World War II Honoree

Samuel Glenn Fuqua

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Laddonia, Missouri

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. CAPTAIN, U.S. NAVY, USS ARIZONA BB-39. PLACE AND DATE: PEARL HARBOR, TERRITORY OF HAWAII ON DECEMBER 7, 1941. ENTERED SERVICE AT: LADDONIA, MISSOURI. CITATION: 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 DECEMBER 7, 1941. UPON THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE ATTACK, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER. FUQUA RUSHED TO THE QUARTERDECK OF THE USS 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 JUDGMENT THAT IT INSPIRED EVERYONE WHO SAW HIM AND UNDOUBTEDLY RESULTED IN THE SAVING OF MANY LIVES. AFTER REALIZING THE SHIP COULD NOT BE SAVED AND THAT HE WAS THE SENIOR SURVIVING OFFICER ABOARD, HE DIRECTED IT TO BE ABANDONED, BUT CONTINUED TO REMAIN ON THE QUARTERDECK AND DIRECTED ABANDONING SHIP AND RESCUE OF PERSONNEL UNTIL SATISFIED THAT ALL PERSONNEL THAT COULD BE HAD BEEN SAVED, AFTER WHICH HE LEFT HIS SHIP WITH THE 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.