I admit I have a soft spot for World War II veterans – also known as “The Greatest Generation”.
They were born between 1901 and 1927 and they were powerfully impacted by both the Great Depression and World War II. Tom Brokaw, in his book The Greatest Generation first coined the term – based on how these men generally exhibited duty, service and sacrifice over recognition of individual actions.
My father-in-law served in the US Army and was one of the first wave of liberators marching into Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
My father was in the Army Air Corp and fought his battles in the air as a ball turret gunner on a B-17 bomber – also known as “the flying fortress”.
Lucky for my husband and I that both of our dads returned home safely, but looking back I think a degree of post-traumatic stress was always lingering in the shadows.
As we approach the 250th birthday of our great nation, I dedicate this column to our beloved fathers: Herb Pastor and Pike Levine.
Joseph Leon George was born right smack in the middle of “The Greatest Generation” on October 8,1915 in a small town in Western Georgia – growing up with horses, farmland and dirt roads.
Rather than wait to be drafted, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 19, signing up for a four-year enlistment which earned him $21 per month based on his classification of an apprentice seaman.
No one thought he was destined for greatness, including Joe himself. And it is a fact, that in his lifetime he got no glowing kudos for his death-defying actions.
Imagine it’s December 7, 1941 – Pearl Harbor
Joe is serving on the battleship the USS Vestal – watching in horror as the USS Arizona explodes right in front of him. Shortly thereafter, he is given the order to separate his ship from the Arizona, which was engulfed in flames and threatening to spread to the USS Vestral.
Joe spots six trapped sailors on the burning ship and defying orders from his commander, he throws a heavy rope which closes the gap between the two ships. And the six desperate sailors? They grab that thick rope and hand over hand crawl toward Joe and safety.
The war ends. The years pass. Joesph marries and has two daughters. Even though he has a long career in the Navy, he rarely speaks about his rescue feat at Pearl Harbor and how he defied orders. When he died in 1996, he believed that his heroism had been forgotten – heroism that saved the last men known to escape the Arizona alive.
But he was NOT forgotten.
Joseph Leon George saved Donald Stratton – and though horribly burned, he re-enlisted in the Navy and later became well known as a Pearl Harbor survivor through his memoir All the Gallant Men. He too married and raised a family and that same family led the effort that lasted decades to both identify George and secure recognition for his heroic actions.
Their efforts were not in vain. The Bronze Star with Valor was finally awarded to Joseph Leon George posthumously in 2017 – 76 years after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. His daughter was present to receive it, as were two of the six men he saved that day.
What can we make of this?
Joe George was a quiet hero. He made a split-second decision to defy orders and in doing so saved the lives of six men who went on to marry and have families of their own.
I think we need more quiet heroes.
Keep Preserving Your Bloom,
PS: A big shout-out to my good buddy Sherry Friedlander who introduced me to the story of Joseph Leon George.