Medal of Honor Recipient. A Croatian immigrant, Peter Tomich was naturalized in 1918 and enlisted in the US Navy in 1919. Chief Petty Officer (Chief Water Tender) Tomich was in charge of the boiler room aboard the USS Utah (BB-31) at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack. After the ship was torpedoed, Peter went down the hatch, got his men out from the sinking vessel, secured the boilers, and refused to leave his post as the Utah rolled over in the water. On March 4, 1942, Tomich was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt. No one ever claimed the medal as no next of kin could be found. The medal, which has been displayed on ships and in government buildings and museums, is now being shown at the Washington Navy Yard Museum.
Medal of Honor Recipient. A Croatian immigrant, Peter Tomich was naturalized in 1918 and enlisted in the US Navy in 1919. Chief Petty Officer (Chief Water Tender) Tomich was in charge of the boiler room aboard the USS Utah (BB-31) at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack. After the ship was torpedoed, Peter went down the hatch, got his men out from the sinking vessel, secured the boilers, and refused to leave his post as the Utah rolled over in the water. On March 4, 1942, Tomich was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt. No one ever claimed the medal as no next of kin could be found. The medal, which has been displayed on ships and in government buildings and museums, is now being shown at the Washington Navy Yard Museum.
Inscription
CWT, US NAVY WORLD WAR II
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