He's a World War II veteran…but his heroic legacy was almost forgotten, until now.
CBS 47’s Lemor Abrams tells why he never received seven medals he earned.
Victory at sea...
World War II.
And a Valley man was at the center of it all.
"It was a real experience for an 18 year old. I was drafted out of high school when I was a senior. Six of us in senior class in high school, said “John Lloyd Steinhauer.
Lloyd was assigned to the armed guard...protecting the merchant vessels that provided the life blood of US forces waging a brutal ground war.
“We were the navy gunners on merchant ships. There were 30 men on there. We manned 10 guns and supposedly put ‘em on there to save ships Germans were sinking,” he said.
But seventy years after Lloyd helped defeat firmly entrenched Japanese forces in the pivotal battle of
“They never had a record of me being in combat at all. not in archives...well...by the time they look into it... for five months. sometimes you think ...forget it...then i made up my mind...i'm not going to forget it,” he said.
Veteran's administration in
His daughter wrote the letter, citing proof of combat... diaries and pictures of Seaman 1st Class Lloyd Steinhauer with his armed guard crew.
“I have seen amazing funerals they give to veterans. I think they need to have these proud ceremonies while they're alive,” said Terri Steinhauer.
Her dad will soon have that opportunity.
“Amazingly [Valado's Office] called just the other day and said they had received my medals and...I can't believe it,” Lloyd said.
Lloyd will receive seven World War II medals including a Victory Medal and an American Campaign Medal.
Now he's celebrating a new victory.
“World War II...there was nothing like it since…We had 100 percent of people sacrificing...that's how we won the war,” Lloyd recalled.
Lloyd will receive medals at a special ceremony Thursday afternoon from
The public is welcome to join.
Congressman Valadao will present the medals.