Veteran's Day Story: After 60 Years Of Silence, Iwo Jima Medal Of Honor Recipient Divulges His Heroic Story
Uber-Veteran and Medal of Honor recipient George E. Wahlen has spent a lifetime trying to forget about Iwo Jima. For over 60 years, the full scope of his heroics have never been divulged. Now, Bob Dole, James Bradley (author of Flags of our Fathers) and Sen. Orrin Hatch have joined forces to help tell Wahlen's story… still recognized as one of the greatest stories of heroism in U.S. military history.
Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) November 3, 2006 -- When President Harry Truman gave the Medal of Honor to George E. Wahlen in 1945, the two shook hands and then, seemingly overnight, Wahlen disappeared into virtual anonymity.
For over six decades, Wahlen was content to take his Iwo Jima experiences to his grave. After six decades, family and friends have convinced Wahlen that his Medal of Honor story was not just a painful personal memory, but one belonging to the nation's heritage. Author 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) Eager to honor the unheralded Wahlen, former Senator Bob Dole and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch have contributed their support by penning the book's foreword and introduction respectively.
Wahlen earned the Medal of Honor as a corpsman at the battle of Iwo Jima. He was injured on three separate occasions but refused to leave his buddies on the battlefield until he was carried off on a stretcher. He saved countless lives, often carrying men twice his size to safety. His official medal citation reads like a rejected John Wayne movie script too grand to be believed. Witnesses of his heroics remain dumbfounded he survived.
Upon returning home from months of rehabilitation after the war, he stuffed the Medal of Honor in a drawer and told no one about it. His wife, Melba, didn't know he was a national war hero until years after they were married, only learning of it when she curiously opened an invitation to attend the inauguration of President Eisenhower.
Quietly, Wahlen has spent a lifetime of service to his country. His amazing military career has seen him serve all four branches of the military, and serve active duty during World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Aside from the Medal of Honor, he received three Purple Hearts.
Senator Dole stated about the new book: "It's is not just a biography; it stands as a tribute to a nation that willingly thrust its most accomplished and capable young people into harm's way."
Senator Hatch commented: "The George Wahlen story is one of inspiration and motivation for all of us who came from humble beginnings, and made the best with what God has given us."
James Bradley said: "The Quiet Hero offers an extraordinary peek into the making of one of our nation's most distinguished war heroes."
An online media kit is 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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