WWII Hero and Medal of Honor Recipient George E. Wahlen to Speak at the DC Public Library October 12, 2006

Medal of Honor Recipient George E. Wahlen, and biographer Gary W. Toyn will make a rare East Coast appearance at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington DC. Wahlen is the subject of the book "The Quiet Hero: The Untold Medal of Honor Story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle for Iwo Jima."

Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) October 6, 2006 -- The DC Public Library’s History and Biography Division will host World War II hero and Medal of Honor Recipient George E. Wahlen at a special discussion and book signing, Thursday, October 12, 2006 at 7 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Memorial Library.

Wahlen earned the Medal of Honor at the battle for Iwo Jima. He is known to have saved countless lives during the most brutal days of the conflict, and witnesses of his heroics remain dumbfounded he even survived. His story is one of the most incredible accounts of heroism of World War II.

President Harry S Truman presented Wahlen with the Medal of Honor in 1945. After receiving the medal, Wahlen disappeared into virtual anonymity, actively avoiding interviews, speeches, and other types of recognition events.

Content to take the sad memories of Iwo Jima to his grave, family and friends have persuaded Wahlen to tell his story, convincing him that the events are not just a painful personal memory, but a story belonging to the nation’s heritage. Author/historian Gary W. Toyn was asked to piece together the 60 year-old puzzle, the result is Wahlen’s new 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).

Wahlen is among a rapidly diminishing group of Medal of Honor recipients. Since World War II began, 844 Medals of Honor have been given. Only 111 living recipients remain, with the average age being 73. Within a generation, most of these men will have joined their long, departed comrades. Wahlen stands alone among all these American heroes as the only one to have served active duty in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and to have served all four branches of the military. He also spent 14 years serving in the Veteran’s Administration.

Wahlen and Toyn will discuss the battle for Iwo Jima, the Medal of Honor, and the upcoming feature film Flags of our Fathers, based on the story of the Iwo Jima flag raisers.

The MLK Memorial Library is located at 901 G St, NW. For more information, call (202) 727-1111.

Journalists: an online media kit available at http://thequiethero.com. To obtain a review copy, or to arrange for an interview with Mr. Wahlen or Gary W. Toyn, please contact Bill Wood, (toll free) 1-866-233-8165 or via email.

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