Please join me in honoring and remembering the United States Marine Corps’ first four star general officer, later Commandant, and leader of the First Marine Division on Guadalcanal, who earned the Medal of Honor for his inspiring example and wisdom on this day.  “The Marine Corps, then, believes that it has earned this right—to have its future decided by the … Read More

Today, we should honor and remember Elmer Fryar, who earned the Medal of Honor posthumously on Leyte in the Philippines, in combat against Japanese troops.  Fryar held off a Japanese platoon single-handedly that was trying out flank his company. Later, he jumped in front of a wounded soldier to protect him from a Japanese sniper. Fryar killed this enemy with … Read More

We would do well to honor & remember Francis Flaherty, who gave up his life 82 years & one day ago, staying in the turret of the capsizing USS Oklahoma after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, guiding his fellow sailors to safety, & earning the Medal of Honor posthumously. Flaherty, from Charlotte, Michigan and raised Catholic, joined the Navy … Read More

I am pausing to remember William McWhorter today, a 26 year old private who earned the Medal of Honor posthumously OTD 80 years ago, when he smothered a Japanese grenade with his body, saving the lives of two fellow Americans, William Brooks and George Panzer. McWhorter was from Liberty, South Carolina. He was with the 32nd Infantry Division in 1944 … Read More

It’s worth pausing on this Monday to remember what the greatest American, George Washington, did on this day, 241 years ago. It was a remarkable act, unparalleled in history, and one which caused his former sovereign and more recent enemy to call Washington “the greatest man of the age.” On this day, Washington walked away from power, saying farewell to … Read More

We should honor and remember Pedro Cano today, who earned the Medal of Honor for his leadership on this day 79 years ago in World War II, by exposing himself to ferocious German fire to blast his bazooka at machine gun nests pinning down his company in the Hurtgen Forest. As part of the 8th Infantry Regiment of the 4th … Read More

Please help me honor and remember the incredible Marine Corps Staff Sergeant William Windrich, who earned the Medal of Honor posthumously during the Chosin Reservoir withdrawal, for leading his Marines in a valiant defense of hill 1520 against Chinese communist forces. Though badly wounded, he stayed in the fight, rallying his men until he succumbed to his wounds. A native … Read More

I am remembering Don Carlos Faith today, an incredible Army officer who earned the Medal of Honor posthumously for his leadership and courage in the Korean War, when he led his battalion and disparate Army troops in a fighting withdrawal to Hagu-Ri. Faith, the son of an Army general, went to Georgetown University because he was medically unfit for West … Read More

I really enjoyed learning about the USS Archerfish, whose crew sank the largest warship ever, the Japanese aircraft carrier “Shinano” on this day 79 years ago. It’s also the remarkable story of the ship’s captain, Jospeh Enright, who failed as a leader but who got back in the saddle and redeemed himself. Enright and his crew were off of Hokkaido … Read More

Andrew Miller, an Army Staff Sergeant, earned the Medal of Honor posthumously for a sequence of especially heroic deeds between November 16 and November 29, 1944. The following is from his Medal of Honor citation. November 16, 1944 – As he led a rifle squad on 16 November at Woippy, a crossfire from enemy machineguns pinned down his unit. Ordering … Read More