Richard Nott Antrim (b. December 12, 1907, d. March 07, 1969)
Richard Nott Antrim (son of Nott Waldo Antrim and Mary Margaret Wickler) was born December 12, 1907 in Peru, Miami Co, Indiana., and died March 07, 1969 in Mountain Home , Arkansas.. He married Mary Jean Packard on June 16, 1931 in Chicago, Illinois..
Notes for Richard Nott Antrim: President Truman confers High Honor on Comdr. Richard Nott Antrim. The young Naval officer who took on the entire force of a Japanese prison camp to save the life of a comrade. In the high ceremony he awarded the Medal of Honor to Cmdr.Richard Nott Antrim of Peru, Indiana. The citation which Mr. Truman read to the 39- year old officer told a story of almost unbelievable heroism. Antrim was aboard the Destoroyer Pope when Japanese dive bombers put her out of action between Java and Burneo in February 1942. Antrim was one of 151 survivors who were picked up by a Japanesedestroyer and turned over to enemy land forces at Mikassar in the Netherlands East Indies. Antrim intervened to save a fellow Naval officer who was beingclubbed viciously by a frenzied Japanese guard. The citation picked up the story as the president read it gravely: "Antrim boldly intervened attempting to quiet the guard and finally persuading him to discuss the charges against the officer. with the entire Japanese force assembled and making extraordinary perparations for the threatened beating, and with the tension heightened by 2,700 allied prisoners rapidly closing in, Commander Antrim courageously appealed to the fanatic enemy, his own life in a desperate effort to mitigate the punishment.
When the other Officer had been beaten unconscious by 15 blows of a hawser and was repeatedly kicked by three soldiers to a point beyond which he could not survive, Commander Antrim gallantly stepped forward and indicated to the perplexed guards that he would take the remainder of the puchishment, throwing the Japanesecompletely off balance in their amazement and elicting a roar of acclaim from the suddenly inspired allied prisoners. The president remarked that he had probably presented more of these metals than any otherpresidents because he was in office when the heroes were coming home. "I've said it before, that I would rather have this medal than be president," Mr. Truman said to Antrim. "You did a mighty fine thing."
More About Richard Nott Antrim: Burial: April 1969, Arlington National Cemetery.
More About Richard Nott Antrim and Mary Jean Packard: Marriage: June 16, 1931, Chicago, Illinois..
Children of Richard Nott Antrim and Mary Jean Packard are:
Richard Nott Antrim (b. December 12, 1907, d. March 07, 1969)
Notes for Richard Nott Antrim: