Today’s Star Spangled Salute honors Kansas Veteran Gunner Mate 3rd Class Herman Schmidt born in Alexander, Kansas. Herman proudly served aboard the USS Oklahoma during World War II. The Oklahoma was one of the first oil burning battleships in the fleet, replacing the use of coal. Some of his duties included the assembly, maintenance and repair of guns, gun mounts, and gun ports. He was awarded several medals including the Purple Heart, the World War II Victory Medal and the Bronze Star. On December 7, 1941 Herman was one of the thousand lost during the attack on Pearl Harbor. His remains were recently identified and on the 24th of this month, Herman will be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. THANK YOU Herman for your service and for paying the ultimate sacrifce.
