World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
William Rea Furlong
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Hometown
Allenport, Pennsylvania
Honored By
Pearl Thomas
Served as Rear Admiral. He was present at the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941, when he was on board his flagship, the minelayer USS Oglala, when it capsized after being strafed and torpedoed by the Japanese. From December 12, 1941 to nearly the end of the war, he was commander of the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard and was charged with salvaging and repairing ships sunk during the Japanese attack and returning them for use in the Pacific war. He oversaw the righting of the battleship USS Oklahoma. Awarded the Legion of Merit with a Gold Star.