Ben L. Salomon
Benjamin L. Salomon | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 1, 1914 Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Died | July 7, 1944 (aged 29) Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, South Pacific Mandate |
| Place of burial | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1940–1944 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 2nd Battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment 27th Infantry Division |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Benjamin Lewis Salomon (September 1, 1914 – July 7, 1944) was a United States Army dentist during World War II, assigned as a front-line surgeon. During the Battle of Saipan, when the Japanese started overrunning his hospital, he stood a rear-guard action in which he had no hope of personal survival, allowing the safe evacuation of the wounded, killing as many as 98 enemy troops before being killed himself. In 2002, Salomon posthumously received the Medal of Honor. He is one of only three dental officers to have received the medal, the others being Alexander Gordon Lyle and Weedon Osborne, and is one of three Jewish American soldiers who received the medal for World War II.