State honors Bend WWII hero; Resolution salutes Medal of Honor recipient

SALEM — When Bob Maxwell saved several men in his Army unit by jumping on a German grenade in 1944, absorbing the full blast and shrapnel with his body, nobody doubted he would deserve the Medal of Honor if he lived. On Thursday, the Oregon Legislature honored Maxwell, a Bend resident, for not only receiving the nation’s highest military honor but living to become its oldest living recipient. A concurrent resolution of the Legislature gained final approval. The vote did not include a ceremony, with the place and time of presentation to Maxwell to be determined later.