Military

Oldest WWII Medal Of Honor Recipient Dies At 100

KPBS | By Associated Press

Published May 27, 2010 at 9:38 AM PDT

This story was published more than 14 years ago.

Facebook
WhatsApp
Email

Chief Aviation Ordnanceman John William Finn was awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service during the December 7, 1941 Japanese air attack on Naval Air Station Kanoehe Bay, Oahu, T.H. He is wearing the medal in this photograph.

. — Chief Aviation Ordnanceman John William Finn was awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service during the December 7, 1941 Japanese air attack on Naval Air Station Kanoehe Bay, Oahu, T.H. He is wearing the medal in this photograph. .

Retired Navy Lt. John Finn, the oldest Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, has died at his Southern California home. He was 100.

Navy Lt. Aaron Kakiel says Finn died early Thursday on his ranch near Live Oak Springs, where he lived for more than 50 years.

Finn earned the nation's highest military valor award for his heroism during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He received the Medal of Honor on Sept. 15, 1942, from then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Become a KPBS sponsor

Born July 23, 1909, in Los Angeles, Finn was the oldest of the 97 Medal of Honor recipients still living.

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.