US Navy Rear Admiral, World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. He received the award from President Franklin Roosevelt at the White House on January 5, 1943, for his actions as a lieutenant commander damage control officer of the cruiser USS San Francisco on November 12-13, 1942, at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific during World War II. He received an appointment to the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland and graduated in June 1925. Prior to World War II, he served sea duty on the light cruiser USS Milwaukee, the battleship USS Utah, and shore duty at the US Naval Torpedo Station at Newport, Rhode Island and Chief of Staff at the US Naval Training and Distribution Center at Treasure Island, California. After the US entered World War II in December 1941, he was assigned to the cruiser USS San Francisco and sent to the South Pacific Theater of Operations where he participated in combat during the Battle of Guadalcanal. During the engagement, his ship had taken 85 hits by enemy aircraft and was leaking badly. He initiated action to open the hatches and arranged for all the bilge pumps to begin operating a full capacity. His action prevented the ship from sinking, keeping it afloat, and brought it back to port at Mare Island, California under its own power. Following the end of World War II, he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral and retired in January 1947 with 22 years of military service. In addition to the Medal of Honor, he received the US Navy Presidential Unit Citation, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. Following his retirement, he taught for several years at the University of Santa Clara and was principal of the Drew School in San Francisco before moving to New London, Connecticut in 1958, where he died at the age of 84. His Medal of Honor citation reads: " For extreme heroism and courage above and beyond the call of duty as damage control officer of the U.S.S. San Francisco in action against greatly superior enemy forces in the battle off Savo Island, 12-13 November 1942. In the same violent night engagement in which all of his superior officers were killed or wounded, Lt. Comdr. Schonland was fighting valiantly to free the San Francisco of large quantities of water flooding the second deck compartments through numerous shell holes caused by enemy fire. Upon being informed that he was commanding officer, he ascertained that the conning of the ship was being efficiently handled, then directed the officer who had taken over that task to continue while he himself resumed the vitally important work of maintaining the stability of the ship. In water waist deep, he carried on his efforts in darkness illuminated only by hand lanterns until water in flooded compartments had been drained or pumped off and watertight integrity had again been restored to the San Francisco. His great personal valor and gallant devotion to duty at great peril to his own life were instrumental in bringing his ship back to port under her own power, saved to fight again in the service of her country." The US Navy Surface Warfare Officer School's Damage Control School in Newport, Rhode Island was named Schonland Hall in his honor.