|
John F. Thorson
John F. Thorson (May 10, 1920 – October 28, 1944) was a United States Army infantry soldier who was killed in action on October 28, 1944, in World War II. He was a posthumous recipient of the United States military's highest decoration for valor—the Medal of Honor—for his heroic actions above and beyond the call of duty during the war. BiographyThorson was the seventh of eight children born to Norwegian immigrants. He joined the U.S. Army from his birth city of Armstrong, Iowa in 1942,[1] and by October 28, 1944, was serving as a private first class in Company G, 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. On that day, in Dagami, Leyte province, in the Philippines, Thorson was wounded while single-handedly attacking an enemy trench, then smothered the blast of an enemy-thrown hand grenade with his body. He successfully protected his fellow soldiers from the blast, and was immediately killed. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor nine months later, on July 19, 1945. Thorson, aged 24 at his death, was buried in Keokuk National Cemetery, Keokuk, Iowa. Medal of Honor citationPrivate First Class Thorson's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
Honored in ship namingThe United States Army ship USAT Private John F. Thorson which served in the Pacific Ocean at the end of World War II was named in his honor. See alsoReferences
External links
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Portal di Ensiklopedia Dunia
