How much can the body survive?
May 2nd, 2012 | Hall of Valor | Posted by Doug Sterner
On July 13, 1944, the S.S. William F. Humphrey was sunk by a German raider accompanied by two motor torpedo boats about 500 miles E. of Pointe Noire, West Africa, on a voyage from Table Bay to Trinidad. Some 19 or 20 of her crew of 46 were taken prisoner, the captain and ten men were landed at Freetown after five days in a boat. One of those landed at Freetown was a member of the vessel’s Armed Guard, Coxswain John A. Bennett. The citation for his Silver Star speaks for itself (it will be posted in the coming days with my next upload):
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Coxswain Jennings Jack Bennett (NSN: 3858141), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action on 16 July 1943 in charge of the gun crew of the S.S. WILLIAM F. HUMPHREY when attacked by enemy vessels. In all, three rounds of fire were directed toward the enemy raider by the gun crew of the HUMPHREY. After the 1st round had been fired and while loading the second round, Coxswain Bennett was shot through the right leg just above the knee, and also through the left arm just above the elbow. In spite of these two injuries he continued with the loading and when in a pointer position to fire the second round, the third finger of his left hand was shot off. After the firing of the second round and in spite of the three bullet wounds he had sustained, he issued orders to load the third round and assisted in the loading. While in a pointer position to fire the third round a shell from the raider hit close by and at the same second the third round was fired. Following this explosion the gun was rendered useless. After having sustained these three wounds Coxswain Bennett proceeded to the boat deck and threw out 13 life preservers into the water, and tossed four of them to members of his gun crew. Those thrown in the water were subsequently used by some of the crew of the HUMPHREY. Coxswain Bennett then proceeded amidships, secured his confidential papers and threw them overboard. Following this he then ran to the port life boat aft and was in the act of assisting in lowering the boat when a shell exploded between the davits. This shot threw him to the deck and inflicted serious shrapnel wounds, one that shattered the knee of his left leg, one that penetrated the upper left leg, one that entered the stomach, and still another that entered the left arm passing completely through the arm and pinning him to the deck with the shrapnel piece embedded about two inches in the deck surface. After freeing himself from this pinning he rolled off the deck into the water. While in the water about midway, between the raider and his ship, machine gun fire was directed at him which did not find its mark. The raider then fired two torpedoes into the HUMPHREY and the concussion from these charges blew Coxswain Bennett completely out of the water. Still retaining consciousness, after this episode, he swam to a life raft which had been launched from the port bow, climbed aboard (it was now approximately 2200) at which time he lost consciousness until about 0700 the next day. He was then transferred to one of the life boats which was picked up by the S.S. TRITON (Norwegian) seven days later. After three days aboard the TRITON he, with other members of the crew, was brought into Freetown where he as been convalescing in the Army hospital for the past four months. For the last three or four weeks he lingered between life and death with all indications pointing to the latter as the ultimate end. His nerves were shattered, his body was broken, his spirit was about gone. Gradually he began to regain his spirit and will to live and by dint of expert and patient medical service his shattered body had been made to mend in nothing short of a miraculous degree. Such courage and fortitude as Coxswain Bennett has displayed should not go un-rewarded.
Stolen Valor Cases Contine
April 22nd, 2012 | Hall of Valor | Posted by Doug Sterner
As the Supreme Court draws closer to its closing session, many are eagerly anticipating rulings on highly controversial cases including Health Care, Immigration, and the Stolen Valor Act. The latter law, passed in 2006, criminalizes lying about the receipt of military decorations and has stirred considerable interest in the extent to which the U.S. Government can outlaw falsehoods without violating First Amendment protections of speech.
While the Stolen Valor Act remains in limbo, pending the SCOTUS ruling, cases of Stolen Valor contine to be publicly exposed nationwide. Beyond Xavier Alvarez, the California man who falsely claimed to be a Medal of Honor recipient whose charges were thrown out by the Ninth Circuit Court in the case not before SCOTUS, there is no shortage of other violators who hope that the nine justices affirm an American citizen’s right to lie about being a war hero.
Among these are three high-profile exposures just in the last two weeks, two in Utah and one in Indiana. Watchdogs are quick to point out that these are just a few of the dozens of reports they have received since the Justices heard oral arguments on the Act last February, but they serve as examples to the Stolen Valor supporters of the importance of upholding the law.
