World War II Honoree

John Rauschkolb

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Bellville, Illinois

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

He proudly served his country when he enlisted at 17 in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He was serving aboard the battleship USS West Virginia when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He was on the signal bridge when the attack began. He watched as Japanese planes hit the ship with six torpedoes and two bombs. He moved to the starboard side and was strafed by Japanese Zero machine guns and he dove for cover. He then dove overboard and swam under water to avoid the burning oil on the surface. He swam to the USS Tennessee where he helped to extinguish fires and rescued a friend. Later he was dispatched to the USS Arizona where he assisted in recovering bodies. After Pearl Harbor he was assigned to the USS Raleigh. Light cruiser, where he spent the rest of the war patrolling the Pacific and the Aleutian Islands.