ATTENTION:

ATTENTION:

Thursday, June 07, 2012

Battle of Midway Honor Roll

This week we marked the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Midway, the battle that changed the course of  World War II in the Pacific and set the United States on the path to ultimate victory in August, 1945. Somewhat amazingly, the battle only produced one Medal of Honor recipient: Captain Richard E. Fleming, USMCR.

The full accounting of heroes from Midway contains hundreds of men. Listed below are the recipients of the Army's Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy's Navy Cross - both awards second only to the Medal of Honor - from the battle, to include recipients from the concurrent Aleutians Campaign as well. I've also included the men who received the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the highest Navy award not requiring heroism in the face of the enemy.

My list does not include the servicemen who received other awards for valor such as the Silver Star or the Distinguished Flying Cross - there were many. For this list, the brave men who gave their lives in battle and received posthumous awards have their names italicized. The link for each name goes to Military Times' Hall of Valor.

As I asked for my list of Navy Cross recipients from the Battle of the Coral Sea, please pick a few names from the roll of honor and read about their heroism during June 1942.

We are only free because of the brave who have gone before. We will never forget - or allow to be forgotten - what they did for all of us.


Distinguished Service Cross Recipients  (All are United States Army Air Force)


Navy Cross Recipients (all United States Navy unless otherwise noted)


Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients


O! Thus be it ever when free men shall stand, between their loved home and the war's desolation!
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2 comments:

  1. Katherine Meals3:05 AM

    To Whomever This May Concern,

    I am very proud to say that my dad, Elbert Owen Meals was a part of this great mission. He won a Distinguished Service Cross for what he did. Dad was a person of very high integrity and was very, very patriotic and loved the Savior. He loved this country and he loved our family and always thought of us before himself. He was a graduate of West Point Academy and a nuclear physicist by profession, as well as a Colonel in the Air Force. I know that he and my mom are very happy together in heaven. They taught us well and I hope that we, as all of their posterity can bring them gladness and joy by the lives that we live here on earth.

    I just want to say, "Thank you, Dad, immensely, for playing a part to save our country from harm. I know that it helped the whole of humanity to do so. Your reward in heaven is probably very, very great."

    Your daughter,

    Kathy

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  2. Allan Bourdius8:22 AM

    I'm glad you found your way here Kathy. I'm ever touched when I get comments and/or emails from the families of the heroes I've honored.

    I hope you enjoy the rest of my blog, if you've taken time to look around :)

    ReplyDelete

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