World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. He was one of 15 sailors honored for heroism during the Japanese attack on Hawaii in 1941. Raised in Los Angeles, he dropped out of school and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1926; after boot camp in San Diego he spent a time as a ceremonial guard then received aviation training. Eventually rising to Chief Aviation Ordnanceman around 1936, he had seen duty aboard a number of ships, including the USS Lexington (CV-16), the USS Houston (CA-30), and the USS Cincinnati (CL-6), and was assigned to Naval Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, on the island of Oahu on December 7, 1941. At home when the bombing started, he drove to the base, took charge of a .50-caliber machine gun, and defended a runway for two-and-a-half hours despite being wounded in the scalp, left arm and left leg. For his actions, Chief Finn was awarded the Medal of Honor on board the USS Enterprise (CV-6) on September 15, 1942, by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Ten of the Medals of Honor awarded for December 7th were posthumous; Chief Finn was one of four recipients to survive the war, and at his death was the oldest Medal of Honor recipient. Remaining in the Navy until 1956, he retired as a Lieutenant, then lived on a cattle ranch near Pine Valley, California, until declining health forced him into a nursing facility. The recipient of countless invitations over the years, he was uncomfortable in the role of "hero," but after attending the premiere of the film "Pearl Harbor" in 1999, he said: "I liked it especially because I got to kiss all the pretty little movie actresses."
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. He was one of 15 sailors honored for heroism during the Japanese attack on Hawaii in 1941. Raised in Los Angeles, he dropped out of school and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1926; after boot camp in San Diego he spent a time as a ceremonial guard then received aviation training. Eventually rising to Chief Aviation Ordnanceman around 1936, he had seen duty aboard a number of ships, including the USS Lexington (CV-16), the USS Houston (CA-30), and the USS Cincinnati (CL-6), and was assigned to Naval Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, on the island of Oahu on December 7, 1941. At home when the bombing started, he drove to the base, took charge of a .50-caliber machine gun, and defended a runway for two-and-a-half hours despite being wounded in the scalp, left arm and left leg. For his actions, Chief Finn was awarded the Medal of Honor on board the USS Enterprise (CV-6) on September 15, 1942, by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Ten of the Medals of Honor awarded for December 7th were posthumous; Chief Finn was one of four recipients to survive the war, and at his death was the oldest Medal of Honor recipient. Remaining in the Navy until 1956, he retired as a Lieutenant, then lived on a cattle ranch near Pine Valley, California, until declining health forced him into a nursing facility. The recipient of countless invitations over the years, he was uncomfortable in the role of "hero," but after attending the premiere of the film "Pearl Harbor" in 1999, he said: "I liked it especially because I got to kiss all the pretty little movie actresses."
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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