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Oldest Medal of Honor recipient dies in Oregon at 98

Published  May 13, 2019 12:34pm PDT
Associated Press

BEND, Ore. (AP) — The nation's oldest Medal of Honor recipient has died at 98.

The Bulletin reports that World War II veteran Bob Maxwell died Saturday in Bend, Oregon.

U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, a Republican from Oregon, confirmed the death in a statement Monday and says Maxwell represented the "best of what Oregon and America have to offer."

Maxwell earned the highest military honor for shielding his fellow soldiers from a hand grenade.

He was also awarded two Silver Stars, two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and two French combat awards.

The Bulletin reports that Maxwell grabbed a blanket and threw himself on the grenade while fighting in Besancon, France, on Sept. 7, 1944. The bomb severely injured him, but the blanket saved his life by absorbing some of the impact.