Donald K . Ross Donald Kirby Ross ( December 8 , 1910 – May 27 , 1992 ) was an officer of the United States Navy who received the first Medal of Honor of World War II . This award was made for his actions during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 . Early career . Ross was born on December 8 , 1910 , in Beverly , Kansas . He enlisted in the U . S . Navy in Denver , Colorado , on June 3 , 1929 , and graduated as company honorman from basic training at Naval Station San Diego . He completed Machinist Mate School at Norfolk , Virginia , first in his class and was assigned to the on a China service run . While serving aboard the hospital ship , Ross saw his first action ( with the U . S . Marines ) in Nicaragua in 1931 . Advancing through the rates on the minesweeper , destroyer and cruiser , he attained the rank of warrant officer machinist in October 1940 , and was assigned to the battleship . World War II and post - war career . During the December 7 , 1941 , Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , " Nevada " was badly damaged by bombs and torpedo es . Ross distinguished himself by assuming responsibility to furnish power to get the ship underway — the only battleship to do so during the Japanese attack . When the forward dynamo room where he was stationed filled with smoke and steam , he ordered his men to leave and continued servicing the dynamo himself until being blinded and falling unconscious . Upon being rescued and resuscitated , he went back to secure the forward dynamo , then worked in the aft dynamo room until losing consciousness a second time due to exhaustion . After waking , he again returned to his duties until " Nevada " was beached . His actions kept the ship under power , preventing it from sinking in the channel and blocking other ships in the harbor . Despite his impaired eyesight , Ross refused hospitalization and instead helped with rescue efforts . He entered a hospital three days after the attack , and his vision returned to normal after three weeks . He returned to " Nevada " , December 17 , 1941 , remaining ship ' s company for the duration . For these actions , he was presented with the Medal of Honor by Admiral Chester Nimitz on April 18 , 1942 , becoming the first person to receive the medal in World War II . Ross was promoted to chief warrant machinist in March 1942 and was commissioned an ensign in June 1942 . Later in the war , he also participated on " Nevada " in the landings at Normandy and Southern France . He rose steadily in temporary rank to lieutenant commander by the end of the war , reverting to lieutenant at its conclusion . He again received promotion to lieutenant commander in 1949 and to commander in November 1954 . Upon his retirement from active duty in July 1956 , after twenty - seven years ' of service aboard every type of surface ship then afloat , he was promoted to captain on the basis of his combat awards . Later years and legacy . After leaving the Navy , Ross settled in Port Orchard , Washington , and ran a dairy farm . He and his wife , Helen , had four children : Fred , Robert , Penny , and Donna . He wrote a book about his fellow Medal of Honor recipients — " Men of Valor " — published in 1980 . Ross attended 50th Anniversary ceremonies at Pearl Harbor on December 7 , 1991 , during which a memorial was dedicated to his old ship , the USS " Nevada " . Ross died of a heart attack in Bremerton , Washington , on May 27 , 1992 , at age 81 . His ashes were scattered at sea over the USS " Nevada " . In 1997 , the guided - missile destroyer was named in his honor . Medal of Honor citation . Ross ' official Medal of Honor citation reads : For distinguished conduct in the line of his profession , extraordinary courage and disregard of his own life during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor , Territory of Hawaii , by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941 . When his station in the forward dynamo room of the U . S . S . Nevada became almost untenable due to smoke , steam , and heat , Machinist Ross forced his men to leave that station and performed all the duties himself until blinded and unconscious . Upon being rescued and resuscitated , he returned and secured the forward dynamo room and proceeded to the after dynamo room where he was later again rendered unconscious by exhaustion . Again recovering consciousness he returned to his station where he remained until directed to abandon it .