The widow of a U.S. Navy veteran who helped repel the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor has been awarded a Pearl Harbor Survivors Medal.
Congressman Bill Huizenga presented the medal to Hazel Baron, the widow of George Baron, on Sunday at Calvary Baptist Church in Gobles.
Huizenga’s office says George Baron was stationed aboard the USS Argonne, which was docked for repairs in Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack. He served as a firefighter aboard the ship. The Argonne was not struck in the attack, but there are reports of machine guns being fired from the Argonne and striking down an enemy plane. The crew from the Argonne is also credited with rescuing wounded men from other ships and working to repair additional ships.
Huizenga says it was his honor to present the medal to Hazel Baron in recognition and remembrance of her husband’s service.
In 1991, Congress authorized the commemorative medal for those present in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, and who participated in combat operations that day against Japanese military forces attacking Hawaii.
