NEWS RELEASE
***For Immediate Release ***
Salt Lake City, UT – George E. Wahlen, Iwo Jima combat veteran and Medal of Honor recipient has been selected as the 2007 recipient of the prestigious Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Americanism Award. He will receive the honor August 21, 2007 at the general session of the VFW 108th National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.
According to the VFW Adjutant General Allen J “Gunner” Kent, “The VFW is proud and privileged to recognize Mr. Wahlen. His story of gallantry as a Navy Corpsman and subsequent years of dedicated service is truly inspirational. This modest hero has earned the respect and gratitude of the nations largest combat veterans organization.”
The VFW Americanism Award recognizes “Exemplary achievement in promoting values such as patriotism, commitment to service, and love of country.” Previous recipients include Senators Hubert Humphrey and John McCain; FBI founder J. Edgar Hoover; actors John Wayne and Red Skelton; and The Reverend Theodore N. Hesburgh, President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame.
Wahlen’s rise to national prominence was almost sixty years in the making. He earned the Medal of Honor as a corpsman at the battle of Iwo Jima where he is credited for saving countless lives. He was injured on three separate occasions but refused to leave the battlefield. Many who witnessed his heroics remain dumbfounded he survived.
President Harry Truman presented the Medal of Honor to Wahlen in 1945. After the two shook hands, Wahlen seemingly disappeared into virtual anonymity. He told no one about the medal, not even his wife knew he was a national war hero until years after they were married. For almost six decades Wahlen’s story was known only by historians and World War II history buffs.
Wahlen’s first foray into the national spotlight came when President George W. Bush signed legislation authorizing the naming of the George E. Wahlen Department of Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City. As federal buildings cannot bear the name of a living person, Congress approved special legislation allowing for an exemption in the case of Mr. Wahlen.
Wahlen’s rise in national prominence grew most recently with the release of his biography The Quiet Hero: The Untold Medal of Honor Story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle for Iwo Jima ($21.95, American Legacy Media). Bob Dole, Orrin Hatch, and Flags of our Fathers author James Bradley were among the many notables who joined forces to help tell Wahlen’s story.
As veterans go, Wahlen is singularly qualified to represent the vast majority of the VFW membership. Not only did he serve the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force during war-time; but he also served active duty during World War II, Korea and Vietnam. After retiring from active duty in 1968, he then spent 14 years with the Veteran’s Administration.
Wahlen, now 82, lives in Utah with his wife, Melba. They have been married for 60 years, and together they have five children, 26 grandchildren, and 34 great-grandchildren.
For more information, including an online media kit with digital images and other resources, go to TheQuietHero.com.
