It's been stated a few times already, but the prose here is beautifully done.
This entire tale reminds me of a quote I saw once on Twitter. I know it was cribbed and altered from a line by Jack Carr, but I think the random twitter anon succinctly tapped into something Carr's over-long line didn't: "Somewhere, there's a man out there that's training to kill you. What will you do when your paths cross?" I think about it a lot, especially in these days of increasing uncertainty and mounting violence. It reminds me of the old myths and legends of men with their fates inscribed in stone, predestined by the whims of capricious divinities to their ultimate destinations, where they would inevitably meet the person who, long ago, was always going to kill them.
The story as told in the citation is based on numerous eyewitness accounts and a forensic investigation. The rest of Capt. Salomon's life I pieced together from records in the media and official army sources.
It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if it were a societal norm to have boys and young men read and study some of these Medal of Honor citations (age appropriate of course). Would be an obvious topic for history class. Despite the unfortunate and terrible violence than comes along with it, it’s hard to find better examples of true self-sacrifice, camaraderie, courage, etc.
I teach about him and another hero, Guy Gabaldon. Gabaldon grew up in East LA and was a troublemaking cholo as a young man. His parents sent him to live with the family of one of his friends to keep him out of trouble at home. That family happened to be Japanese-American, and Gabaldon became fluent in the language. When the war broke out, he was drafted and ended up on Saipan at the same time as Ben Saloman. While he was one guard duty one night he got bored, abandoned his post, and went off to a cave where he thought some Japanese soldiers were holed up. The Japanese were fighting to the death from these caves, necessitating tactics of brutal extermination with grenades and flame throwers on the part of the Americans, something no one wanted to do. Previous attempts had been made to communicate with the Japanese to urge them to surrender, but it seems that the American speakers of Japanese had all learned the language in college and spoke in a literary register than seemed strange and off-putting to the rural and poorly-educated Japanese infantrymen. Gabaldon had learned a very vernacular version, and basically crawled up and said something like "hey bros, pack it in, it's cool." He walked back to base with two prisoners. He was reprimanded for leaving his post and warned not to do it again. The next night he slipped away again and came back with 50. After this, they just let him go off on his own, and he eventually secured the surrender of over 1,300 men (the number is disputed), saving their lives and the lives of a great number of his comrades in the process. He was given a Silver Star.
The family who taught him Japanese spent the war in an interment camp.
I have been researching any honors Benjamin Salomon may have received from his hometown or Marquette University and I received this today from the historical society in Shorewood, Wisconsin.
“Salomon was honored with the Shorewood High School Tradition of Excellence Award in 2012. A plaque with the following information is on display in the high school.
Ben L. Salomon (SHS Class of 1932)
Trained as a dentist, Ben Salomon was drafted into the United States Army in 1940 and proved his worth as an excellent marksman and instructor in infantry tactics and as a dentist.
On July 7, 1944, Captain Salomon was serving in the 27th infantry division in Saipan in the Marianas Islands. He volunteered for the role of surgeon after the previous one was killed. His battalion came under ferocious attack by thousands of Japanese soldiers who soon advanced on Captain Salomon’s aid station. To defend the men in his care, he killed several enemy soldiers who had entered the aid station. Ordering his comrades to evacuate the tent, he held off the enemy, singlehandedly killing 98 enemy soldiers and saving many American lives but sacrificing his own.
After several attempts were made to honor Salomon for his bravery and courage, he belatedly received the honor due him when he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush in 2002.”
Marquette University has never honored him. Neither has the university’s ROTC.
His Presidential Medal of Honor is on display in the US Army Medical Museum, Ft. Sam Houston, San Antonio Texas.
Well, he was a badass dentist from the Badger State of Wisconsin and I’m grateful you wrote about him. May God forever bless Benjamin Solomon and men of courage like him.
The great writing exercise that can be used at every level of skill or age: write of an incident as a back story of this hero of whom so little is known!
Wow! Medal of Honor heroics and deep spiritual contemplations, all rolled into one powerful post!
Wow! As Shakespeare put the words in Mark Anthony’s mouth: “Here was a Caesar! When comes such another?”
I’m embarrassed I’ve never heard of him. He is most certainly the dentist in the great halls of Valhalla!
I do my best to serve as a skald in addition to a librarian.
Skål!
It's been stated a few times already, but the prose here is beautifully done.
