World War II Honoree

John J. Dunn

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

New York, New York

Honored By

The Dunn Family

Relationship

Son

He voluntarily enlisted in the army and after training was sent to England where troops were assembled to be sent into the European theater. Their destination was to be reinforcements or replacements in the Battle of the Bulge. While crossing the English Channel on Christmas Eve 1944 the SS Leopoldville was struck and sunk by German submarine torpedos. He barely survived, waking in a hospital with his last memory being in the icy water and seeing the lights of Cherbourge, France in the distance when a wave would lift him up. He was eventually picked out of the water onto a tugboat. Fellow soldiers wanted him to be nominated for the congressional medal of honor for staying aboard the ship to help others get off the sinking ship, saving lives. 800 men perished in the disaster. Several days later when he found a friend resting in his tent, the man thought he was a ghost and was shocked out of his wits because he thought that he was dead. News of the event and information about cause of deaths was suppressed to keep it from emboldening the German submarine commanders. The history channel produced a documentary about the disaster and the subsequent cover-up after it was declassified in the 1990s. The survivors of the 66th infantry, Black Panthers, Rainbow Division, after being hospitalized were sent to fight in France against the occupying German forces. The men were celebrated in French towns and villages for helping to liberate their country. He was awarded the purple heart, the bronze star and many other awards for his service to his country.