Veterans Day: Navy destroyer named for late Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient John Finn

A new Navy destroyer has been named for the late John Finn, right, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient who served aboard the USS Saratoga during his naval career. In 1998, Finn shared stories with USS Saratoga historian Larry Gordon, left, of Wilton, during a reunion with crewmates in Saratoga Springs. (Photo provided)

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- One of the Navy's three new guided missile destroyers is named for a late Congressional Medal of Honor winner with strong Saratoga ties.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced recently that three ships would be named for Navy and Marine Corps heroes who served at different times, but are united by their uncommon valor.

John Finn, who passed away at 100 in 2010, received the Medal of Honor from Admiral Chester Nimitz for displaying "magnificent courage in the face of almost certain death" during the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

A chief ordnance man, he used a machine gun at the former Kanoehe Bay Naval Air Station to fire at Japanese aircraft for two straight hours, was wounded 21 times and stayed on duty for 18 hours.


Fifteen men received the Medal of Honor for their heroic actions that day. It's believed that Finn was the award's first World War II recipient because his station was hit five minutes before Pearl Harbor itself.

"We heard planes flying, but they weren't flying the station pattern," he said in a 2009 interview. "We figured out damn quick that they were attacking. The Japs were doing everything they could to destroy our military naval setup. They were shooting and dropping bombs and torpedoes. A lot of people, including myself, couldn't believe they were attacking us."

Finn only left his post after being ordered to, and after getting medical attention, he returned to the squadron area and supervised the rearming of returning American warplanes. Doctors later identified 21 shrapnel wounds in his chest and abdomen.

"To this day, I don't know if I shot anything down," he said. "At least I fought back."

Finn joined the Navy as a 17-year-old recruit in July 1926 and retired from active duty as a lieutenant in 1947, two years after the war.

During his career, Finn served aboard the USS Saratoga and visited Saratoga Springs several times for special occasions, including a September 1998 reunion of USS Saratoga crew members and the dedication of its then-newly restored 930-pound bell, which is displayed at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery.

"It's very unusual for a Medal of Honor recipient to go back into active battle, and he did," said Larry Gordon of Wilton, a USS Saratoga historian.

On Sept. 27, 1999, the Spa City held a day in Finn's honor during a national convention of Medal of Honor recipients.

On Sept. 11, 2001, his plane was grounded at Albany International Airport and he took time to see local friends, including Thomas Hennessey, a shipmate from the USS Hancock.

The Navy's new destroyer, called the John Finn DDG 113, is being constructed by Huntington Ingalls Industries, based in Newport News, Va. More than 100 tons of steel have already been cut using state-of-the-art robotic machines to make sure that exact specifications are met.

The ship's keel has already been laid and the destroyer is scheduled for completion during the third quarter of 2016. The DDG ships are designed to simultaneously fight air, surface and subsurface battles. They contain numerous offensive and defensive weapons.

Huntington Ingalls designs, builds and maintains nuclear and non-nuclear ships for the Navy and Coast Guard. The firm has built more ships in more classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder.

Finn was the oldest Congressional Medal of Honor recipient at the time of his passing in May 2010.

For his 100th birthday, he wanted one thing: "More peace all over the world," Finn said. "That would be my most fervent wish."