 |
Pearl Harbor's Medal of Honor Recipients |
|
page 5
|
Pearl Harbor's Medal of Honor Recipients |
|
| Recipients of the Medal of Honor | ||||
 page 1 |
page 2 |
page 3 |
page 4 |
page 5 |
 |
FRANKLIN VAN VALKENBURGH * 5 April 1888 – 7 December 1941 Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Navy Years of service 1905 - 1941 Appointed from: Wisconsin Commands: USS Talbot (DD-114), Destroyer Squadron Five, USS Melville (AD-2), USS Arizona (BB-39) Awards: Medal of Honor, Awarded Posthumously Note: his photograph from the Naval Historical Center sent by Bill Gonyo |
|
Franklin Van Valkenburgh (5 April 1888 – 7 December 1941), born
Minneapolis, Minnesota was the last captain of the USS Arizona. He was
killed when the Arizona exploded and sank during the attack on Pearl
Harbor. Franklin Van Valkenburgh was appointed a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy on 15 September 1905 and graduated on 4 June 1909. After service in the battleship Vermont (BB-20) and in South Carolina (BB-26), Van Valkenburgh was commissioned ensign on 5 June 1911. Traveling to the Asiatic Station soon thereafter, he joined the submarine tender Rainbow (AS-7) at Olongapo, Philippine Islands, on 11 September. He reported to the gunboat Pampanga (PG-39) as executive officer on 23 June 1914 for a short tour in the southern Philippines before his detachment on 4 August. After returning to the United States, Lt. (jg.) Van Valkenburgh joined Connecticut (BB-18) on 11 November. Following postgraduate work in steam engineering at the Naval Academy in September 1915, he took further instruction in that field at Columbia University before reporting to Rhode Island (BB-17) on 2 March 1917. The entry of the United States into World War I found Van Valkenburgh serving as the battleship's engineering officer. Subsequent temporary duty in the receiving ship at New York preceded his first tour as an instructor at the Naval Academy. On 1 June 1920, Van Valkenburgh reported on board Minnesota (BB-22) for duty as engineer officer, and he held that post until the battleship was decommissioned in November 1921. He again served as an instructor at the Naval Academy - until 15 May 1925 - before he joined Maryland (BB-46) on 26 June. Commissioned commander on 2 June 1927 while in Maryland, he soon reported for duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations on 21 May 1928 and served there during the administrations of Admirals Charles F. Hughes and William V. Pratt. Detached on 28 June 1931, Van Valkenburgh received command of the destroyer Talbot (DD-114) on 10 July and commanded Destroyer Squadron 5 from 31 March 1932. After attending the Naval War College, Newport, R.I., and completing the senior course in May 1934, Comdr. Van Valkenburgh next served as inspector of naval materiel at the New York Navy Yard before going to sea again as commanding officer of Melville (AD-2) from 8 June 1936 to 11 June 1938. Promoted to captain while commanding Melville - on 23 December 1937 - he served as inspector of materiel for the 3d Naval District from 6 August 1938 to 22 January 1941. On 5 February 1941, Van Valkenburgh relieved Capt. Harold C. Train as commanding officer of Arizona (BB-39). Newly refitted at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Arizona served as flagship of Battleship Division 1 for the remainder of the year, based primarily at Pearl Harbor with two trips to the west coast. On 4 December, the battleship went to sea in company with Nevada (BB-36) and Oklahoma (BB-37) for night surface practice and, after conducting these gunnery exercises, returned to Pearl Harbor independently on the 6th to moor at berth F-7 alongside Ford Island. Both Capt. Van Valkenburgh and the embarked division commander, Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, spent the next Saturday evening, 6 December, on board. Suddenly, shortly before 08:00 on 7 December, Japanese planes roared overhead, shattering the Sunday peace and punctuating it with the explosion of bombs and the staccato hammering of machine guns. Capt. Van Valkenburgh sped forward from his cabin and arrived on the navigation bridge where he immediately began to direct his ship's defense. A quartermaster in the pilot house asked if the captain wanted to go to the conning tower -a less-exposed position in view of the Japanese strafing - but Van Valkenburgh refused to do so and continued to man a telephone, fighting for his ship's life. A violent explosion suddenly shook the ship, throwing the three occupants of the bridge - Van Valkenburgh, an ensign, and the quartermaster, to the deck, and shattering the bridge windows. Dazed and shaken, the ensign stumbled through the flames and smoke and escaped, but the others were never seen again. A continuing fire, fed by ammunition and oil, blazed for two days until finally put out on 9 December. A subsequent search recovered only Capt. Van Valkenburgh's class ring. The captain was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in gallantly fighting his ship, he directed its defense in the tragically short time allotted him. Medal of Honor Citation: "For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his own life, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor T. H., by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. As commanding officer of the U.S.S. Arizona, Captain Van Valkenburgh gallantly fought his ship until the U.S.S. Arizona blew up from magazine explosions and a direct bomb hit on the bridge which resulted in the loss of his life." In 1943, the destroyer USS Van Valkenburgh (DD-656) was named in his honor. |
|
 |
