Henry W. Tucker

Henry W. Tucker (1919–1942) was a United States Navy sailor who received the Navy Cross for his actions during World War II.

Naval career

Henry Warren Tucker was born on 5 October 1919 in Birmingham, Alabama. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve on 24 June 1941 and, after being trained as a pharmacist's mate, reported to the oiler USS Neosho (AO-23) on 15 January 1942.

On 7 May 1942, in the opening phase of the Battle of the Coral Sea, Neosho and her escorting destroyer, USS Sims (DD-409), were attacked by three waves of Japanese carrier planes after the Japanese mistook Neosho for an aircraft carrier and Sims for an escorting cruiser. Sims was sunk and Neosho so severely damaged that her commanding officer ordered all hands to prepare to abandon ship.

Many of Neosho's crew, believing in error that "abandon ship" orders had actually been given, went over the side at once. As the men struggled through the water trying to reach the few undamaged life rafts, Tucker swam among them, treating the burned and wounded. Disregarding his own safety, he helped many of his shipmates to safety on the life rafts while refusing a place himself, at the cost of his life.

For his gallant and devoted service to his wounded comrades, Tucker was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously.

Commemoration

The U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Henry W. Tucker (DE-377) was named for Pharmacist's Mate Third Class Tucker during World War II. When the destroyer escort's construction was cancelled in 1944 prior to completion, the name was transferred to the destroyer USS Henry W. Tucker (DD-875), which was in commission from 1945 to 1973.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.