John Finn, who was wounded during the attack on Pearl Harbor, received a Medal of Honor for his service and was recognized by President Obama and other veterans during the September Congressional Medal of Honor Society convention. If you ask Mr. Finn about being a hero, this is what he will tell you:
“That damned hero stuff is a bunch of crap. Well, it is one thing that I think any man that is in that, you gotta be in that position. You gotta understand that there’s all kinds of heroes, but they never get a chance to be in a hero’s position.”
Mr. Finn’s humble attitude is shared by many, many veterans who bravely served their country. Why did I go back into enemy fire? To save my platoon mate! No, I’m no hero; I was just doing what I pledged to do!
John Finn’s story is pretty amazing. Stationed at Kanoehe Bay Naval Air Station, which was hit by Japanese fire about five minutes prior to the hit on Pearl Harbor, Mr. Finn recalls a neighbor pounding on his door, telling him to report to the squadron immediately. Mr. Finn jumped in his car, and remembers seeing the first Japanese aircraft in the sky before he even reached the base hangar.
“I put that old car of mine in second gear and wound it up getting down to the hangar,” Mr. Finn said.
His first instinct was to grab a machine gun from a painter who had been working in the hangar. Mr. Finn knew that he had more experience firing the machine gun than the painter did. “I got that gun and started shooting at Jap planes,” he recalls. Mr. Finn began firing without realizing that he the machine gun was situated out in the open, without protection from Japanese fire.
But that didn’t stop him.
“I was out there shooting the Jap planes…I was a target for some. I could see their faces.”
Mr. Finn was hit in the head, hand, arm, and foot, but he never retreated. He stood there firing his machine gun, trying to stop the Japanese fighter pilots. Mr. Finn did not leave his post until he received explicit orders to seek medical attention.
He received first aid, and despite the pain of his serious injuries, Mr. Finn returned to the squadron to assist in the supervision of rearming U.S. fighter planes. When asked why he was hesitant to leave his post and receive potentially life-saving medical attention, Mr. Finn said it just wasn’t a priority.
“If you’re busy shooting a machine gun or a rifle or a pistol or doing anything, you can’t worry about getting medical attention. Medical help comes later.”
Mr. Finn says that that is the one and only time that he went to the hospital. For a man that just turned 100, that’s pretty impressive.
About a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Mr. Finn had recovered from his injuries. He spent some time in the hospital and reported for duty at a Hawaiian Naval base. He received his Medal of Honor from Admiral Chester Nimitz, with his treasured wife by his side. Typically, Medal of Honor recipients receive their medal at the White House, but Mr. Finn had not visited the White House until this past spring, after President Obama invited him to visit.
Mr. Finn is among an elite group of veterans. The Medal of Honor, which was first awarded in 1869, has been given to less than 3,500 vets. Less than 100 recipients are alive today, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
While Mr. Finn is proud to be a veteran and a Medal of Honor recipient, his fondest memories are of his late wife Alice, who married him before the attack on Pearl Harbor and passed away in 1998. A photo on CNN.com shows a handsome young couple, Mr. Finn in his dress whites. I believe this to be just another example of Mr. Finn’s humble attitude – he is one of the few to receive such a high honor, and while the day that a veteran received his Medal of Honor might very well be the most important day of his life, Mr. Finn’s best day was the day that Alice married him.
To view a video of Mr. Finn’s interview with CNN, please visit http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/09/15/finn.medal.of.honor/index.html#cnnSTCVideo.
I also recommend visiting the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website, where you can view the amazing, heroic stories of other medal recipients.
Mr. Finn’s assertion that there are “all kinds of heroes” is very true. The veterans who serve our country but never step foot in front of enemy fire are heroes. The civilians who support the men and women fighting for our freedom could be considered heroes, too.
So, remember: one day, you may be put into a hero’s position. Remember the story of John Finn, and act accordingly.
