Lieutenant Nathan Green Gordon, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on February 15, 1944 at Kavieng Harbor, Bismarck Sea, New Ireland, Southwestern Pacific during World War II. At the time he was serving with Patrol Squadron 34 (VPB-34), Naval Air Base, Samari Island, New Guinea. Gordon was 27 years old.
The medal was presented on July 13, 1944. Brisbane, Australia, presented by Vice Adm. Thomas C. Kincaid. He later rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Gordon was born on September 4, 1916 in Morrilton, Conway County, Arkansas. Gordon died on September 9, 2008 in Morrilton, Arkansas, at the age of 92. He is buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Morrilton, Arkansas. His medal is held by MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, Little Rock, AR.
Gordon is one of 474 Medal of Honor recipients from World War II and one of 12 credited to Arkansas.
Official Medal of Honor citation
For extraordinary heroism above and beyond the call of duty as commander of a Catalina patrol plane in rescuing personnel of the U.S. Army 5th Air Force shot down in combat over Kavieng Harbor in the Bismarck Sea, 15 February 1944. On air alert in the vicinity of Vitu Islands, Lt. (then Lt. jg) Gordon unhesitatingly responded to a report of the crash and flew boldly into the harbor, defying close-range fire from enemy shore guns to make three separate landings in full view of the Japanese and pick up nine men, several of them injured. With his cumbersome flying boat dangerously overloaded, he made a brilliant takeoff despite heavy swells and almost total absence of wind and set a course for base, only to receive the report of another group stranded in a rubber liferaft 600 yards from the enemy shore. Promptly turning back, he again risked his life to set his plane down under direct fire of the heaviest defenses of Kavieng and take aboard six more survivors, cooly making his fourth dexterous takeoff with 15 rescued officers and men. By his exceptional daring, personal valor, and incomparable airmanship under most perilous conditions, Lt. Gordon prevented certain death or capture of our airmen by the Japanese.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Other decorations and honors
Besides the Medal of Honor, Nathan Green Gordon received:
Source: Wikidata. Gold chips link to our guide to that decoration.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: World War II.
Life beyond the battlefield
- Offices held: Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas
- Occupations: politician, jurist, lieutenant governor, lawyer, judge
- Education: University of Arkansas, Morrilton High School
Source: Wikidata.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Arkansas →
Timeline
- September 4, 1916Born in Morrilton, Conway County, Arkansas
- February 15, 1944Act of valor — Kavieng Harbor, Bismarck Sea, New Ireland, Southwestern PacificAge 27. Patrol Squadron 34 (VPB-34), Naval Air Base, Samari Island, New Guinea
- July 13, 1944Medal of Honor presentedBrisbane, Australia, presented by Vice Adm. Thomas C. Kincaid
- September 9, 2008Died in Morrilton, ArkansasAge 92.
- Resting placeElmwood CemeteryMorrilton, Arkansas
Biography
Nathan Green Gordon (September 4, 1916 – September 8, 2008) was an American lawyer, politician, and decorated naval aviator. A Democrat, he served as the tenth lieutenant governor of Arkansas for ten terms, from 1947 to 1967. As a United States Navy officer in World War II, he received the U.S. military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for rescuing the crews of several downed airplanes.
From the Wikipedia article “Nathan Green Gordon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
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