Our Dwindling American Heroes
The Rapidly Diminishing Ranks of Living Medal of Honor Recipients
Medal of Honor recipients are among America's greatest heroes, but their rapidly dwindling numbers bring an increased sense of urgency to remember their heroism.
In this season of remembering our veterans both living and dead, Memorial Day offers an opportunity to remember the recipients of America's highest military award, the Medal of Honor. With the number of living recipients dwindling fast, meeting one of these true American heroes will soon be as rare as meeting a teenager without a cell phone.
The Medal of Honor could very well be America's rarest gem. The wealthiest citizen cannot pay to be in this extraordinary society, and it is illegal for an unauthorized person to manufacture, wear, or falsely claim to be a recipient. Only 3,447 recipients have been authorized to receive the award since it was instituted during the Civil War in 1862. It is so rare that most active duty and retired veterans have never personally seen a Medal of Honor, let alone, meet a man authorized to wear it.
According to the HomeofHeroes.com website, since the beginning of World War II, 849 recipients of the Medal of Honor have been awarded. Over half of those men died in performing their heroic act, leaving just 328 men who lived to wear it. Today, only 105 recipients remain and are scattered throughout the country. Thirteen states have no living recipients within their borders, and ten states boast only one living recipient. California has the most surviving recipients with 14. The average age of all recipients is 74 years-old.
Most American's would admit they know little about the men who hold the highest award in the land. Most Medal of Honor recipients have lived quiet lives, hoping to avoid the accolades and publicity that accompany their award. Despite the passing of decades since their act of heroism, these stories remain among the most inspirational of the American legacy.
One of the greatest of these living recipients is George Wahlen of Ogden, Utah. Wahlen was a medical corpsman during the battle of Iwo Jima. Wahlen risked his life repeatedly by crawling out into the line of fire to administer life-saving medical aid. On two occasions he was hit by shrapnel and painfully injured, yet he refused to leave the battlefield. During twelve days of battle he is credited for saving a countless number of Marines. After World War II, Wahlen served active duty during both the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. He is also the only recipient to have served during war-time for the Navy, Marines, Army and Air Force.
The oldest living recipient is 98 year-old John Finn of Los Angeles, California. Finn was recognized for his heroism during the attack of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. During heavy strafing from Japanese airplanes, Finn manned a fully exposed .50 caliber machine gun and returned fire. Despite being hit several times, he continued firing at enemy planes until he was forced to leave his post to receive first aid. He then returned to his squadron to supervise the re-arming of returning American planes.
As most recipients died in their act of heroism, that tradition has continued during the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. Only four awards have been presented since the outbreak of war, and all were awarded posthumously. President Bush presented the most recent award to Michael Monsoor on April 8, 2008. Monssor was a Navy SEAL who served in the heavily contested area of Ramadi, Iraq. He died after throwing himself on a grenade "to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates." Four months earlier, he was also awarded the third highest award for valor, the Silver Star, for saving a comrade in a fire-fight.
