PROVO — The Brigham Young University Saints at War Project will host a Veterans Day lecture featuring George Whalen, the only living Utahn and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to have received the Medal of Honor for his service in World War II.

The lecture will be Friday at 11 a.m. in the Joseph Smith Building Auditorium.

Whalen will share the story of his service during World War II, including the events surrounding his heroic actions as a medic in the Marine Corps that earned him the United States' highest military commendation.

Whalen received the Medal of Honor from President Harry S. Truman in 1945.

At Iwo Jima, Wahlen's unit suffered the highest killed-in-action ratio of any company in Marine Corps history. As a corpsman, his job was to give medical aid to the wounded beyond the lines. Wahlen stayed on the battlefield saving others after he had been hit several times.

For nearly six decades, he has said, he tried to forget Iwo Jima and its painful memories — any talk of him being a hero made him cringe. But he recently broke his silence and told the stories in his biography, "The Quiet Hero."

The Saints at War Project invites anyone with experiences to share from any of the wars of the 20th and 21st centuries to contact the organization. Call 801-422-2484, e-mail saintsatwar@byu.edu or visit saintsatwar.org for more information. The public is welcome to attend.