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Flaherty, Francis Charles

Date of birth:
March 15th, 1919 (Charlotte/Michigan, United States)
Date of death:
December 7th, 1941 (Pearl Harbor, Hawai)
Buried on:
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Nationality:
American

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Ensign
Unit:
U.S.S. Oklahoma (BB-37), U.S. Navy
Awarded on:
December 7th, 1941
Awarded for:
Operation Z (1941)
"For conspicuous devotion to duty and extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. When it was seen that the U.S.S. Oklahoma was going to capsize and the order was given to abandon ship, Ens. Flaherty remained in a turret, holding a flashlight so the remainder of the turret crew could see to escape, thereby sacrificing his own life."

Awarded posthumously
Medal of Honor - Navy/Marine Corps (MoH)

Sources

  • Photo 1: U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph
  • Photo: Naval Historical Center
  • Jordan, Kenneth N, Yesterday's Heroes, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., USA 1996.

Photo