JAMES RICHARD WARD * September 10, 1921 - December 7, 1941 Rank and organization: Seaman First Class, U.S. Navy Years of service: 1940-1941 Entered service at: Springfield, Ohio Awards: Medal of Honor, Awarded Posthumously |
|
James Richard Ward (10 September 1921 – 7 December 1941) was born in
Springfield, Ohio. He enlisted in the United States Navy at Cincinnati,
Ohio, on 25 November 1940. After basic training, he reported on board
the battleship Oklahoma (BB-37). When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Oklahoma took three torpedoes soon after the attack began. She listed dangerously, and it was soon apparent that she would capsize. The order was given to abandon ship, but Seaman First Class Ward remained in a turret holding a flashlight, thus sacrificing his own life to permit other members of the crew to escape. For his heroism at that time, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Medal of Honor Citation: "For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. When it was seen that the U.S.S. Oklahoma was going to capsize and the order was given to abandon ship, Ward remained in a turret holding a flashlight so the remainder of the turret crew could see to escape, thereby sacrificing his own life." In 1943, the destroyer escort USS J. Richard Ward (DE-243), was named in honor of Seaman First Class Ward. |
|
 |
CASSIN YOUNG March 6, 1894 - November 13, 1942 Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy Appointed from: Wisconsin Place of death: killed in action in Guadalcanal Awards: Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Awarded Posthumously |
|
Cassin Young (March 6, 1894 – November 13, 1942) was an officer of the
United States Navy who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism
during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Young was born in Washington, D.C., on March 6, 1894. After graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy on June 3, 1916, he served on the battleship Connecticut (BB-18) into 1919, then spent several years in submarines. During that period, he commanded the Submarines R-23 and R-2. During the mid and late 1920s, he served in Naval Communications on the staff of Commander Submarine Divisions, Battle Fleet, and at the Naval Academy. During 1931–33, Lieutenant Commander Young served on the battleship New York (BB-34). He was subsequently awarded command of the destroyer Evans (DD-78) and was assigned to the Eleventh Naval District in 1935–37. After promotion to the rank of Commander, he commanded Submarine Division Seven and was stationed at Naval Submarine Base New London, in Groton, Connecticut. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, he was Commanding Officer of the repair ship Vestal (AR-4), which was badly damaged by enemy bombs and the explosion of the battleship Arizona (BB-39). Commander Young rapidly organized offensive action, personally taking charge of one of Vestal's antiaircraft guns. When Arizona's forward magazine exploded, the blast blew Young overboard. Although stunned, he was determined to save his ship by getting her away from the blazing Arizona. Swimming back to Vestal, which was already damaged and about to be further damaged, Young got her underway and beached her, thus insuring her later salvage. His heroism was recognized with the Medal of Honor. Promoted to Captain in February 1942, he later was given command of the heavy cruiser San Francisco (CA-38). In the Solomon Islands campaign, Captain Young commanded San Francisco in the Battle of Cape Esperance and the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal with great distinction. On 13 November 1942, during the latter battle, he guided his ship in action with a superior Japanese force and was killed by enemy shells while closely engaging the battleship Hiei. Captain Young was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during the campaign and San Francisco received the Presidential Unit Citation. Medal of Honor citation: "For distinguished conduct in action, outstanding heroism and utter disregard of his own safety, above and beyond the call of duty, as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. Vestal, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, by enemy Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. Commander Young proceeded to the bridge and later took personal command of the 3-inch antiaircraft gun. When blown overboard by the blast of the forward magazine explosion of the U.S.S. Arizona, to which the U.S.S. Vestal was moored, he swam back to his ship. The entire forward part of the U.S.S. Arizona was a blazing inferno with oil afire on the water between the two ships; as a result of several bomb hits, the U.S.S. Vestal was afire in several places, was settling and taking on a list. Despite severe enemy bombing and strafing at the time, and his shocking experience of having been blown overboard, Commander Young, with extreme coolness and calmness, moved his ship to an anchorage distant from the U.S.S. Arizona, and subsequently beached the U.S.S. Vestal upon determining that such action was required to save his ship." In 1943, the destroyer USS Cassin Young (DD-793) was named in his honor. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships <http://history.navy.mil/danfs/c4/cassin_young.htm> Naval Historical Center's bio of Cassin Young <http://history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-xz/c-young.htm> |
|
| Recipients of the Medal of Honor | ||||
| page 1 |
page 2 |
page 3 |
page 4 |
page 5 |
| Pearl Harbor Links |
| Pearl Harbor and Pictures |
| Pearl Harbor Casualties |
| More Pearl Harbor Pictures |
| Medal of Honor Recipients |
 back to Pearl Harbor index |
back to WWII index |