World War II Medal of Honor recipient. He was also known as Petar Tonic. 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. His body was lost at sea and never recovered. On March 4, 1942, Mr. Tomich was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by 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. He has a Medal of Honor IN MEMORY OF cenotaph marker in All Souls Cemetery, Chardon, Ohio.
World War II Medal of Honor recipient. He was also known as Petar Tonic. 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. His body was lost at sea and never recovered. On March 4, 1942, Mr. Tomich was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by 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. He has a Medal of Honor IN MEMORY OF cenotaph marker in All Souls Cemetery, Chardon, Ohio.
Bio by: Don Morfe
Inscription
IN MEMORY OF PETER TOMICH
MEDAL OF HONOR
CWT USN WWII
USS UTAH
AKA PETAR TONIC
Advertisement
See more Tomich memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
