World War II Honoree

Cassin Young

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

District Of Columbia

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

WAS AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. COMMANDER, U.S. NAVY. APPOINTED FROM: WISCONSIN. OTHER NAVY AWARD: NAVY CROSS. 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 USS 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 ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN. WHEN BLOWN OVERBOARD BY THE BLAST OF THE FORWARD MAGAZINE EXPLOSION OF THE USS ARIZONA, TO WHICH THE USS VESTAL WAS MOORED, HE SWAM BACK TO HIS SHIP. THE ENTIRE FORWARD PART OF THE USS ARIZONA WAS A BLAZING INFERNO WITH OIL AFIRE ON THE WATER BETWEEN THE 2 SHIPS; AS A RESULT OF SEVERAL BOMB HITS, THE USS 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 USS ARIZONA, AND SUBSEQUENTLY BEACHED THE USS VESTAL UPON DETERMINING THAT SUCH ACTION WAS REQUIRED TO SAVE HIS SHIP.