Captain Cassin Young (1894 - 1942)
Cassin Young receiving his CMOH from Fleet Admiral Nimitz
Cassin Young - Congressional Medal of Honor
The President of the United States
in the name of The Congress
takes pleasure in presenting the
Medal of Honor
to
YOUNG, CASSIN
Rank and Organization: Commander, U.S. Navy. Born: 6 March 1894, Washington, D.C. 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 U.S.S. Vestal, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, by enemy Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. Comdr. Young proceeded to the bridge and later took personal command of the 3-inch antiaircraft gun. When blown overboard by the blast of the forward magazine explosion of the U.S.S. Arizona, to which the U.S.S. Vestal was moored, he swam back to his ship. The entire forward part of the U.S.S. Arizona was a blazing inferno with oil afire on the water between the 2 ships; as a result of several bomb hits, the U.S.S. Vestal was a fire 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, Comdr. Young, with extreme coolness and calmness, moved his ship to an anchorage distant from the U.S.S. Arizona, and subsequently beached the U.S.S. Vestal upon determining that such action was required to save his ship.
The 15 Medal of Honor Winners
from the attack on Pearl harbor are remembered in many different
ways including a memorial at each hole of the Naval Station Pearl
Harbor: Navy-Marine
Golf Course.
