June 3 Elden Johnson Medal of Honor

Elden Johnson earned the Medal of Honor posthumously in Italy as part of the 3rd Infantry Division when he drew German fire and assaulted through an ambush zone to let his trapped platoon withdraw. Honor et memores. From East Weymouth, MA, Johnson was a private in the 15th Infantry. I made the key image from this original photo of Johnson. … Read More

June 3 Ed White First Spacewalk

Ed White, an Air Force Major, became the first American to do a spacewalk on this day in 1965. Tragically, White died two years later in the Apollo 1 launchpad fire. Honor et memores.

June 2 Shinyei Nakamine Medal of Honor

Shinyei Nakamine earned the Medal of Honor posthumously in Italy, when he attacked  through multiple enemy machine gun nests when his platoon was pinned down, crawling to within 25 feet of the final nest and destroying it with grenades. Nakamine received the Distinguished Service Cross, but his medal was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 2000

June 1 Don’t Give Up The Ship!

Don’t give up the ship! The battle that inspired the United States Navy’s motto took place on this day. Honor et memores!

June 1 James Rowan O’Bierne Medal of Honor

James Rowan O’Bierne earned the Medal of Honor for actions this day. O’Bierne, an Irish immigrant, was a great leader who eventually became a Brigadier General (Brevet) and who took part in the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth. Honor et memores.

May 31 Clarence Craft Medal of Honor

Clarence Craft earned the Medal of Honor on Okinawa when he single-handedly attacked and seized a Japanese hill, chasing the defenders into a cave and then blowing them up with a satchel charge. Honor et memores.  He served in Korea and then left the Army, volunteering later at the VA in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Read his Medal of Honor citation:

May 31 Rudolfo Hernandez Medal of Honor

Rudolfo Hernandez, an Army paratrooper, earned the Medal of Honor on this day in Korea when he, despite grave injuries, beat back a Chinese communist attack.  Hernandez was horribly wounded in combat, and appeared dead, but a medic saw him move his fingers and started the life saving steps. Hernandez woke up a month later in an Army hospital and … Read More

May 29 William Galt Medal of Honor

Captain William Galt earned the Medal of Honor posthumously on this day when he led a stalled infantry company against entrenched Germans in Italy, cut down while manning a tank-mounted machine gun. He was 24 years old and a Montana native who had been through years of combat already. Galt was from Geyser, Montana and had been part of ROTC … Read More