Loss of Military Heroes in 2022
They have been called America’s “Greatest Generation,” They were praised for their service during World War II, and beyond. The United States said goodbye to the last World War II Medal of Honor recipient. He was one of the surviving Tuskegee Airmen, and one of its last Code Talkers. They are just a handful of the brave men and women who served the United States and died this past year.
Here is a list of distinguished veterans who died in the past calendar year, as compiled by Military Times editors.
Hershel “Woody” Williams
Marine veteran Hershel “Woody” Williams The last World War II Medal of Honor recipient was he.
Williams enlisted in Marine Corps in 1943. He landed on Iwo Jima two years later with the 21st Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division. Williams, along with four other Marines engaged Japanese pillboxes in a four-hour fight using his flamethrower.
Williams fought the remaining part of the Iwo Jima campaigns before he was seriously wounded on March 6, 1945. He was then removed from combat. In October 1945, President Harry S. Truman gave Williams the Medal of Honor.
Williams passed away in June at The Huntington, West Virginia, Veterans Affairs hospital named in his honor. He was 98 years of age.
Charles McGee
Brig. Gen. Charles Edward McGee He was one of the few Tuskegee Airmen that survived, a group of predominantly Black pilots who fought in World War II.
The Tuskegee airmen flew bombers through Europe with the Tuskegee Airmen, piloting P-51 Mustang fighters sporting red-painted tails. It was this design that earned them the nickname of “The Tuskegee Airmen.” “Red Tails.”
McGee flew 409 combat missions over three wars — World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War — before he retired in 1973. Donald Trump promoted McGee to brigadier general February 4, 2020
McGee was 102 when he died at his Maryland home on January 16, 2022.
David E. Grange, Jr.
Retired Lt. Gen. David E. Grange, JrA legendary Army Ranger,. served in three wars.
Grange was a paratrooper during World War II, serving with the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He played a part in many campaigns. Grange was assigned to 82nd Airborne Division at the end of the war and before he attended Officer Candidate school.
Grange was sent to Korea with the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment, and then served three tours in Vietnam — the first as an adviser, the second with the 506th Infantry Regiment, and the third with the 101st Airborne Division.
The Army’s Best Ranger Competition was named for Grange He retired in 1984 after 41 years of service.
Grange was 97 at the time of his passing.
Jim “Pee Wee” Martin
World War II veteran Jim “Pee Wee” Martin He enlisted in WWII at the age of 20. He was a member of the 506th Parachute Infantry Division. He was nicknamed “Pee Wee” because of how small he was Comparatively to other soldiers
Martin and the 506th fought in the Battle of the Bulge against the German counteroffensive.
The 101st sent 500 troops to Martin’s funeral. He was 101 years of age when he passed away on September 11, 2022.
Lawrence Brooks
Lawrence Brooks He was the oldest World War II veteran alive at the time of his death, Jan. 5, 2022.
Brooks was drafted in 1940, and he entered the Army. He was discharged in 1941 after completing his mandatory one-year service. However, Brooks was released in 1941 after the attack at Pearl Harbor. Brooks returned to the ArmyEventually, he served in Australia, Papua, and the Philippines with The 91st Engineer Battalion.
Brooks was 112 years old when he died in New Orleans. Brooks was buried in New Orleans, Louisiana. at the National WWII Museum. To provide honor guard, members of the 91st Brigade Engineer Battalion traveled from Fort Hood (Texas)
Dean Caswell
Dean Caswell He was the last Marine Corps fighter ace in World War II. At 20 years of age, he joined the Corps in September 1942.
According to the American Fighter Aces Association, Caswell flew in World War II with Marine Fighting Squadron 221 and then served two tours during World War II. Caswell has been acknowledged with shooting down seven enemy aircraft Combat in the air
Caswell was 100-years-old when he passed away at Austin, Texas, on September 21.
Samuel Sandoval
Samuel Sandoval He was one of the Navajo Code Talkers who survived World War II. This group of communication specialists used their native language to create an unbreakable code.
The Code Talkers sent thousands of messages to Japan about the troop movements and tactics, and participated in every Marines attack in the Pacific. Their roles were highly classified — the Code Talkers could not discuss the mission until it was declassified in 1968.
Sandoval was an honorably discharged soldier who served five combat tours. He was 98 years old when he died in 2022.
George Booth
Marine veteran George Booth He was drafted during World War II. Later, he became a cartoonist in the Marine magazine Leatherneck.
Booth served his country and was later an artist director. The New Yorker, where he drew cartoons for 50 yearsAccording to his obituary, he was 82 years old. In 2010, he was awarded a National Cartoonists Society lifetime achievement award.
Booth was 96 years of age when he passed away in New York City on November 1, 2022.
Hiroshi Miyamura
Hiroshi Miyamura He was one of the few Medal of Honor recipients of Korea War.
Miyamura was the son of Japanese immigrants who joined the U.S. Army during World War II — after the federal government lifted restrictions on Japanese Americans serving. Miyamura served in the Army Reserves after the war.
Miyamura was drafted into action during World War II. His company was attacked on April 24, 1951. He ordered his squad to withdraw while he remained behind to continue fighting, buying him time to evacuate his men. He was captured and held in prison as a war prisoner for four months and two years. Dwight D. Eisenhower awarded the Medal of Honor to Miyamura after he was freed. He had secretly received it while he was still being held prisoner of war.
Miyamura was just 97 years of age when he passed away in Phoenix, Arizona on November 29, 2022.
John L. Canley
Retired Marine Sgt. Maj. John L. Canley In 1968, he saved the lives Marines who were under his command in Hue City (Vietnam).
Canley and his Marines fought off multiple attacks while they patrolled the streets of Hue. More than 20 Marines were rescued by Canley who then carried them to safety. Canley, his commanding Officer, was wounded and he took command to lead the Marines through battle.
He received the Navy Cross originally, but President Donald Trump awarded it. presented Canley with the Medal of Honor in 2018 His medal was upgraded after a public push. He was the first Black Marine to receive the Medal of Honor.
After a decade-long battle against cancer, Canley passed away on May 11, 2022. He was 84 years of age.
Joel Gomez
Ex-Army Sgt. Joel Gomez He had lived with quadriplegia for almost 20 years after he was severely injured in Iraq.
Gomez was on an attack mission to capture enemy soldiers when the armored vehicle in which he was riding crashed into the Tigris River. His spine was damaged in two places.
Gomez had been sent to a nursing home by his caregiver in October because he had to return to Mexico for an immigration issue. He developed pneumonia there, which led to his death.
Gomez, who was 42 years old, died in Illinois on November 22, 2022. He was 42.
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