Medal of Honor Goes to WWII Soldier With Long Record of Heroism

By Joe Lacdan, Army News Service

WASHINGTON -- After more than 70 years, the late Garlin Conner, a Kentucky farmer and World War II veteran, was finally awarded the medal that escaped him for so long.

President Donald J. Trump presented the Medal of Honor to Conner's widow, Pauline, in a White House ceremony yesterday.

“Lt. Garlin Murl Conner was indeed a giant,” Trump said to an audience that included Conner's family and two other Medal of Honor recipients. “In his daring, his devotion, and his duty, he was larger than life. And that, he was. He will never, ever be forgotten. We will never forget his story.”

Trump recalled the morning of Jan. 24, 1945, when Conner ran alone toward an attacking battalion of 600 German soldiers and six towering Panzer tanks in the frigid cold to direct American artillery rounds. The first lieutenant's actions saved dozens of American lives in the 3rd Infantry Division, the president said.

He detailed Conner's bravery to those in attendance, many of whom didn't know the extent of Conner's valor until after his death in 1998. Conner served in 10 campaigns while spending 28 months on the front lines.

Pauline Conner, an 89-year old resident of Clinton County, Kentucky, cared for her husband in the later stages of his life, when he suffered from Parkinson's disease, diabetes and kidney failure. She also participated in the 22-year campaign that resulted in his service being recognized with the Medal of Honor.

“She hoped and prayed she would live to see this day,” Trump said of Conner’s widow. “Pauline is truly a wonderful, incredible person. And it's my privilege to be with you today as we award your late husband our nation's highest military honor.”

Conner's Curious Case

Conner's family said in the decades that followed his return from the war, few in his native Clinton County knew about his wartime achievements. Outside of a parade and short speech in May 1945, his exploits were hardly publicized.

Pauline said her husband rarely spoke about the war during their entire 53 years of marriage. To put history in perspective, that January day Conner risked his life was more than a year before Trump, the nation's oldest-elected president, was born.

How could one of the most decorated soldiers in U.S. history go for so long without the nation's highest military decoration?

Conner, described by family members as reserved and humble, didn’t pursue the award for most of his lifetime. His family said he didn't want to appear boastful and would rather give credit to his fellow soldiers.

Though work -- including interviews with three eyewitnesses -- began on the extensive paperwork required for the award, wartime conditions prevented its completion. Conner's battalion commander, Maj. Gen. Lloyd Ramsey, was injured shortly after the battle, and Conner demobilized in June. Ramsey asked Conner to pursue the award over the years, as the two kept in touch through letters and phone calls until Conner’s death.

But Conner declined each time.

Many of Conner's wartime records were lost or not properly documented. It wasn't until 2006 that three soldier accounts of that morning in 1945 were discovered in the National Archives.

Conner, known to his family as “Murl,” refused recognition for his heroic acts that winter morning. He spoke little about his achievements during the war. And they were extensive.

To date, the Army credits Conner with four Silver Stars, a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts, the French Croix de Guerre and the American Defense Service Medal. Conner's relatives acknowledged the soldier might have earned more awards.

After joining the Army in 1941 at 21 years old, Conner served during the Battle of Anzio and the invasion of North Africa and earned a battlefield commission at Anzio.

Fateful Morning

Conner, who had already paid a heavy physical toll, had earned a trip home based on his time in service and battlefield accolades. He suffered a sniper wound to his left hip. But knowing a crucial battle loomed, Conner could not leave his unit. Still recovering from the injury, he slipped away from a military field hospital to rejoin his unit in eastern France.

“He was wounded seven times, but he couldn't stop,” Trump said. “He loved it and he loved our country. On the shores of Sicily, the beaches of Anzio, and the snow-covered mountains of France, he fought with everything he had to defeat the Nazi menace.”

On that January day in 1945, Conner ran 400 yards toward the German infantry until he laid in a shallow ditch, with part of his body exposed for three hours, guiding U.S. artillery rounds toward the German infantry.

When the German soldiers grew aware of Conner's actions they soon shifted their focus toward Conner. Trump said waves of soldiers ran toward the Kentucky native.

That's when Conner decided to put his life on the line for his unit, in the most daring fashion imaginable.

“When they were nearly on top of Lieutenant Conner, he ordered fire on his own position -- exactly where he was -- courageously choosing to face death in order to save his battalion and achieve victory for freedom,” Trump said. “And those people that were with him, many of them now gone, said it was the single bravest act they've ever seen.”

The onslaught that followed left the six German tanks destroyed, 50 Germans killed and 150 injured.

Final Push

The campaign to get the Medal of Honor didn't begin until a 1996 meeting with a former Army Green Beret from Wisconsin, Richard Chilton. Chilton was searching for information on his late uncle, Gordon Roberts, an Army private first class who died shortly after landing in Anzio.

After Pauline presented Conner's war records to Chilton, Chilton asked if he could pursue the Medal of Honor on Conner's behalf. At the time, Conner could no longer speak or walk because of kidney and heart failure. Chilton began an extensive process that included compiling legal documents, interviewing soldiers who served alongside Conner and writing dozens of letters to members of Congress.

The campaign for the Medal of Honor was bumpy, including a rejection by the Army Board of Corrections in 1997. A later court refused an appeal in 2014, ruling Pauline had not filed her husband's paperwork in time.

