Magic Marine awarded U.S. Medal of Honor
1st Lieutenant George H. Cannon was the first U.S. Marine to receive the Medal of Honor in World War Two. The medal is the U.S. government's highest and most prestigious military decoration for acts of valour by American service personnel. In high school, George Cannon was in the magic club and retained a keen interest in magic as he went off to university. He studied engineering at the University of Michigan, graduating in 1938, before joining the U.S. Marine Corps as an officer candidate. He commissioned and, with war imminent, was sent to Midway Island in the Pacific, arriving on 11 September 1941. The Midway Atoll, as its name suggests, lies nearly halfway between Hawaii and Tokyo. It was vital base for the likely impending conflict between the United States and Japan. On Sunday 7 December, 1941, Cannon, age 26, was assigned as platoon leader of H Battery of the 6th Defense Battalion. His task was to defend a critical power station on Sand Island. 1st Lieutena...