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Pearl Harbor's Medal of Honor Recipients |
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Pearl Harbor's Medal of Honor Recipients |
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| Recipients of the Medal of Honor | ||||
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SAMUEL GLENN FUQUA
15 October 1899 – 27 January 1987 Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Arizona. Years of service: 1919 - 1953 Entered service at: Laddonia, Mo Ending Rank: Rear Admiral Serving on: USS Arizona (BB-39), USS Macdonough (DD-331), USS Mississippi (BB-41), USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) Commands: USS Bittern, USS Dixie (AD-14) Awards: Medal of Honor |
| Samuel Glenn
Fuqua (15 October 1899 – 27 January 1987) was a United States Navy
officer and a recipient of America's highest military decoration - the
Medal of Honor - for his actions in World War II. Samuel Fuqua entered the United States Naval Academy in July 1919, after a year at the University of Missouri and World War I service in the Army. Following graduation and commissioning in June 1923, he served in the battleship Arizona, destroyer Macdonough and battleship Mississippi before receiving shore duty at San Francisco, California, from 1930 to 1932. Lieutenant Fuqua served in other ships and shore stations during the mid-1930s, and was commanding officer of the minesweeper Bittern in the Asiatic Fleet in 1937-39. After service at the Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Illinois, from 1939 to 1941, Lieutenant Commander Fuqua returned to USS Arizona as the ship's Damage Control Officer and First Lieutenant, and was on board her during Japan's 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Though knocked unconscious by a bomb that hit the ship's stern early in the attack, he subsequently directed fire fighting and rescue efforts. After the ship's forward magazines exploded, he was her senior surviving officer and was responsible for saving her remaining crewmen. For his actions at that time, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Lieutenant Commander Fuqua's official Medal of Honor citation reads: "For distinguished conduct in action, outstanding heroism, and utter disregard of his own safety, above and beyond the call of duty during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. Upon the commencement of the attack, Lieutenant Commander Fuqua rushed to the quarterdeck of the U.S.S. Arizona to which he was attached where he was stunned and knocked down by the explosion of a large bomb which hit the quarterdeck, penetrated several decks, and started a severe fire. Upon regaining consciousness, he began to direct the fighting of the fire and the rescue of wounded and injured personnel. Almost immediately there was a tremendous explosion forward, which made the ship appear to rise out of the water, shudder and settle down by the bow rapidly. The whole forward part of the ship was enveloped in flames which were spreading rapidly, and wounded and burned men were pouring out of the ship to the quarterdeck. Despite these conditions, his harrowing experience, and severe enemy bombing and strafing, at the time, Lieutenant Commander Fuqua continued to direct the fighting of fires in order to check them while the wounded and burned could be taken from the ship, and supervised the rescue of these men in such an amazingly calm and cool manner and with such excellent judgement, that it inspired everyone who saw him and undoubtedly resulted in the saving of many lives. After realizing that the ship could not be saved and that he was the senior surviving officer aboard, he directed that it be abandoned, but continued to remain on the quarterdeck and directed abandoning ship and rescue of personnel until satisified that all personnel that could be had been saved, after which he left the ship with the (last) boatload. The conduct of Lieutenant Commander Fuqua was not only in keeping with the highest traditions of the Naval Service but characterizes him as an outstanding leader of men." During most of 1942, Fuqua was an officer of the cruiser Tuscaloosa. From 1943 to 1944, he was assigned to duty at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and attended the Naval War College. Captain Fuqua was Operations Officer for Commander Seventh Fleet from January to August, 1945, helping to plan and execute several amphibious operations in the Philippines and Borneo area. Following the War, he served in other staff positions, and from 1949 to 1950 commanded the destroyer tender Dixie. After service as Chief of Staff of the Eighth Naval District, he retired from active duty in July 1953, receiving at that time the rank of Rear Admiral on the basis of his combat awards. |
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EDWIN JOSEPH HILL * October 4, 1894 - December 7, 1941 Rank and organization: Chief Boatswain (Chief Petty Officer), U.S. Navy. Years of service: 1912-1941 Accredited to: Pennsylvania. Place of death: Killed during the Attack on Pearl Harbor Awards: Medal of Honor, Awarded Posthumously |
| Edwin Joseph Hill was born
4 October 1894 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and enlisted in the United
States Navy in 1912, rising to the rank of Chief Boatswain. During the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he was serving on board USS Nevada (BB-36). In the midst of the attack, he led the ship's line-handling detail in casting off from the quays alongside Ford Island so that Nevada could get underway. He was killed by enemy bombs while attempting to drop anchor at the end of the battleship's brief sortie. For his heroism during the Pearl Harbor action, Chief Boatswain Hill was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Medal of Honor citation: "For distinguished conduct in the line of his profession, extraordinary courage, and disregard of his own safety during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. During the height of the strafing and bombing, Chief Boatswain Hill led his men of the linehandling details of the U.S.S. Nevada to the quays, cast off the lines and swam back to his ship. Later, while on the forecastle, attempting to let go the anchors, he was blown overboard and killed by the explosion of several bombs. " In 1943, the destroyer escort USS Hill (DE-141) was named in his honor. |
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HERBERT CHARPOIT JONES * 21 January 1918 – 7 December 1941 Rank and organization: Ensign, U.S. Naval Reserve Years of service: 1935 – 1941 Accredited to: California Place of death: KIA on USS California (BB-44), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Awards: Medal of Honor, Awarded Posthumously Born: 1 December 1918, Los Angeles, Calif. |
| Herbert Charpiot Jones (21
January 1918 – 7 December 1941) was an officer in the United States
Navy who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Jones was born 21 January 1918 at Los Angeles, California and enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve 14 May 1935. He was commissioned Ensign 14 November 1940 and reported to the battleship California (BB-44), at Pearl Harbor 2 weeks later. On 7 December 1941, the 23-year-old Ensign was about to relieve the officer-of-the-deck on California when Japanese planes swooped in to attack. In the first wave, a torpedo and a bomb hit the ship. Ens. Jones dived into a smoke-filled hatchway and crawled along oil-slick decks to rescue a stricken sailor before being temporarily overcome by fumes. Reviving, Ensign Jones saw an antiaircraft battery without a leader and, staggering to his feet, took command. As a second wave of Japanese planes came in, the young officer fired his guns until all their ammunition was expended. Since the torpedo had put California's ammunition hoist out of action, Ens. Jones quickly organized a party of volunteers to go below and pass the ammunition up by hand. The vitally needed shells had just begun to reach the battery when a bomb hit the ship and mortally wounded him. Citation: For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage, and complete disregard of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. Ensign Jones organized and led a party, which was supplying ammunition to the antiaircraft battery of the U.S.S. California after the mechanical hoists were put out of action when he was fatally wounded by a bomb explosion. When 2 men attempted to take him from the area which was on fire, he refused to let them do so, saying in words to the effect, "Leave me alone! I am done for. Get out of here before the magazines go off." In 1943, the destroyer escort USS Herbert C. Jones (DE-137) was named in his honor. |
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| Recipients of the Medal of Honor | ||||
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