It wasn't until March, when Pauline received a phone call from Trump, that she learned her husband would be assured the U.S. military's highest distinction.

Conner's 63-year old son, Paul, attended the ceremony, as did Conner's four grandchildren. Conner's grandson, Brett, serves in the Navy.

“Lieutenant Conner must be looking down from heaven, proud of this incredible honor,” Trump said. “But even prouder of the legacy that lives on in each of you.”

Sisters in Service: Closing the Joint Warfighter Diversity Gap

By Air Force 1st Lt. Annabel Monroe, 432nd Wing

SAN DIEGO -- The largest gathering of military women in the nation, the Joint Women’s Leadership Symposium, was held June 20-22 at the San Diego Convention Center here and included attendees from 20 different countries and all branches of the U.S. armed forces.

This year marked the 31st year of the event, which is hosted by the Sea Service Leadership Association. While both men and women are welcome to attend, about 30 men and 1,200 women took part in the symposium.

Air Force veteran, Olympian and motivational speaker, Laticia “Action” Jackson kicked off the event.

“You will only change the things you are willing to confront. ... If you want to see a change -- be the change,” Jackson said. “Use your voice, speak up, confront the issues that you’ve run from. The power has always been within you. You just have to tap into it!”

This year’s theme “The Power Within You” featured practical workshops, joint discussion boards, an international speakers panel and service specific breakout sessions intended to promote personal and professional development. Panelists included representatives of all facets of the Defense Department and Australia, Canada and Sweden.

Deep Pool of Talent

Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Glenn M. Walters discussed benefits of recent policy changes and accessing the nation’s entire talent pool.

“Integration is not only the right thing to do, integration is essential to winning our nation’s battles and to maintaining our freedom,” he said. “Integration maximizes our combat capability.

“Throughout our history you’ve always been volunteers,” Walters said. “Women have always been all-volunteer.”

Service by women has grown since 1973, when they represented less than 2 percent of the military. Today, women make up 16 percent of U.S. forces, and about 20 percent of the Air Force.

This marks the highest percentage in history.

“These events have a way of helping both men and women come together in a nonjudgmental forum to share stories and experiences that can provide guidance long after the symposium is over,” said Air Force 1st Lt. Faliesha, the executive officer for the 432nd Operations Support Squadron and Air Force Women’s Initiative Team member. Her last name is withheld for security considerations. “It is truly an amazing sight to see when people come together to inspire, empower and motivate one another.”

The JWLS provided awareness of challenges faced by female service members, mentorship, networking and education on global military challenges.

“There were a great deal of subjects covered during the symposium and it was extremely empowering to hear so many stories of strength, overcoming adversity and the importance of embracing ourselves,” Faliesha said. “I’m inspired after this experience.”

First NATO Joint Air Power Strategy Emphasizes Integral Role of Domain

By Jim Garamone, DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON -- NATO released its first Joint Air Power Strategy yesterday, stressing the integral role the domain plays in all of the alliance’s tasks.

This is the first joint strategy released since the alliance’s maritime strategy came out in 2011.

The strategy spells out the importance of air power in collective defense, crisis management and cooperative security. It is key to deterring Russia and projecting stability beyond the borders of NATO. It is also vital for the struggle against terrorism.

“A balanced and innovative approach to joint air power that understands, accepts and mitigates risks will provide a coherent military capacity, enhancing the development of a credible and flexible NATO posture,” the report says.

The flexibility and speed of air power is a key to countering the threats, “which are more diverse, complex, rapidly evolving and demanding than at any time since the end of the Cold War,” the report says. “This diverse picture is further complicated by easy access to technology, the ability to limit or deny access and maneuverability, and the capacity to disrupt command and control networks.”

Evolving Threats

Future challenges and threats to the alliance will be transnational and multidimensional in nature and will likely have long-term consequences for peace, security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region. The strategy notes there is no guarantee that the alliance will always retain air dominance.

The strategy recognizes that the alliance depends on air and space capabilities in and around all possible terrain and environments. “The development, proliferation and integration of adversary ballistic and cruise missiles, advanced layered air defense, cyber and electronic warfare systems will change the dynamics of alliance air operations, which have more recently been conducted in permissive conditions,” according to the report. “Forces will need the ability to operate despite the existence and further proliferation of such capabilities, which may result in threat environments ranging from permissive to highly contested.”

These problems will become greater in the future, the strategy notes.

The strategy covers the importance of the cyber domain to air operations, saying the successful use of air power requires robust and securely networked command and control. “The protection of the network will become as important as the protection of the platform,” the report says. “Forces will also need to protect against manipulation of data and information, and should be able to validate and verify data to ensure it is accurate, reliable, and derived from trusted sources.”

The joint strategy is not limited to conventional deterrence, conventional actions, integrated air and missile defense and nuclear deterrence. Air power enables situational awareness and understanding while providing the political leaders with agile means to rapidly change posture, escalating or de-escalating through appropriate measures as required.

This is a joint strategy, and it provides a blueprint for allied nations as they build air and space capabilities. “Since [Joint Air Power] includes elements operating in the air, maritime, land and cyber domains, supported by space, it represents one of the strongest drivers for the integration of multi-domain operations, including the capacity to conduct [command and control] from the air,” the report says.