John L. Canley was the first living Black U.S. Marine to receive the Medal of Honor, for his valor in the Vietnam War.
- Died: May 11, 2022 (Who else died on May 11?)
- Details of death: Died in Bend, Oregon after fighting cancer at the age of 84.
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Military career
Canley joined the U.S. Marine Corps at age 15, using his brother’s paperwork, after being inspired by the movie “Sands of Iwo Jima.” He was fighting in the Battle of Huế in 1968 when the commander of his unit was wounded. Canley took command and effectively organized his platoon. Several times, he risked enemy fire to carry wounded Marines to safety, including twice scaling a wall in full view of the enemy. While Canley was honored with a Navy Cross, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart at the time of his service, he was not recognized with a Medal of Honor. There is a five-year limit on the Medal of Honor, so he did not expect to receive that honor. However, in 2018, Rep. Julia Brownley sponsored a bill to waive the time limit and upgrade his Navy Cross to a Medal of Honor. Canley was presented with the Medal of Honor by President Donald Trump later that year. He served in the Marines for 28 years before his 1981 retirement. In later years, he ran a textiles import business.
Notable quote
“It means a lot to me. Mostly for my Marines because we’ve had to wait 50-plus years to get any kind of recognition. It’s not about me. It’s about the Marines who didn’t the appropriate recognition when we got home.” —from a 2018 interview for USA Today
Tributes to John L. Canley
Full obituary: The Washington Post
