T. Rees Shapiro
Today is the 69th Anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Among those in the surprise attack early Sunday morning to repel the 7th December 1941, was Navy Lieutenant John W. Finn.
Lt. Finn, who died last May at age 100, was then a chief petty officer responsible for aviation and unexploded ordnance in the air station at Kaneohe Bay, 15 miles from Pearl Harbor and Battleship Row .
He was away in bed with his wife, Alice, this Sunday, when, shortly before 8 clock, he heard the roar of planes flying at low altitude sporadic machine gun and a mile from the hangar.
When he arrived at the station Kaneohe Bay, commanded by Lieutenant Finn caliber heavy machine gun and made a makeshift stand of replacement tubes - in the wild, where he gave a clear picture of the Japanese as he called to give a warm "Welcome.
He shot waves of Japanese Zeros strafing for over 2 1 / 2 hours, because, as he later said, "I did not have enough sense to come from the rain. "
He was credited with a plane crash on their own, but he played to completion. "I can not honestly say I've met everybody," he said at the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2001. "But I shot convicted on all fronts, I could see."
At the end of the rush is Lieutenant Finn had more than 20 wounded, including a gunshot wound in the left arm, a fractured left foot, shrapnel in the chest, abdomen, right elbow and thumb, and tears on his scalp.
Of the 15 medals of honor for actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor was added 14 for rescue attempts. Lt. Finn was the only award given to the fight.
Please leave your thoughts or memories of Pearl Harbor, Lieutenant Finn or other participants below.
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