Frank William Crilley Frank William Crilley ( September 13 , 1883 – November 23 , 1947 ) was a United States Navy diver and a recipient of the United States military ' s highest decoration , the Medal of Honor . Biography . Crilley was born in Trenton , New Jersey , on September 13 , 1883 . After enlisting in the U . S . Navy in March 1900 , he became a gunner ' s mate and received additional training as a diver . On April 17 , 1915 , Crilley , by then a chief gunner ' s mate , participated in a dive to inspect the wreck of the submarine in preparation for a salvage operation . The " F - 4 " had sunk weeks earlier in of water off the coast of Honolulu , Hawaii . Another diver , Chief Gunner ' s Mate William F . Loughman , became trapped underwater while returning to the surface after examining one of the " F - 4 ' s " hawser s . Loughman ' s lifeline and air hose became tangled in the hawser , preventing him from either ascending or descending . Crilley voluntarily dove down and untangled the lines , allowing Loughman to be pulled to safety . For these actions , he was awarded the Medal of Honor thirteen years later , on November 19 , 1928 . In 1917 , Crilley was appointed to the warrant officer rank of Gunner ( T ) , and in February 1918 became an ensign in the Naval Reserve . He commanded in 1919 and left active duty in July of that year . In the mid - 1920s , he was involved with salvaging , and returned to active naval service in 1927 - 28 to work on the recovery of . He was awarded the Navy ' s second - highest decoration , the Navy Cross , for his actions as a diver during that operation . In 1931 , Crilley served as second officer and master diver during the Arctic expedition of the civilian submarine " Nautilus " ( previously known as ) . Also in 1931 , he assisted with the salvage of . Transferred to the retired list in May 1932 , he was again employed on Navy work in 1939 , during the salvage of . Crilley died at the Naval Hospital in Brooklyn , New York , on November 23 , 1947 . Namesake . The salvage ship was named in his honor . The Frank W . Crilley building , located at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington , D . C . is named in his honor . Medal of Honor citation . Crilley ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : For display of extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession above and beyond the call of duty during the diving operations in connection with the sinking in a depth of water 304 feet , of the U . S . S . " F - 4 " with all on board , as a result of loss of depth control , which occurred off Honolulu , T . H . , on 25 March 1915 . On 17 April 1915 , William F . Loughman , chief gunner ' s mate , U . S . Navy , who had descended to the wreck and had examined one of the wire hawsers attached to it , upon starting his ascent , and when at a depth of 250 feet beneath the surface of the water , had his lifeline and air hose so badly fouled by this hawser that he was unable to free himself ; he could neither ascend nor descend . On account of the length of time that Loughman had already been subjected to the great pressure due to the depth of water , and of the uncertainty of the additional time he would have to be subjected to this pressure before he could be brought to the surface , it was imperative that steps be taken at once to clear him . Instantly , realizing the desperate case of his comrade , Crilley volunteered to go to his aid , immediately donned a diving suit and descended . After a lapse of time of 2 hours and 11 minutes , Crilley was brought to the surface , having by a superb exhibition of skill , coolness , endurance and fortitude , untangled the snarl of lines and cleared his imperiled comrade , so that he was brought , still alive , to the surface . Navy Cross citation . Citation : The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Chief Gunner ' s Mate Frank William Crilley , United States Navy , for extraordinary heroism and fearless devotion to duty during the diving operations in connection with the salvage of the U . S . S . S - 4 , sunk as a result of a collision off Provincetown , Massachusetts , 17 December 1927 . During the period 17 December 1927 to 17 March 1928 , on which latter date the ill - fated vessel was raised , Chief Gunner ' s Mate Crilley , under the most adverse weather conditions , at the risk of his life , descended many times into the icy waters and displayed throughout that period fortitude , skill , determination and courage which characterizes conduct above and beyond the call of duty .