It is with great sadness that we share with you the passing of America's oldest living Medal of Honor recipient, WWII veteran Robert Maxwell. He was 98. 🇺🇸

Maxwell was born in 1920 in Boise, Idaho, and moved to Colorado during the Great Depression. He was drafted into the Army in 1942, turning down an offer of conscientious objector status for being a Quaker. He served in the 3rd Infantry Division during the war in North Africa, Sicily, and France.

In September 1944, near Besancon in eastern France, Maxwell risked his own life to protect the lives of others when his unit was under heavy enemy fire. When a German hand grenade was thrown in the midst of his squad, Technician 5th Grade Maxwell unhesitatingly hurled himself squarely upon it, using his blanket and his unprotected body to absorb the full force of the explosion. He survived his wounds from the grenade blast and was awarded the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, on April 6, 1945.

Maxwell was also the recipient of two Silver Stars, two Purple Hearts, the French Croix de Guerre and the Legion d’honneur.

After the war, he taught auto mechanics at Bend High School in Oregon. He passed away on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at the age of 98 in Oregon. He was the only living Medal of Honor recipient in that state.

Sad news. We are losing this particular generation every minute. I read somewhere recently there are fewer than 300K WWII veterans left. Soon, we'll not have any that remember the era first hand at all. Hopefully their stories are being recorded.
VR, Russ