World War II 1941 - 1945

FINN, JOHN WILLIAM

Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Place and date: Naval

Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Territory of Hawaii, 7 December 1941. En-

tered service at: California. Born: 23 July 1909, Los Angeles, Calif.

Citation: For extraordinary heroism distinguished service, and devotion

above and beyond the call of duty. During the first attack by Japanese

airplanes on the Naval Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, on 7 December 1941,

Lt. Finn promptly secured and manned a .50-caliber machinegun mounted

on an instruction stand in a completely exposed section of the parking

ramp, which was under heavy enemy machinegun strafing fire. Although

painfully wounded many times, he continued to man this gun and to return

the enemy's fire vigorously and with telling effect throughout the enemy

strafing and bombing attacks and with complete disregard for his own per-

sonal safety. It was only by specific orders that he was persuaded to leave

his post to seek medical attention. Following first-aid treatment, although

obviously suffering much pain and moving with great difficulty, he return-

ed to the squadron area and actively supervised the rearming of returning

planes. His extraordinary heroism and conduct in this action were in keep-

ing with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

As a note of interest, Lt. Finn at the time of his action was an AOC.

* PETERSON, OSCAR VERNER

Rank and organization: Chief Watertender, U.S. Navy. Born: 27 Aug-

ust 1899, Prentice, Wis. Accredited to: Wisconsin. Citation: For extra-

ordinary courage and conspicuous heroism above and beyond the call of

duty while in charge of a repair party during an attack on the U.S.S. NEO-

SHO by enemy Japanese aerial forces on 7 May 1942. Lacking assistance

because of injuries to the other members of his repair party and severely

wounded himself, Peterson, with no concern for his own life, closed the

bulkhead stop valves and in so doing received additional burns which re-

sulted in his death. His spirit of self-sacrifice and loyalty, characteristic

of a fine seaman, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S.

Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.

*REEVES, THOMAS J.

Rank and organization: Radio Electrician (Warrant Officer) U.S. Navy.

Born: 9 December 1895, Thomaston, Conn. Accredited to: Connecticut.

Citation: For distinguished conduct in the line of his profession,

extraordinary courage and disregard of his own safety during the

attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, by Japanese forces on 7 December

1941. After the mechanized ammunition hoists were put out of action

in the U.S.S. California, Reeves, on his own initiative, in a burning

passageway, assisted in the maintenance of an ammunition supply by

hand to the antiaircraft guns until he was overcome by smoke and fire,

which resulted in his death.

As a note of interest, Warrant Officer REEVES at the time of his action was an RMC.

* TOMICH, PETER

Rank and organization: Chief Watertender, U.S. Navy. Born: 3 June

1893, Prolog, Austria. Accredited to: New Jersey. Citation: For distin-

guished conduct in the line of his profession, and extraordinary courage

and disregard of his own safety, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl

Harbor by the Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. Although realizing

that the ship was capsizing, as a result of enemy bombing and torpedoing,

Tomich remained at his post in the engineering plant of the U.S.S. UTAH,

until he saw that all boilers were secured and all fireroom personnel had

left their stations, and by so doing lost his own life.