Yesterday was a great day. In the afternoon I was in the Keokuk Cemetary Walk, representing PFC John Thorson, a Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient from World War II.
Initially he was buried in the Phillipines, but was brought to America a few years later. At the time, the family was given the option to bury him either in the Arlington National Cemetary or in Keokuk National Cemetary. The family chose Keokuk. John is the only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient to be interred at the Keokuk Cemetary.
About 10 years ago the Veterans Administration contacted the family and informed them that the gravestone was eligible to have gold lettering, and this also makes it distinct from the other graves in the cemetary.
Here is the citation PFC Thorson received, signed by President Harry Truman:
He was an automatic rifleman on 28 October 1944, in the attack on Dagami Leyte, Philippine Islands. A heavily fortified enemy position consisting of pillboxes and supporting trenches held up the advance of his company. His platoon was ordered to out-flank and neutralize the strongpoint. Voluntarily moving well out in front of his group, Pvt. Thorson came upon an enemy fire trench defended by several hostile riflemen and, disregarding the intense fire directed at him, attacked single-handed. He was seriously wounded and fell about 6 yards from the trench. Just as the remaining 20 members of the platoon reached him, 1 of the enemy threw a grenade into their midst. Shouting a warning and making a final effort, Pvt. Thorson rolled onto the grenade and smothered the explosion with his body. He was instantly killed, but his magnificent courage and supreme self-sacrifice prevented the injury and possible death of his comrades, and remain with them as a lasting inspiration.
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