Lt. Conner was the second-most decorated soldier during WWII. During his 28 months of service during the war, Lt. Conner earned 4 Silver Stars, 4 Bronze Stars, 7 Purple Hearts, and the Distinguished Service Cross for his acts of bravery and valor. Yet, he never received the Medal of Honor.
1st Lt. Garlin Conner passed away in 1998. His wife Pauline has been fighting for the last 17 years for him to be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Recently U.S. District Judge Thomas Russell ruled that since the Lieutenant’s widow waited too long to bring forward new evidence of his bravery, the Court had no choice but to deny the petition based on this technicality.
There are no instruction books to families on how to obtain medals your hero should have received. Timelimits should not exist.