Pittsburgh-area Army hero who received Medal of Honor for D-Day honored in special exhibit
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — At Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum in Pittsburgh, there is a special display with photos and documents all about the life of U.S. Army Technician Fifth Grade John Joseph Pinder Jr.
Born in McKees Rocks in 1912 and raised in Butler, Joe as his family called him, was valedictorian of his high school class and a standout baseball player.
But 80 years ago, on June 6, 1944, Pinder found himself on a landing craft heading into Omaha Beach.
"When they hit the beach," said Soldiers and Sailors curator Michael Kraus, "the ship hits the sand, the front doors go down and they are a little far off the shore. And immediately they start getting hit by machine gun fire."
Eighty pounds was the weight of the radio he carried, and it was his task to get communication up on the beach. Pinder was shot multiple times by German gunners, first in the face and then in his legs.
"He is badly wounded," Kraus said. "He is refusing treatment. He is setting up a radio. He gets the radio set up. It's working and he gets killed by a sniper. His actions are noted and recognized, and he is nominated for the Medal of Honor. And it turns out he is only one of four American soldiers that received the Medal of Honor for June 6."
Normally, Pinder's Medal of Honor is on display in the Hall of Valor at Soldiers and Sailors in Pittsburgh. However, it is currently on loan to the U.S. Army for a special exhibit about the 80th anniversary of the battle of D-Day.
"The National Museum of the United States Army asked if they could borrow Joe's medal," said Kraus. "We were a little hesitant to loan it because it is one of our treasures. But their side was, they were going to get the other three recipients medals and display all four of them together for the very first time."
The exhibit at the United States Army Museum at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, lasts through November of this year and is free and open to the public. After the exhibition closes, Pinder's medal will return home to Soldiers and Sailors, where his memory will continue to live on.
"His legacy is that some people are brave, said Kraus. "In fact, everyone who jumped off those landing crafts were pretty darn brave. And that stands for us as an inspiration."