Samuel G. Fuqua participant of World War I
Biography
Samuel was born October 15, 1899, a native of Laddonia, Missouri and entered the United States Naval Academy in July 1919, after a year at the University of Missouri and World War I service in the Army. Following graduation and commissioning in June 1923, he served in the battleship USS Arizona, destroyer USS Macdonough and battleship USS Mississippi before receiving shore duty at San Francisco, California, from 1930 to 1932. Lieutenant Fuqua served in other ships and shore stations during the mid-1930s, and was commanding officer of the minesweeper USS Bittern in the Asiatic Fleet in 1937–39.
After service at the Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Illinois, from 1939 to 1941, Lieutenant Commander Fuqua returned to Arizona as the ship's Damage Control Officer and first lieutenant, and was on board her during Japan's December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. Though knocked unconscious by a bomb that hit the ship's stern early in the attack, he subsequently directed fire fighting and rescue efforts. After the ship's forward magazines exploded, he was her senior surviving officer and was responsible for saving her remaining crewmen. For his actions at that time, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
During most of 1942, Fuqua was an officer of the cruiser USS Tuscaloosa and was promoted to commander. From 1943 to 1944, he was assigned to duty at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, later attended the Naval War College, and was promoted to the rank of captain.
Captain Fuqua was Operations Officer for Commander Seventh Fleet from January to August 1945, helping to plan and execute several amphibious operations in the Philippines and Borneo area. Following the war, he served in other staff positions, and from 1949 to 1950 commanded the destroyer tender USS Dixie. After service as Chief of Staff of the Eighth Naval District, he retired from active duty in July 1953, receiving at that time the rank of rear admiral on the basis of his combat awards.
He died January 27, 1987, in Decatur, Georgia, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia.Awards
Medal of Honor citation
Lieutenant Commander Fuqua's official Medal of Honor citation reads: