FINALLY, RECOGNITION LONG-AGO HERO AT LAST GETS MEDAL.Byline: Cecilia Chan Staff Writer GLENDALE - On July 7 in 1944, Army Capt. Ben L. Salomon Benjamin Lewis Salomon (September 1, 1914 – July 7, 1944) was a United States Army surgeon who defended his aid station, allowing the safe evacuation of the wounded, killing 98 enemy troops before being killed during the Battle of Saipan in World War II. was tending to wounded soldiers pouring into his aid station on Saipan in a key battle of World War II. When Japanese troops invaded his medical tent, Salomon rushed out to defend the wounded, saying, ``I'll see you later.'' The army dentist's bullet-filled body was found the next day slumped over a machine gun, with 98 dead enemy soldiers piled up in front of his gun position. ``This is a story of great heroism,'' said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Woodland Hills, at a ceremony Sunday at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park in Glendale. ``It is also a great story of tragedy ... and tenacity.'' Salomon, who died leaving no living relatives, was denied the Congressional Medal of Honor Congressional Medal of Honor n. The highest U.S. military decoration, awarded in the name of Congress to members of the armed forces for gallantry and bravery beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy. Noun 1. because the division commander at the time mistakenly believed a medic was ineligible for the recognition. On May 1, the mistake was corrected when President George W. Bush posthumously awarded Salomon the nation's highest military honor. On Sunday at Forest Lawn, nearly 58 years later, Sherman presented a replica of the medal to Robert West, a 75-year-old Calabasas resident who spearheaded a five-year effort to get Salomon the medal he deserved. Salomon's medal is on display at the Army Dental School in Texas. A Medal of Honor Medal of Honor highest American military decoration for wartime gallantry. [Am. Hist.: Misc.] See : Bravery citation also will be on display at the University of Southern California The U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 8,634 of the almost 34,000 who applied for freshman admission dental school, where Salomon graduated in 1937. About a dozen people attended the private ceremony, including Harry Karpman of Covina, who met Salomon in 1937 when he went in for dental work at Salomon's office at Seventh and Olive streets. Sixty-four years later, Karpman, who is now 86, can still point to the original bridge Salomon put in his mouth. ``He was a kid at heart,'' said Karpman, who later met up with Salomon during basic training at Fort Ord. ``We used to get together every night after basic training. ``I got tears in my eyes In My Eyes was a Boston straight edge band that spearheaded the 1997 youth crew revival along with Ten Yard Fight, Bane, The Trust, Fastbreak and Floorpunch. The band and its members were a part of the hot bed that was the Boston music scene in the late 90's and early 2000's. ,'' he said after the ceremony. Sherman noted Salomon is one of only 3,400 Medal of Honor recipients ``He was a man who got denied what needed to be his,'' said West, a World War II Navy veteran and 1952 USC graduate. ``He didn't lose his life,'' West said. ``He gave his life. He knew he would not come back, but he didn't hesitate for a minute.'' West, who was helped in his effort to get Salomon's medal by other USC dental school alumni, said he was obsessed with the cause after reading about Salomon's story while doing research for a USC dental school centennial. ``Today gave it a little finality,'' West said after the ceremony that included Sherman placing a floral arrangement at the mausoleum site where Salomon and his parents' ashes rest. ``Even though we never met, Ben Salomon is going to be my friend and, like I said, I'll see him later.'' LOCAL MEDALISTS Here is a list of Medal of Honor winners from Southern California, with their birthplaces or hometowns at the time they joined the service, and the date and place of their heroic actions. For the official citations that detail the deeds of these and all other Medal of Honor winners, visit the U.S. Army Center of Military History's Internet Web site at www.army.mil/cmh-pg/moh1.htm. Indian Wars: Army Pvt. Herbert Mahers of Wilmington; Aug. 22, 1869, Seneca Mountain, Ariz. World War I: Army Maj. Oscar Miller* of Los Angeles; Sept. 18, 1918, Gesnes, France. Army 2nd Lt. Patrick J. Regan of Los Angeles; Oct. 8, 1918, Bois-de-Consenvoye, France. World War II: Army Sgt. Edward A. Carter Jr. of Los Angeles; March 23, 1945, Speyer, Germany. Army Pvt. Clarence B. Craft of San Bernardino; May 31, 1945, Okinawa. Navy Lt. John William Finn Lieutenant John William Finn (born July 23, 1909) is a retired officer of the United States Navy who received the Medal of Honor in recognition of heroism and distinguished service during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. of Los Angeles; Dec. 7, 1941, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Army Pvt. David M. Gonzales Private First Class David M. Gonzales (June 