FOCUS WORLD WAR II

John Finn was a 32-year-old chief petty officer in charge of guns and bombs for the planes at Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay. Once he learned of the attack, he raced from his home and wife to the base. Finn’s Medal of Honor citation states: “During the first attack by Japanese airplanes he promptly secured and manned a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on an instruction stand in a completely exposed section of the parking ramp, which was under heavy enemy machine gun strafing fire. Although painfully wounded many times, (shot in foot and shoulder) he continued to man this gun and to return the enemy’s fire vigorously and with telling effect throughout the enemy strafing and bombing attacks and with complete disregard for his own personal safety.” Finn had to be ordered to go for medical treatment, and his wounds kept him in the hospital until Dec. 24. Adm. Chester Nimitz presented Finn with the first World War II Medal of Honor 75 years ago, on Sept. 14, 1942. Finn served in the Navy from 1926 to 1956 and retired as a lieutenant. John William Finn was born July 24, 1909, in Los Angeles. He lived to the age of 100 before he died in Chula Vista in 2010. Kaneohe Bay was home to 33 seaplanes (PBY-5s). Only three were fit for patrol after the attack. Eighteen sailors and three civilians died protecting the base. By KURT SNIBBE Finn likely accounted for some of the 29 Japanese planes shot down during the attack. A plane that went down near the base was found to carry maps showing the location of the Japanese fleet. Alice and John Finn Only five men of the 15 awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions on Dec. 7, 1941, survived the attack. Most died while saving men on ships attacked in the harbor. There were 51 Navy Cross recipients.