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, Carl John Pequignot has long been something of a local hero. Pequignot claimed to have been greviously wounded three times while serving as a Corpsman in World War II. In 2007 then-state Sen. Gary Dillon presented Pequignot with a Silver Star medal, the military’s third highest decoration for valor. Last year local veterans pressured U.S. Senator Dick Lugar to advocate for Pequignot to be awarded the Medal of Honor. In an 80-minute interview posted in the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project, Pequignot related at length the loss of his PC boat to an enemy mine in November 1943, his subsequent capture by a Japanese submarine, and imprisonment in a Prisoner of War camp in the Philippine Islands. That interview, which was removed by the VHP two weeks ago when questions arose as to the validity of Pequignot’s claims, further detailed the man’s rescue in the Spring of 1944 by elements of the Army’s 6th Ranger Battalion which purportedly landed by submarine on enemy-held Luzon, marched inland, liberated 600 POWs, and then evacuated them by submarine to Guam.
The account might have been believable in a different time frame; in January 1945 the 6th Ranger Battalion did liberate the POW camp atCabanatuan, an event captured in the movie the “Great Raid.” There were no submarines involved in either the landing or recovery of the Prisoners however.
Now the Fort WayneJournal Gazette is reporting (http://www.jg.net/article/20120422/LOCAL/304229940/0/FRONTPAGE ) that Pequignot didn’t even enlist in the Navy until July 1944, and served stateside until October 1945 a month after the war ended. The Journal Gazette further reported that “After leaving the Navy, Pequignot was aFort Wayne police officer until he was convicted in 1958 for involvement in a car theft ring. Six years later, he was convicted of bank robbery inAllenCounty.”
The Journal Gazette futher reports that Pequignot receives monthly VA compensation in the amount of “$845 a month as compensation for tinnitus and hearing loss.” Not bad for two years of Navy service, one of which was stateside during the war and the other at sea AFTER the war.
InPark City,Utah, following a jury trial, two weeks ago Jackie Lee Climer was sentenced to jail for for embezzling over $30,000 from the local American Legion Post. Climer claimed to have been a Purple Heart recipient with a DD-214 discharge document that was at odds with official records. Special Agent Steve Hirzel of the Utah State Attorney General’s office noted in one email to me, “In one of the more gratifying experiences in my career, I executed a search warrant and ripped Climer’s ‘Combat Wounded’ Purple Heart plates off his car right in front of him. Unfortunately, our adjoining county would not prosecute Climer for presenting his forged DD-214 because the statute of limitations had run out on him presenting the forged document for the original registration. I am eagerly awaiting the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Stolen Valor case, and am ready to reopen that case should the court, hopefully, honor our veterans and declare that this nonsense has to stop.”
While news reports of his recent conviction have not yet materialized, coverage of his initial charging can be seen at: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=15058131.
This week, also in Utah, the Salt Lake Tribune reported the case of Dave Groves, who has been frequently honored as a former Prisoner of War during the Vietnam War. (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53957399-78/groves-pows-vietnam-database.html.csp) Groves claimed to have received three Silver Stars, and at least one photo has 
been found of him wearing an Army uniform bearing Silver Star ribbon with three Silver Stars (indicating subsequent awards); certainly suspicious since the Navy uses stars to signify subsequent awards while the Army uses Oak Leaf Clusters. In addition, in that same photo Groves is wearing the Soldier’s Medal, the Army’s highest award for non-combat heroism, and one of the service’s rarest awards.
Groves has been repeatedly honored not only by the Universityof Utah as a former POW, but also by the Veterans Administration. The Deparmtent of Defense, however, has no record of Grovesin its database of POWs. Among those debunking Groves’ claims and quoted in the Tribune story is Mike McGrath, a former Navy pilot who spent six years in captivity inNorth Vietnam. “He’s a typical liar,” says McGrath.
Both Piquignot and Grovescontinue to stand by their stories of heroism and suffering, despite the considerable evidence that these are more cases of Stolen Valor. Since publication of the Tribune storyGroves has himself, hired an attorney.
