ? May 27, 2010) was an
American
sailor in the
United States Navy
. He served as a
chief petty officer
. He received the
United States military
's highest decoration, the
Medal of Honor
, for his actions during the
attack on Pearl Harbor
in
World War II
. Finn was the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient in the
United States
and the last living of the Pearl Harbor recipients.
[3]
Finn was born on July 23, 1909 in
Compton, California
. Finn dropped out of school after the seventh grade.
[4]
He then attended General Aviation Utilities Training at
Naval Station Great Lakes
. In 1939, Finn married his wife Alice Finn.
As a
chief
aviation ordnanceman
stationed at
Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay
, he earned the medal by manning a
machine gun
from an exposed position throughout the attack, despite being repeatedly wounded. He continued to serve in the Navy and in 1942 was
commissioned
an
ensign
.
In 1947 he was reverted to chief petty officer, eventually rising to
lieutenant
before his 1956 retirement. In his later years he made many appearances at events celebrating veterans. At the time of his death, Finn was the oldest
living Medal of Honor recipient
and the last living recipient from the attack on Pearl Harbor.
His wife, Alice Finn, died in 1998.
[5]
Since 1956, Finn lived in a ranch in
Live Oak Springs
, near
Pine Valley, California
.
Finn died at age 100 on the morning of May 27, 2010, at the
Chula Vista
Veterans Home from
natural causes
. He was buried besides his wife at the
Campo Indian Reservation
's cemetery, after a memorial service in
El Cajon
.
[6]
- ↑
Lieut John William Finn
at
Find a Grave
"List by Alphabet ( F-J )"
. Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States. 2013
. Retrieved
March 23,
2013
.
FINN, John William (World War II) Saint Carmel Cemetery (Campo Reservation Cemetery), Live Oak Springs, California
Bob Hufford (May 27, 2010).
"Lieut John William Finn"
.
Find a Grave
. Retrieved
April 6,
2013
.
- ↑
Willbanks, James H., ed. (2011).
America's Heroes: Medal of Honor Recipients from the Civil War to Afghanistan
. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. p. 183.
ISBN
9781598843934
. Retrieved
March 23,
2013
.
- ↑
"John Finn, Medal of Honor Winner, Dies at 100"
.
New York Times
. May 27, 2010
. Retrieved
February 23,
2014
.
- ↑
Collier, Peter (2006).
Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty
. New York:
Workman Publishing Company
. p.
83
.
ISBN
978-1-57965-314-9
. Retrieved
October 6,
2009
.
- ↑
Shapiro, T. Rees (May 29, 2010).
"Lt. John W. Finn, Medal of Honor recipient, Dies At 100"
.
The Washington Post
. p. B5.
- ↑
Onell R. Soto; Jeanette Steele (June 4, 2010).
"Family and friends bid farewell to John Finn"
.
San Diego Union Tribune
. Retrieved
March 23,
2013
.
Blanca Gonzalez (May 28, 2010).
"John Finn, hero at Pearl Harbor, dies at 100"
.
San Diego Union Tribune
. Retrieved
March 23,
2013
.
Media related to
John William Finn
at Wikimedia Commons