Pittsburg Veteran receives Congressional Gold Medal

PITTSBURG, Kans. — It’s one of many deadliest battles of World Battle II that you could be by no means have heard of, however two space males who had been a part of it lastly obtained their just-do for taking part in an important function in it.

Troopers with the U.S. Military weren’t simply combating the Japanese within the southeast Asian nation of Burma, they had been additionally battling Mom Nature within the type of a snake-infested and disease-riddled jungle.

Twins Johnie and Michael Baima performed an important backup function with U.S. Particular Forces making an attempt to disrupt enemy provide traces and communications in what was often known as Merrill’s Marauders.

And as they’d accomplished their entire life, they did it collectively.

“We even slept in the identical foxhole collectively, he slept there and I slept there,” stated Johnie Baima, Congressional Gold Medal Recipient.

So how did these two brothers find yourself staying collectively in the course of the conflict? Effectively, a member of the family says a Southeast Kansas choose deliberately stapled their purposes collectively so they’d all the time keep collectively.

Army apply at the moment was to separate siblings so no household would endure a number of deaths in the identical theater of conflict.

Senator Jerry Moran personally handed a newly minted Congressional Gold Medal to Johnie, in addition to his brother’s household.

“I believe it was an amazing ceremony. I believe it was an amazing honor to be right here to see the gold medal given to John, my uncle. I want my dad was right here, he’s been gone proper a couple of yr in the past at this time, so want he would have been right here for it,” stated Michael Baima, Louie Baima’s Son.

Actually, Louie handed away the identical day each households realized in regards to the medal.

“The the story of the Baima brothers, the dual’s service within the Pacific, is a tremendous one among battle and being heroes, and we want, the nation must see that there are folks keen to do issues which are extra vital than simply themselves,” stated Senator Moran.

Of the 3000 males who volunteered as Merrill’s Marauders, solely 200 survived.

The medals had been awarded on the PSU Veterans Memorial.