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Submarine Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients
Submariners
Capt. John Cohoon
Honor on display as sub vets visit here
By Capt. John Cohoon
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay commanding officer
In the Navy, ''honor'' is the first virtue of our Core Values - Honor, Courage, and Commitment - and it requires us to ''fulfill or exceed our legal and ethical responsibilities in our public and professional lives 24 hours a day.'' In other words, we must conduct ourselves in the highest ethical manner in all relationships with peers, subordinates, and superiors.
We often hear the word honor used in the Navy and other organizations: ''He or she served with honor,'' ''on my honor,'' ''honor thy father and mother,'' ''the president awards the Medal of Honor ...'' It is fitting to mention the Medal of Honor in this discussion because people who receive it exceed their legal and ethical responsibility to help others during the most dire circumstances.
Let us take a look at a Medal of Honor citation:
''For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the USS Barb during her 11th war patrol along the east coast of China from 19 December 1944 to 15 February 1945. After sinking a large enemy ammunition ship and damaging additional tonnage during a running two-hour night battle on 8 January, Cmdr. Fluckey, in an exceptional feat of brilliant deduction and bold tracking on 25 January, located a concentration of more than 30 enemy ships in the lower reaches of Nankuan Chiang (Mamkwan Harbor). Fully aware that a safe retirement would necessitate an hour's run at full speed through the uncharted, mined, and rock-obstructed waters, he bravely ordered, ''Battle station - torpedoes!''
In a daring penetration of the heavy enemy screen, and riding in five fathoms of water, he launched the Barb's last forward torpedoes at 3,000-yard range. Quickly bringing the ship's stern tubes to bear, he turned loose four more torpedoes into the enemy, obtaining eight direct hits on six of the main targets to explode a large ammunition ship and cause inestimable damage by the resultant flying shells and other pyrotechnics. Clearing the treacherous area at high speed, he brought the Barb through to safety and four days later sank a large Japanese freighter to complete a record of heroic combat achievement, reflecting the highest credit upon Cmdr. Fluckey, his gallant officers and men, and the U.S. Naval Service.''
It is especially fitting to tie honor to a submarine analogy because we are hosting the Submarine Veterans of World War II reunion (see Page 1) here this week. These heroes served with honor under the most arduous and challenging conditions. If you have a chance, meet and talk with them and listen to their testimonial about danger, courage, and heroic deeds - all tenets that underscore their honorable service.
While the Medal of Honor certainly accounts for honorable action, most of us will never have to prove ourselves in such a high profile way as did these medal recipients or our World war II submarine veterans. Honor, though, does not always have to be demonstrated in large chunks. As we think about honor, about being truthful and honest, about fulfilling our responsibilities, about being accountable for our personal and professional behavior - 24/7 - we must always be mindful of the privilege to serve our fellow Americans!
Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Henry Breault
Submariners Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients
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