MOH

Medal of Honor: George H. Cannon – World War II – December 7, 1941

Mortally wounded during the Japanese bombardment of Midway, one Marine officer refused evacuation and continued commanding his battery — insisting his wounded Marines be removed first and reorganizing his post until he collapsed from blood loss.

December 9, 2025

Name: George Ham Cannon
Rank: First Lieutenant
Organization: U.S. Marine Corps
Unit: Battery H, 6th Defense Battalion, Fleet Marine Force
Place and Date: Sand Island, Midway Atoll – 7 December 1941
Entered Service At: Michigan
Born: November 8, 1915 – Webster Groves, Missouri
Departed: December 7, 1941 (Killed in Action)
Accredited To: Michigan

Summary of Action

On the night of December 7, 1941 — just hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor — Japanese forces opened fire on Sand Island at Midway. First Lieutenant George H. Cannon, commanding Battery H, was at his command post directing defensive operations when enemy shells struck, wounding several Marines and inflicting mortal injuries upon him.

Despite the devastating blast and his rapidly deteriorating condition, Cannon refused evacuation. He ordered corpsmen to treat and remove his wounded Marines first and continued to direct the reorganization of his command post, ensuring communications and control remained intact during the bombardment.

Only when he physically collapsed was he carried away — and he died soon afterward from blood loss.

His refusal to abandon his post and his insistence on saving his wounded Marines, even at the cost of his own life, set an unwavering example of Marine Corps leadership and devotion to duty.

Medal of Honor Citation

CANNON, GEORGE HAM

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps.

Born: 8 November 1915, Webster Groves, Mo.

Entered service at: Michigan.

Citation:

For distinguished conduct in the line of his profession, extraordinary courage and disregard of his own condition during the bombardment of Sand Island, Midway Islands, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. 1st Lt. Cannon, Battery Commander of Battery H, 6th Defense Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, U.S. Marine Corps, was at his command post when he was mortally wounded by enemy shellfire. He refused to be evacuated from his post until after his men who had been wounded by the same shell were evacuated, and directed the reorganization of his command post until forcibly removed. As a result of his utter disregard of his own condition he died from loss of blood.