9, 1923–April 25, 1945) was a United States Army soldier who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor — the United States' highest military decoration — for his heroic actions during World War II. * of Pacoima; April 24, 1945, Luzon, Philippines. Army Pvt. Joe Hayashi* of Pasadena; April 20-22, 1945, Tendola, Italy. Navy Ensign Herbert C. Jones Herbert Charpiot Jones (21 January 1918 – 7 December 1941) was an officer in the United States Navy who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Jones was born 21 January 1918 at Los Angeles, California and enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve 14 May 1935. * of Los Angeles; Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Army Pvt. Harold H. Moon* of Gardena; Oct. 21, 1944, Leyte, Philippines. Army Pvt. Sadao Munemori* of Los Angeles; April 5, 1945, Seravezza, Italy. Army Pvt. Kiyoshi Muranaga* of Arleta; June 26, 1944, Suvereto, Italy. Army Pvt. George Sakato of Redlands; Oct. 29, 1944, Biffontaine, France. Army Capt. Ben Louis Salomon* of Los Angeles; July 7, 1944, Saipan. Army Pvt. George Benton Turner of Los Angeles; Jan. 3, 1945, Philippsbourg, France. Army Lt. Col. Keith Lincoln Ware of Glendale; Dec. 26, 1944, Sigolsheim, France. Korean War: Army Capt. Raymond Henry of Pasadena; March 9, 1951, Taemi-Dong, Korea. Navy Lt. John Kelvin Koelsch John Kelvin Koelsch (22 December 1923 – 16 October 1951) was a United States Navy officer and a recipient of America's highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his actions in the Korean War. * of Los Angeles; July 3, 1951, North Korea. Army Cpl. Rodolfo R. Hernandez of Colton; May 31, 1953, Wontong-Ni, Korea. Marine Corps Sgt. Daniel P. Matthews Daniel Paul Matthews (December 31 1931 - March 28 1953) was a United States Marine Corps sergeant who was posthumously awarded the Nation’s highest decoration for his single-handed attack on an enemy machine gun nest which had prevented the evacuation of a wounded comrade. * of Van Nuys; March 28, 1953, Korea. Marine Pvt. Eugene A. Obregon Eugene Arnold Obregon (12 November 1930 - 26 September 1950) was a United States Marine who was posthumously awarded the United States' highest military decoration for valor — the Medal of Honor — for sacrificing his life to save that of a wounded comrade during the * of Los Angeles; Sept. 26, 1950, Seoul, Korea. Marine Sgt. James I. Poynter James Irsley Poynter (1 December 1916 – 4 November 1950) was a United States Marine who was posthumously awarded the United States' highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his action on 4 November 1950, in which he was killed while he * of Downey; Nov. 4, 1950, Sudong, Korea. Army Pvt. Joseph C. Rodriguez Colonel Joseph C. Rodriguez (November 14, 1928 - November 1, 2005) born in San Bernardino, California, was a United States Army soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor - the United States' highest military decoration for his actions near Munye-ri, Korea during the Korean War. of San Bernardino; May 21, 1951, Munye-Ri, Korea. Vietnam War: Marine Pvt. James Anderson Jr.* of Los Angeles; Feb. 28, 1967, Cam Lo, Vietnam. Army Spec. 4 Edward A. Devore Jr.* of Harbor City; March 17, 1968, Saigon, Vietnam. Army Maj. Kern W. Dunagan Kern W. Dunagan (February 20, 1934 – December 27, 1991) was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War. of Los Angeles; May 13, 1969, Quang Tin, Vietnam. Army Spec. 4 Donald W. Evans Jr.* of Covina; Jan. 22, 1967, Tri Tam, Vietnam. Air Force Maj. Bernard F. Fisher of San Bernardino; March 10, 1966, Pleiku, Vietnam. Army Sgt. Joe R. Hooper of Los Angeles; Feb. 28, 1968, Hue, Vietnam. Army Spec. 4 George A. Ingalls* of Los Angeles; April 16, 1967, Duc Pho, Vietnam. Army Sgt. Gary Lee Littrell of Los Angeles; April 4-8, 1970, Kontum, Vietnam. Marine Cpl. Larry L. Maxam Corporal Larry Leonard Maxam (9 January 1948- 2 February 1968) was a United States Marine who posthumously received the United States' highest military honor — the Medal of Honor — for heroism in Vietnam in February 1968, Biography * of Glendale; Feb. 2, 1968, Cam Lo, Vietnam. Army Spec. 4 Alfred Rascon of Oxnard; March 16, 1966, Vietnam. Army Sgt Charles A. Roark* of Los Angeles; May 16, 1968, Kontum, Vietnam. Army Sgt. Louis R. Rocco of Los Angeles; May 24, 1970, Kontum, Vietnam. * Denotes a posthumous award winner. CAPTION(S): 4 photos, box Photo: (1 -- 3 -- color) U.S. Army Sgt. Joe Coria co·ri·a n. Plural of corium. , right, and SFC Michael Ta present the colors before a photo of Capt. Ben Salomon, who died a hero during the Battle of Saipan in 1944, as Rep. Brad Sherman looks on, above. Dr. Robert West, who got the Medal of Honor for Salomon, wipes away tears, far left, as Sherman places flowers at Salomon's crypt near a replica of the medal, left. (4) Harry Karpman mourns friend and dentist Army Capt. Ben Salomon after a Medal of Honor ceremony. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer Box: LOCAL MEDALISTS (see text) SOURCE: U. S. Army Center of Military History |
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