Photo at right is Groves in uniform:
15 Years Old and a Hero
April 4th, 2012 | Hall of Valor | Posted by Doug Sterner
The Silver Star citation for the award earned in Korea by George A. May is not unlike any number of the thousands of others I’ve entered into our database. When his weapon jammed, he picked up grenades and crawled toward the enemy and underfire hurled his grenade until he was wounded. Despite his injury he inched his way back to friendly positions where his exemplary spirit and rousing words encouraged his comrades onward to great heights. (You can read his actual citation from the link on his name above.)
In fact, a couple of things DO make Corporal May unique:
- It wasn’t really George A. May who performed this heroic act to earn a Silver Star,
- Leslie T. May, the REAL name of this hero was only FIFTEEN YEARS OLD….
- At that extremely young age, this combat leader had already been in the Army for two years.
I found Leslie May through a newspaper article sent to me by a fellow researcher, Merry Helm. It immediately caught my attention but upon requesting his records, but for the continuing work of a dedicated Archives Technician at NPRC St. Louis, May might have been otherwise lost to history. You see, in 1948 at age 13, Leslie T. May enlisted in the Army using the birth certificate of his older brother, George A. May. So it was that on October 9, 1950, a fifteen year old Army Corporal became an American hero. Wounded in the action that earned him the Silver Star, his older brother became concerned and against the wishes of Leslie May, reported the boy’s true age to the Army, which promptly discharged him. However, upon turning 18 Leslie (George) May re-enlisted in the Army, returned to service in Korea, and was again wounded…twice…first on April 17, 1953 and then again on July 8, 1953
Prisoner of War – TWICE
March 26th, 2012 | Hall of Valor | Posted by Doug Sterner
The Prisoner of War Medal was established and authorized on November 8, 1985, more than a decade after the last living Prisoner of War returned home from the Vietnam War. Although the authorizing legislation for the award was retroactive to individuals who were captured and held as a POW after April 5, 1917, aside from the Vietnam War POWs, it was generally up to the individual or their surviving next of kin to request the award.
The Hall of Valor has endeavored, using DPMO and NARA records, to identify those individuals who were Prisoners of War from WWII on, and we believe it is complete for all Ameicans captured after the end of the Korean War with the Korean War POWs at least 95% complete. We believe it is also complete for all U.S. Marines who were POWs in WWII and nearly all Navy POWs in WWII.
Recently I obtained the Silver Star citation to WWII Naval Aviator Charles Valentine August. As is my practice, before entering him in my database for addition to the Hall of Valor I checked his name for any existing entries, and found he was listed as being a POW of the Japanese after he was shot down in the Pacific on January 4, 1944. I began typing his Silver Star citation, which was for actions during Operation Torch in North Africa in November 1942, only to do a double-take towards the end of his citation as I transcribed: “Due to an engine casualty, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, August was forced to parachute from his damaged plane, being taken prisoner shortly thereafter.”
Further research reflects that August was indeed captured and briefly held as a POW by the Vichy French in 1942 in North Africa, and then fourteen months later while flying combat in the Pacific was AGAIN shot down, captured, and held as a Prisoner of War. It is unique in that, while we have identified ten other men who were POWs TWICE, this is the only instance we have found to date of an individual who was a POW TWICE in the SAME WAR (and in both theaters no less.)
OTHER TWO-TIME POWs:
4 Marines were Prisoners of War in WWII, then served in the Korean War where they were again captured and held as POWs. They are: Charles L. Harrison, Felix J. McCool, William R. Pettit, and Frederick J. Stumpges.
Three members of the U.S. Army were POWs TWICE (there may be others as we are still going through the WWII Army POW files):
- Michael C. Fastner was a POW in WWII, and died as a POW in Korea
- William Wade House was a POW in both WWII and Korea
- William J. Killion was a POW in both WWII and Korea
Three members of the U.S. Army Air Forces were captured and held as POWs in World War II, and then again captured and held was POWs as members of the U.S. Air Force in subsequent wars:
- John C. Giraudo was a POW in Both WWII and Korea
- Richard P. Keirn was a POW in Both WWII and Vietnam
- Vernon Peyton Ligon, Jr. was a POW in Both WWII and Vietnam
Medal of Honor Corpsman Passes
March 19th, 2012 | Hall of Valor | Posted by Doug Sterner
Medal of Honor Recipient and Korean War Navy Corpsman William R. Charette passed away on Sunday, March 18, 2012. He was one of FIVE Corpsmen so decorated in the Korean War, and the ONLY Corpsman to survive to receive his Medal of Honor.
