Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant Commander

Unit:

Destroyer Escort U.S.S. Eugene E. Elmore (DE-686)

Citation:
"For extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the Destroyer Escort U.S.S. Eugene E. Elmore (DE-686), in action against an enemy submarine in the Atlantic War Area on 29 May 1944. Conning his ship with daring and skill, Commander Conkey engaged a German submarine and struck heavily and effectively throughout the aggressive action to secure a decisive victory. In the concentrated night action in which U.S.S. Block Island was sunk and U.S.S. Barr torpedoed, he detected U-549 in the act of firing a third torpedo at the crippled aircraft carrier and unhesitatingly maneuvered to ram, forcing the enemy to break off the attack. After the submarine submerged, he avoided a torpedo launched at his vessel and immediately assumed the offensive against the U-boat, which was in a favorable position to launch torpedoes at our vulnerable ships engaged in rescuing 951 survivors of the stricken carrier. Skillfully taking over contact on the enemy submarine reported by one of the rescue destroyer escorts, Commander Conkey delivered four separate aggressive underwater attacks, resulting in the sinking of U-549. He then went to the rescue of the badly damaged U.S.S. Barr, taking off half of her crew and towing the destroyer escort back to port. Through his outstanding courage and professional skill Commander Conkey was directly instrumental in saving three vessels from probable torpedoing, in preventing the sinking of one destroyer escort, in making possible the rescue of 951 survivors, and in destroying and enemy submarine. His heroic actions throughout were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."