Robert Nett; earned Medal of Honor

COLUMBUS, Ga.-- Colonel Robert B. Nett, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in combat in the Philippines during World War II and later served in the Korean War and Vietnam, has died. He was 86.

Elsie Jackson, Fort Benning spokeswoman, said Nett died Sunday after a brief illness.

Colonel Nett, a New Haven native who enlisted in the Connecticut National Guard in 1940, was sent into combat on Christmas Island shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was soon sent to Fort Benning and graduated from Officer Candidate School in 1942.

Colonel Nett was a company commander in December 1944, when he led an assault on a Japanese stronghold. He was seriously wounded three times during the attack but killed seven enemy soldiers with his rifle and bayonet. He later rejoined his unit and fought on Okinawa.

He helped train South Korean soldiers during the Korean War and was an adviser to Vietnamese troops during the war in Vietnam. After 33 years of military service, Colonel Nett retired and spent 17 years as a teacher in the Columbus school system.

Colonel Nett was inducted into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame in 2007, and the leadership hall at Camp Rell, built in 2004, bears his name.

"Colonel Nett served bravely and honorably throughout his distinguished career," Governor M. Jodi Rell of Connecticut said. "His contributions to his fellow soldiers and community are the hallmarks of dedication. Connecticut is justifiably proud of this native son."

Colonel Nett leaves his wife, Frances, and a son, Dr. Robert Nett Jr.

A funeral service is scheduled for today at 10 a.m. in Fort Benning's Follow Me Chapel, with burial in the post cemetery.