Captain Cassin Young, 1916-1942

Served aboard battleship Connecticut through World War I, and then in submarines.  He was Communications Officer aboard battleship New York, commanded destroyer Evans and later was the Commanding Officer of auxiliary Vestal moored outboard of Arizona at Pearl Harbor.  During the attack, he took personal charge of an anti-aircraft gun until the Arizona blast blew him overboard.  Swimming back to his ship, and although wounded, he maneuvered his ship clear of Arizona, saving it and earning the Medal of Honor.  He was subsequently the Commanding Officer of the cruiser San Francisco and was killed in action off Savo Island on November 13, 1942.  During the latter battle, he guided his ship in action with a superior Japanese force and was killed by enemy shells while closely engaging the battleship Hiei. Captain Young was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during the campaign and San Francisco received the Presidential Unit Citation.

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