Born September 1st 1914, Ben L. Salomon was a United States Army dentist during WWII, assigned as a front line surgeon after being drafted in 1940.
By 1944, Salomon had risen to the rank of captain and had been assigned to the 27th Infantry Division.
The division of which was transferred to Pearl Harbor to join a larger force planning to attack the Japanese held Mariana Islands.
June 15th 1944, 8,000 US forces landed ashore Saipan, the largest of the Mariana Islands. The landing went on for 2 days. On the second day, Salomon and his comrades joined the fight.
With casualties mounting, Salomon volunteered to be the head surgeon, dealing with the wounded troops.
On July 7th, whilst dealing with casualties, Salomon found himself under attack from a Japanese ambush, their final major counter attack. Numbers estimated around 5,000 Japanese soldiers.
The US were completely unprepared and overwhelmed by the attack, nearly losing the whole sector within hours.
Despite being less than 50 yards from the frontline, Salomon refused to leave his post. Continuing to attend to the wounded.
Not long after, the Japanese were in the wounded camp, with some soldiers using their bayonets to finish off the helpless troops.
Without a moments hesitation, Salomon picked up his M1 Garand and fought off the attack on his medical tent.
Salomon ordered for his casualties to be evacuated immediately, using a brief moment of peace to quickly move the wounded.
Salomon stayed behind to cover the retreat.
Now alone, Salomon manned a heavy machine gun, firing at the enemy troops overwhelming his station, sacrificing his life so others could evacuate.
When the US army retook the station a few days later, Salomons body was found surrounded by 98 dead Japanese soldiers.
Salomon had been shot 24 times before succumbing to his wounds. After he died, the Japanese had continued to shoot and stab his lifeless body.
His body was found with 76 bullet and bayonet wounds. He was just 29 years old at the time of his death.
Distraught at losing the battle, thousands of Japanese soldiers committed suicide, rather than facing the shame of surrendering.
Salomon wasn’t truly recognised for his sacrifice until 2002, nearly 60 years after his death, where he was finally awarded The Medal of Honour, Americas highest military honor.
The reason it took so long for Salomons heroics to be recognised is due to the Geneva Convention, which stated that military medical personnel cannot use weapons in battle.
US authorities had misinterpreted this rule, which only applies in offensive situations. Whereas in Salomons case, he was merely defending himself and the lives of his fellow Americans.
Salomon is 1 of only 3 dental officers and 1 of 17 Jewish Amercians to have received the Medal of Honor since its beginning in the American Civil War.
- M.
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