From the man who led the evacuation of the USS Arizona to the fighter pilot taking to the skies in pajamas, there were servicemen and civilians who distinguished themselves on one of the darkest days in American military history. These are but a few of the extraordinary acts of bravery and service.
Samuel Fuqua
(Credit: U.S. Naval Historical Center)
Missouri-born Samuel Fuqua had a front row seat to the devastation at Pearl Harbor from aboard the USS Arizona, a battleship heavily bombed during the first wave of the attack. The 42-year-old Lieutenant Commander was having breakfast when the ship’s air raid sirens first sounded at 7:55 a.m. Immediately rushing to the quarterdeck, he was strafed by enemy fire and incapacitated by a bomb falling mere feet from his position. Though dazed, Fuqua jumped to his feet upon regaining consciousness to begin directing firefighting operations. Moments later, he became the Arizona’s…
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