World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Maynard M. Furney
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Hometown
Manhattan, Kansas
Honored By
Keith Clevenger, Daughter & War Veterans Madison County
LIEUTENANT. ENTERED THE NAVY NOVEMBER 20, 1939, ACCEPTING COMMISSION OF ENSIGN. HE WAS MARRIED AND HAD A B.S. IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. AFTER BASIC HE COMPLETED FLIGHT TRAINING SCHOOL, COUNTER INTELLIGENCE CORPS (CIC) SCHOOL, LINE SCHOOL AND TEST PILOT SCHOOL AS WELL AS ADVANCED COURSES IN COMMUNICATION MILITARY LAW AND STRATEGY AND TACTICS (PART I AND II) OPERATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS, FOUNDATIONS OF NATIONAL POWER, ORGANIZATION FOR NATIONAL SECURITY, MILITARY JUSTICE IN THE NAVY. MEDALS INCLUDE THE NAVY CROSS (SECOND ONLY TO THE MEDAL OF HONOR,) AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AMERICAN THEATRE MEDAL, WWII MEDAL. RETIRED FROM THE NAVY JUNE 30, 1960, AFTER MORE THAN 20 YEARS SERVICE AS A COMMISSIONED OFFICER. HIS LAST DUTY ASSIGNMENT AND MAJOR COMMAND WAS THE U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION, PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND. THE CITATION GIVEN WITH THE NAVY CROSS, PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. 'THE COURAGE, SKILL AND APPARENT LEVEL-HEADED CALM, DESCRIBED THEREIN, NO DOUBT DENOTES THE FIBER OF THIS MAN, THROUGHOUT HIS LIFETIME.' THE WORDS OF THE CITATION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 'FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM AS A SECTION LEADER OF FIGHTING SQUADRON 41, ATTACHED TO THE USS RANGER DURING THE ASSAULT AND OCCUPATION OF FRENCH MOROCCO NOVEMBER 8-11, 1942. THROUGH INTENSE ENEMY ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE, NOVEMBER 8, HE LED A SECTION OF AN 18 PLANE FLIGHT IN A DESTRUCTIVE ATTACK ON THE CAZES AIRDROME. WITH COURAGE AND SKILL HE PROVIDED COVER FOR OTHER UNITS OF THE FLIGHT, AND WHEN ALLIED PLANES WERE ATTACKED, HE UNHESITATINGLY ENGAGED THE HOSTILE FIGHT CRAFT, OUTMANEUVERING AND SENDING 2 DOWN IN FLAMES. IN THE SUBSEQUENT 6 FLIGHTS IN WHICH HE PARTICIPATED DURING THE FOLLOWING 2 DAYS, IN ADDITION TO BOMBING AND STRAFING SHORE BATTERIES AT EL HANK, ALSO LED HIS 4 PLANE SECTION IN STRAFING 2 SUBMARINES AND PATROLLING THE RANGER AND TRANSPORTS AT FEDALA. HIS AGGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP, RELENTLESS FIGHTING SPIRIT AND HEROIC DEVOTION TO DUTY AT GREAT PERSONAL RISK, CONTRIBUTED MATERIALLY TO THE REDUCTION OF HOSTILE RESISTANCE, ACCOMPLISHING VITAL OBJECTIVES.' FOR THE PRESIDENT, SIGNED BY JAMES FORRESTAL, ACTING SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.