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Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps. Birth:
November 1915, Webster Groves, Mo. Entered service at: Michigan. Citation:
For distinguished conduct in the line of his profession, extraordinary
courage and disregard of his own condition during the bombardment of Sand
Island, Midway Islands, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. 1st Lt.
Cannon, Battery Commander of Battery H, 6th Defense Battalion, Fleet Marine
Force, U.S. Marine Corps, was at his command post when he was mortally
wounded by enemy shellfire. He refused to be evacuated from his post until
after his men who had been wounded by the same shell were evacuated, and
directed the reorganization of his command post until forcibly removed.
As a result of his utter disregard of his own condition he died from loss
of blood.
This data was extracted from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973)
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