Charette’s death leaves only 81 living recipients of the Medal of Honor, seven of whom served in the Navy. Of the seven, Korean War recipient Tom Hudner, a Naval Aviator, is the only surviving Navy MOH recipient from the Korean War. Of the six surviving Vietnam War Navy recipients, TWO (Don Ballard and Robert Ingram) received their awards as Corpsmen serving with U.S. Marines. There are no living Navy MOH recipients among the 12 surviving World War II award recipients.
In 1958 aboard the USS CANABERRA, it was William Charette who was selected to lay a wreath next to one of three flag-draped caskets containing the remains of unidentified American war casualties, slecting which of them was to be interred at Arlington National Cemetery as the “Unknown Soldier of World War II. Below is a Navy Photograph of him placing that wreath
International Women’s Day
March 8th, 2012 | Hall of Valor | Posted by Doug Sterner
Today (March 8) is International Women’s Day. I have noted with interest that there is AT LEAST one women recipient of EVERY award in the Hall of Valor except for the Air Force Cross. Our database includes (in addition to others), the following awards to women:
- 1@ Medal of Honor
- 6@ Distinguished Service Crosses
- 4@ Navy Crosses
- 56@ Distinguished Service Medals
- 7@ Silver Stars
- 5@ Silver Star Citations
- 3@ Soldier’s Medals
- 8@ Navy and Marine Corps Medals
- 2@ Airman’s Medals
The Other Side of Stolen Valor
March 6th, 2012 | Hall of Valor | Posted by Doug Sterner
While last week’s Congressional Hearing centered on “Stolen Valor” in its investigation into the need/feasibility of a database of all awards, for my part I did try to turn much of the focus of the NEED not to expose Stolen Valor, but to preserve the records of REAL award recipients. I cited in particular, the case of Jan Girando whose father earned the Navy Cross in WWII but was nearly denied burial at Arlington because the Navy couldn’t find even a record that he served on active duty. (SEE:
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/29/3458656/military-database-helps-overland.html)
A similar, equally striking case is one brought to a bittersweet conclusion today.
In January in Auburn, Washington, controversy erupted over the claims to a Silver Star and two Purple Hearts by an elderly elected official. (See:
http://www.auburn-reporter.com/news/136765478.html) When the reporter contacted me, I cautioned that while the 2d Infantry Division did NOT list Cy Sun in their indexes of Silver Star recipients, there was other unofficial indications he might have received that award, and immediately verified his Purple Hearts, providing his service number and the dates of his woundings.
Questions continued to swirl around this elderly man who, because of this according to subsequent news reports, had to face the media and the public to recount his combat actions…some of the worst days of his life. He also displayed the scars of his combat woundings. What a tragic manner in which to treat a man who served his country with honor, distinction, and sacrifice.
Today I received an email from a fellow researcher (Merry Helm) with whom I work (Merry also included a testimonial of the importance of the “Hall of Valor” that was included in the printed material I provided the Committee.) Included in that email was the citation for Sun’s Silver Star:
“The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Master Sergeant Herbert C.Y. Sun (RA-29040109) United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy as a member of Company L, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division. Master Sergeant Sun distinguished himself by gallantry in action on 19 September 1951, in the vicinity of Suim-nyon, Korea. On this date his platoon was defending its newly-won positions against a numerically superior hostile force. Sergeant Sun repeatedly exposed himself ot the intense enemy fire in a valiant attempt to set up an adequate defense line. Circulating among his men he shouted words of encouragement and directed them in delivering accurate and effective fire on the onrushing hostile force. On numerous occasions he advanced over the fire-swept area to administer aid to his wounded comrades and assisted in their evacuation. During the entire battle Sergeant Sun remained with the most forward elements of his unit and by his example of bravery under fire inspired his men to turn the enemy attack into a complete rout. The gallantry in action and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Sergeant Sun on this occasion reflect great credit upon himself and the military service.” Headquarters, 2d Infantry Division, General Orders No. 752 (November 23, 1951)
THIS is what the Hall of Valor is all about. While we need to address the phonies, I’d rather have a dozen fakers get credit for honors they don’t deserve, than to insult the service and sacrifice of one REAL hero like Mr. Sun.