This entire tale reminds me of a quote I saw once on Twitter. I know it was cribbed and altered from a line by Jack Carr, but I think the random twitter anon succinctly tapped into something Carr's over-long line didn't: "Somewhere, there's a man out there that's training to kill you. What will you do when your paths cross?" I think about it a lot, especially in these days of increasing uncertainty and mounting violence. It reminds me of the old myths and legends of men with their fates inscribed in stone, predestined by the whims of capricious divinities to their ultimate destinations, where they would inevitably meet the person who, long ago, was always going to kill them.
Thank you for the praise. I just hope I did his story justice.
You did.
You surely did.
Wow
Inspiring. Profound.
sound amazing, is that a story told by the main protagonists or by witness ?
The story as told in the citation is based on numerous eyewitness accounts and a forensic investigation. The rest of Capt. Salomon's life I pieced together from records in the media and official army sources.
It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if it were a societal norm to have boys and young men read and study some of these Medal of Honor citations (age appropriate of course). Would be an obvious topic for history class. Despite the unfortunate and terrible violence than comes along with it, it’s hard to find better examples of true self-sacrifice, camaraderie, courage, etc.
I teach about him and another hero, Guy Gabaldon. Gabaldon grew up in East LA and was a troublemaking cholo as a young man. His parents sent him to live with the family of one of his friends to keep him out of trouble at home. That family happened to be Japanese-American, and Gabaldon became fluent in the language. When the war broke out, he was drafted and ended up on Saipan at the same time as Ben Saloman. While he was one guard duty one night he got bored, abandoned his post, and went off to a cave where he thought some Japanese soldiers were holed up. The Japanese were fighting to the death from these caves, necessitating tactics of brutal extermination with grenades and flame throwers on the part of the Americans, something no one wanted to do. Previous attempts had been made to communicate with the Japanese to urge them to surrender, but it seems that the American speakers of Japanese had all learned the language in college and spoke in a literary register than seemed strange and off-putting to the rural and poorly-educated Japanese infantrymen. Gabaldon had learned a very vernacular version, and basically crawled up and said something like "hey bros, pack it in, it's cool." He walked back to base with two prisoners. He was reprimanded for leaving his post and warned not to do it again. The next night he slipped away again and came back with 50. After this, they just let him go off on his own, and he eventually secured the surrender of over 1,300 men (the number is disputed), saving their lives and the lives of a great number of his comrades in the process. He was given a Silver Star.
The family who taught him Japanese spent the war in an interment camp.
wow!
A great story well told. You do honour to a brave man. Thank you for this.
Damn. What a hero. Truly a great warrior. Rip.
🎶 youtu.be/MR87LsmXzBs (Going Home – Fallen Soldier Bagpipe Tribute)
🎶 youtu.be/2O0daPfqSV0 (Amazing Grace – Memorial Day Bagpipes Tribute)
Of courage.
I have been researching any honors Benjamin Salomon may have received from his hometown or Marquette University and I received this today from the historical society in Shorewood, Wisconsin.
“Salomon was honored with the Shorewood High School Tradition of Excellence Award in 2012. A plaque with the following information is on display in the high school.
Ben L. Salomon (SHS Class of 1932)
Trained as a dentist, Ben Salomon was drafted into the United States Army in 1940 and proved his worth as an excellent marksman and instructor in infantry tactics and as a dentist.
On July 7, 1944, Captain Salomon was serving in the 27th infantry division in Saipan in the Marianas Islands. He volunteered for the role of surgeon after the previous one was killed. His battalion came under ferocious attack by thousands of Japanese soldiers who soon advanced on Captain Salomon’s aid station. To defend the men in his care, he killed several enemy soldiers who had entered the aid station. Ordering his comrades to evacuate the tent, he held off the enemy, singlehandedly killing 98 enemy soldiers and saving many American lives but sacrificing his own.
After several attempts were made to honor Salomon for his bravery and courage, he belatedly received the honor due him when he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush in 2002.”
Marquette University has never honored him. Neither has the university’s ROTC.
His Presidential Medal of Honor is on display in the US Army Medical Museum, Ft. Sam Houston, San Antonio Texas.
That’s wonderful to read.
Well, he was a badass dentist from the Badger State of Wisconsin and I’m grateful you wrote about him. May God forever bless Benjamin Solomon and men of courage like him.
The great writing exercise that can be used at every level of skill or age: write of an incident as a back story of this hero of whom so little is known!
What a story!
We are born to die. Will we live?
I lived in Milwaukee for 14 years and my prior boss’s 3 kids when to Marquette University HS. Great story. Glad I read it.
It's interesting how the forges of greatness are often comparatively obscure places.