John William Finn

John William Finn
A monochrome photograph of a man in white clothing wearing a medal
John William Finn wearing his Medal of Honor
Born(1909-07-24)24 July 1909
Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
Died27 May 2010(2010-05-27) (aged 100)
Chula Vista, California, U.S.
Buried
Saint Carmel Cemetery,[1] Campo Indian Reservation[2]
32°39′2″N 116°21′53″W / 32.65056°N 116.36472°W / 32.65056; -116.36472
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1926–1956
RankLieutenant
UnitVP-11
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsMedal of Honor
Purple Heart

John William Finn (24 July 1909 – 27 May 2010) was a sailor in the United States Navy who, as a chief petty officer and aviation ordnanceman, 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. Though ordnancemen are only responsible for performing maintenance on guns and handling of munitions, Finn – when the Japanese bombed Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay during the 7 December attack – earned the medal by firing 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, the last living recipient from the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the last living United States Navy recipient of World War II.

  1. ^ "List by Alphabet ( F-J )". Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States. 2013. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2013. FINN, John William (World War II) Saint Carmel Cemetery (Campo Reservation Cemetery), Live Oak Springs, California
  2. ^ 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. Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2013.