In her email to me Merry noted quite correctly:
Hi Doug – I wanted to follow up on my previous email about the Stolen Valor/database. I know you supported Cy Sun in his quest to prove he wasn’t guilty of the Stolen Valor Act and that you told his newspaper he really did receive the Silver Star (memory jog: the community flare-up when he became mayor of Pacific,WA, as a write-in candidate.)
Mr. Sun sent me a certified letter asking for help to find his records. I knew where his SS citation had to be, so I did some finagling and came up with the attached GO. By the time I had my ducks in a row, however, the nasty councilman in Pacific had stopped threatening Mr. Sun with a federal lawsuit and apologized to him.
So the case is closed, but it points out the importance of having that database – not just to identify guys who are breaking the rules, but also to protect men like Mr. Sun from harassment and embarrassment. When I was looking at reader comments below one of the newspaper stories, I learned Mr. Sun was forced to talk about his terrible ordeal on Heartbreak Ridge, and he broke down in public. He also had to show the scars from his wounds to prove he actually deserved his Purple Hearts, etc.
Had Cy Sun been able to tap into the much-needed database, that awful incident could have been avoided. So, I think it’s important to add that argument to your “reasons why” this database is so necessary. Here is a video (it is rather lengthy–1 Hour–Of Mr. Sun defending himself against the unwarranted questioning of his awards: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpxxezuawpY
Black History Month – The First Medal of Honor
February 20th, 2012 | Hall of Valor | Posted by Doug Sterner
February is “Black History Month,” so I thought I’d share here the story of William Harvey Carney, the man who was the first Black American in history to earn the Medal of Honor. Carney’s dedication to our flag has always been one of the most inspiring examples of a Medal of Honor action I’ve ever read. When asked during a recent appearance on the Military Channel to cite a Medal of Honor action from the Civil War, his story was the first to come to mind.
Amazing Story of Escape and Evasion
February 12th, 2012 | Hall of Valor | Posted by Doug Sterner
Sometime as I enter a citation, even the most basic details stand out. Such was the case recently when I began entering the Silver Star citation for Marine Second Lieutenant Richard Ronald Amerine. Shot down over Guadacanal on August 31, 1942, he made a landing at sea. Removing his boots and stripping to his basics, he swam three miles to the Japanese-held shore line, then spent SIX DAYs trying to return, barefoot, to his unit. His citation (which you can read in it’s entirety by clicking on his name above) notes: “On the way back Lieutenant Amerine killed an armed Japanese soldier with a rock to secure his weapons and then killed three more Japanese snipers who hunted him through the woods.”
Fascinated by Amerine’s story, I did some research and found a full, 3-page, first person account of his harrowing experience in the October 1942 issue of “All Hands.” To enjoy that entire story, CLICK HERE.
He Escaped Capture on Guam for 3 Years
January 30th, 2012 | Hall of Valor | Posted by Doug Sterner
Within 48 hours of the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, U.S. forces stationed at Guam were overwhelmved by attacking Japanese forces. Six sailors, with the permission of the Naval Governor on Guam, evaded the Japanese after the invasion on 8 December 1941; all others were taken captive and held as Prisoners of War. Three of the evaders were subsequently captured and beheaded on September 11, 1942, and two others were captured and executed in October of 1942. Of the six evaders, only Radio Electrician George Ray Tweed survived…hiding out on Guam from December 10, 1941 until he was rescued two-and-a-half years later.
His story is amazing, detailed in the citation for the Legion of Merit w/Combat “V” he was awarded, one of those rare instances in which an enlisted man received this award. The citation details not only his successful evasion, but how upon the arrival of U.S. forces off the coast of Guam in efforts to re-take in in 1944, he aided the American invasion with intelligence he had assimilated during his time hiding from Japanese patrols.
A more detailed account of his harrowing experiences on Guam was subsequently published in the Navy’s “All Hands{” magazine in September 1944. You can read that full account below:
(Click for a larger version)