During my short tenure with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society (CMOHS headquarters are located onboard the YORKTOWN), I had the privilege of working with Medal of Honor recipient Everett Pope. Everett lived in Amelia Island, Florida. He had retired there after working as a banker in Boston until 1982. He was a soft spoken, very caring individual and at the time was using his talents as the treasurer for the CMOHS. I was intrigued to think that at one time he had been a combat Marine in the Pacific fighting hand to hand with Japanese soldiers on a small island called Peleliu. President Harry Truman awarded him the Medal of Honor on 15 June 1945. The President had a tough time pronouncing Peleliu, which brought a chuckle to Everett's face. Read more about Peleliu here...
Yet from the records, he was one of our amazing war fighters who contributed to victory in the Pacific and then he came home and led an amazing life, raising a family and serving his community in many ways. Everett graduated magna cum laude from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, in 1941 with a Bachelors of Science and was a Phi Beta Kappa. Bowdoin was also the alma mater of Medal of Honor recipient Joshua Laurence Chamberlain, who had his own hilltop experience at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
After the war, Everett settled down with his wife, Eleanor, and raised two sons, Laurence and Ralph. He entered the banking business and became President and CEO of Workingmens Cooperative Bank in 1953 and served until 1980. He also served as President of the Board of Overseers and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Bowdoin College. Everett received honorary Master of Arts and Doctor of Laws from Bowdoin. He also served in various capacities in the CMOHS and was a Trustee of the Marine Corps Command & Staff College Foundation.
Everett passed away last Thursday, July 16th, on his 90th birthday. He fought a war, raised a family and helped to build a strong United States of America. His legacy to us after his long and fruitful life is freedom. "Where do we get such men?"