George Wahlen, 84, who as a Navy pharmacist's mate during World War II tended to more than a dozen casualties on Iwo Jima while seriously wounded himself and who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions, died June 5 in Salt Lake City at the Veterans Affairs hospital named in his honor. He had lung cancer.
After World War II, the former Navy corpsman entered the Army, serving in various capacities in the medical field for 20 years and retiring as a major.
During the battle for Iwo Jima, which gave the United States a strategic base for missions against Japan toward the end of the war, Maj. Wahlen was a Navy corpsman attached to the Marine Corps in late February and early March 1945.
He was injured in the eye by mortar shell shrapnel, but he refused to be evacuated and remained to help the wounded. He "defied the continuous pounding of heavy mortars and deadly fire of enemy rifles to care for the wounded, working rapidly in an area swept by constant fire and treating 14 casualties before returning to his own platoon," read his citation for the Medal of Honor, the military's highest award for valor.
Less than a month later, after shrapnel broke one of his legs, Maj. Wahlen continued to provide medical aid on the battlefield.
"I bandaged myself up, took a shot of morphine and crawled over and started helping a Marine that had both his legs blown off," he later told the Salt Lake Tribune. He said of his decision to stay and help: "When you've been with these guys, they're like family. You don't want to let them down."
George Edward Wahlen was born Aug. 8, 1924, in Ogden, Utah. He received an associate's degree from what is now Weber State University in Ogden and a bachelor's degree from what is now Brigham Young University-Hawaii.
After his Navy discharge, Maj. Wahlen joined the Army and served in Korea and Vietnam during those wars. He retired in 1969 and held jobs with what became the Department of Veterans Affairs. He lived in Roy, Utah, north of Salt Lake City.
Besides the Medal of Honor, his decorations included the Bronze Star Medal, three awards of the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal.
Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Melba Holley Wahlen of Roy; five children, Blake Wahlen and Pamela Riley, both of Layton, Utah, Brock Wahlen of Hooper, Utah, Jolene Rogers of Far West, Utah, and Christine Anderson of Murray, Utah; 27 grandchildren; and 42 great-grandchildren.
After World War II, the former Navy corpsman entered the Army, serving in various capacities in the medical field for 20 years and retiring as a major.
During the battle for Iwo Jima, which gave the United States a strategic base for missions against Japan toward the end of the war, Maj. Wahlen was a Navy corpsman attached to the Marine Corps in late February and early March 1945.
He was injured in the eye by mortar shell shrapnel, but he refused to be evacuated and remained to help the wounded. He "defied the continuous pounding of heavy mortars and deadly fire of enemy rifles to care for the wounded, working rapidly in an area swept by constant fire and treating 14 casualties before returning to his own platoon," read his citation for the Medal of Honor, the military's highest award for valor.
Less than a month later, after shrapnel broke one of his legs, Maj. Wahlen continued to provide medical aid on the battlefield.
"I bandaged myself up, took a shot of morphine and crawled over and started helping a Marine that had both his legs blown off," he later told the Salt Lake Tribune. He said of his decision to stay and help: "When you've been with these guys, they're like family. You don't want to let them down."
George Edward Wahlen was born Aug. 8, 1924, in Ogden, Utah. He received an associate's degree from what is now Weber State University in Ogden and a bachelor's degree from what is now Brigham Young University-Hawaii.
After his Navy discharge, Maj. Wahlen joined the Army and served in Korea and Vietnam during those wars. He retired in 1969 and held jobs with what became the Department of Veterans Affairs. He lived in Roy, Utah, north of Salt Lake City.
Besides the Medal of Honor, his decorations included the Bronze Star Medal, three awards of the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal.
Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Melba Holley Wahlen of Roy; five children, Blake Wahlen and Pamela Riley, both of Layton, Utah, Brock Wahlen of Hooper, Utah, Jolene Rogers of Far West, Utah, and Christine Anderson of Murray, Utah; 27 grandchildren; and 42 great-grandchildren.
I feel very fortunate to have known and been in the family of George Wahlen, Brock's grandpa. He was a great family man and a devoted patriot. His funeral was very special because it was a celebration of a life well spent but of course sometimes that makes it that much harder saying goodbye to such a great person.
The following is from the Standard examiner about the funeral:
More than 400 people crowded the Ogden Tabernacle for the funeral services. One member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Quorum of the 70 praised Wahlen as a man who "lived after the pattern of the Savior of us all."
At the cemetery, 32 police and highway patrol motorcycles escorted his coffin through an honor guard of 40 American flags held by veterans.
Three U.S. Marines and three sailors carried his coffin on its final journey while seven soldiers fired a 21-gun salute.
Three generals from the Utah National Guard folded the flag that had draped his coffin before presenting it to his wife as two Apache helicopters clattered overhead.
At the cemetery, 32 police and highway patrol motorcycles escorted his coffin through an honor guard of 40 American flags held by veterans.
Three U.S. Marines and three sailors carried his coffin on its final journey while seven soldiers fired a 21-gun salute.
Three generals from the Utah National Guard folded the flag that had draped his coffin before presenting it to his wife as two Apache helicopters clattered overhead.
I was really impressed by the respect paid to George by veterans and current service men and women. Through the viewing, funeral and gravesite there was a person from the military at the foot and head of his casket watching over him until finally laid to rest. A 90 year old WWII vet requested to play the echo taps at his gravesite and at his funeral all who had ever served in the military stood and gave a slow salute as a final farewell.
We will all miss him very much.
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