On December 7, 1941, as Japanese forces launched their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Ensign Herbert Jones was serving aboard the battleship USS California.

When enemy bombs struck the ship, the mechanical hoists that supplied ammunition to the anti-aircraft guns were knocked out. With the vessel burning and under relentless attack, Ensign Jones stepped forward without hesitation.

He organized and led sailors in manually passing ammunition to the gun crews—keeping the California firing back as chaos erupted around them.

Fully aware of the danger, he remained at his post as bombs exploded nearby. When a blast mortally wounded him, two sailors rushed to carry him to safety.

He refused.

Knowing the fires threatened the ship’s magazines and could trigger a catastrophic explosion, he ordered them to leave him and save themselves.

His leadership helped keep the guns firing in one of the darkest hours in American naval history. In sacrificing himself, he saved the lives of his fellow sailors.

For his extraordinary heroism during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ensign Herbert Jones was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

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