Never forget
Kari Williamson, MBA, BS, RN, CCM, LNCC
Senior VP Medical Mgmt / Bill Review || Collaborator | Coding Services | Med Record Reviews | In-depth Analysis of Bodily Injury Claims / Difficult Litigation Cases | Mentor | Problem Solver | Speaker/Author
No one really knows the number of lives lost Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, in the surprise attack against the naval base at Pearl Harbor and the other U.S. military sites on Oahu. Some estimate that almost 2,500 people were killed that day.
It's not possible to know how many acts of valor occurred. Our nation did its best, nevertheless, to recognize the bravery shown by awarding the Congressional Medal of Honor to 16 heroes who served that day in the Pacific.
The recipients spanned a range of ages and ranks. One of them was a sailor named James R. Ward, of Springfield, Ohio. He had enlisted about a year earlier and was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Pearl Harbor on December 7th.
When the Japanese attacked, Oklahoma took three torpedoes. She listed dangerously, and it was soon apparent that she would capsize. The order was given to abandon ship.
Seaman First Class Ward, however, remained aboard, holding a flashlight to permit other members of the crew to escape, sacrificing his own life. For his heroism, he posthumously received the Medal of Honor.
He had just turned 20.
Kari
Owner, Stones River Medical Consultants & Infusion Center
3 年History can teach its students much if we heed the embedded lessons
Owner, Stones River Medical Consultants & Infusion Center
3 年Yes 79 years ago was a day in infamy as FDR said
Writer-editor-deliverer of amazing marketing content | Pain-management resource | Fun | Works when/where you need him
3 年Thanks, Kari, for this thoughtful reminder. I wish there were an emoji for *humble gratitude*.