Thursday, July 20 was a special day for Donald Stratton, Lauren Bruner, and Joe Ann Taylor, the daughter of Joe George. The three veterans are all survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack that took place on December 7 in 1941. The attack resulted in tremendous losses for U.S. Pacific Fleet. USS Arizona took hardest hit and lost almost off of her crewmen; 1,177 of the 1,512 crewmen died during the attack when the ammunition magazines exploded.
Stratton and Bruner have George to thank for being alive today, as the man disobeyed orders and refused to cut the rope that connected USS Arizona and USS Vestal, where George was a crewman. Instead, George threw a weighted heaving line – a decision that saved six lived in total that day. Unfortunately, the heroic actions of George were unknown to the world for almost 50 years and he died in 1996 before getting official recognition.
A ceremony was held by U.S. Money Reserve and U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation to commemorate the attack on Pearl Harbor. During the ceremony all three veterans were awarded with a 5 oz. Pearl Harbor Silver Coin. This government-issued silver coin was minted by the U.S. Money Reserve in limited quantities in order to remember and honor the anniversary. Every silver coin in the Pearl Harbor coin collection is plated in 99.9% silver with the 75th anniversary privy mark plated in 24K gold. The obverse side of each Pearl Harbor coin features an official portrait of Her Majesty Elizabeth II.
George’s daughter, Joe Ann Taylor, attended the ceremony and received the Silver Coin on behalf of her father. She expressed her gratitude for getting a token to remember her father’s heroic past and keep his memory alive.
The president of, Philip N. Diehl, and the CEO of U.S. Money Reserve, Angela Koch, both expressed how much U.S. Money Reserve commends and supports the brave men and women who serve their country, and what an honor it was to meet the survivors of USS Arizona and Joe Ann Taylor. To further commemorate those who bravely lost their lives fighting in Pearl Harbor, U.S. Money Reserve partnered with U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation to help fund a Lone Sailor Statue. It was proposed that the statute should be constructed with metal from the USS Arizona and to be raised at Pearl Harbor on October 13, 2017, the U.S. Navy’s official birthday.
About U.S. Money Reserve
U.S. Money Reserve is one of the largest distributors of US government-issued silver, gold and platinum coins in the United States and has more than 400,000 clients. It’s the only gold company led by a former U.S. Mint Director. Philip N. Diehl, who has been the president of U.S. Money Reserve since 2014, is recognized as America’s most influential luminaries and has been making sure the company stays true to its original goal.
When U.S. Money Reserve was created in 2001, the founders recognized the need customers had for qualified guidance when purchasing precious coins. Today, U.S. Money Reserve has won several awards and certifications for its services that range from inventory management, coin research to the fastest shipping in the industry.
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