Richard Miles McCool Jr. was born on 4 January 1922 in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma and was appointed from that same state to the U.S. Naval Academy during World War II. After graduating in June 1944, he was commissioned an Ensign and briefly assigned to Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. Completing instruction at Amphibious Training Station, Solomons, Maryland, he comanded USS LCS 122 upon her commissioning in December. In January 1945, he was temporarily promoted to Lieutenant. On 10 June, while operating off the Ryukyu Chain, Japan, he led his vessel to rescue survivors of USS William D. Porter after a Japanese kamikaze bomb exploded underneath her. The next evening, two Japanese kamikazes attacked. Organizing a counter attack, McCool's crew downed one of the kamikazes and damaged the second before it crashed into his vessel. Severly wounded and suffering severe burns, he led his men to fight the fires and rescue crewmembers until evacuated due to his wounds. For his "conspicuous gallantry" on this occasion, McCool was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Reverted back to Lieutenant Junior Grade in January 1946, McCool recovered from his injuries that July and assumed command of LSC 44, later transferring to USS McKean. In July 1947, he was assigned as Aide to Commandant, Eighth Naval District at New Orleans, Louisiana. After instructing at the University of Oklahoma with the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, he reported for sea duty in June 1949 on board USS Frank Knox, later transferring to USS Leyte. In January 1951, McCool was promoted to Lieutenant. Completing Armed Forces Information School at Fort Slocum, New York that June, he received orders to Commander Naval Base, Long Beach, California becoming its Public Information Officer. He returned to Eighth Naval District a year later. In July 1954, he assumed duties as the Assistant Public Information at Boston University, Boston, Massachussetts.
In the Summer of 1955, McCool was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and was assigned to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington, D.C. The following year, he reported overseas as a staff member of Commander, South Eastern Asia Treaty Organization at Bangkok, Thailand. In December 1958, he was assigned to the staff of Commandant of the Ninth Naval District at Great Lakes, Illinois, where he was promoted in July 1960 to Commander. McCool remained on staff duty and reported in April 1961 to Commander, First Fleet. He transferred three years later to duty with Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Japan. Returning to the U.S., he continued staff duty with Commander, Seventh Fleet. In July 1965, McCool was promoted to Captain. In April 1966, he became Deputy Commander of the Defense Information School at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. In 1974, he retired from active duty after serving in various Public Affairs posts. While in retirement, he was active in local politics in the Bremerton, Washington area. Richard M. McCool died on 5 March 2008 and is buried at Naval Academy Cemetery, Annapolis, Maryland.
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Photo #: NH 95387-A Lieutenant Junior Grade Richard M. McCool, Jr., USN Halftone reproduction of a photograph, copied from the official publication "Medal of Honor, 1861-1949, The Navy", page 227. Richard M. McCool Jr. was awarded the Medal of Honor for " conspicuous gallantry" while Commanding Officer of USS LCS 122 during operations against the Japanese in the Ryukyu Chain, 10-11 June 1945. During this operation, he led his vessel to rescue survivors of USS William D. Porter (DD-579) after a Japanese kamikaze bomb exploded underneath her. The next evening, two Japanese kamikazes attacked. Organizing a counter attack, McCool's crew downed one of the kamikazes and damaged the second before it crashed into his vessel. Severly wounded and suffering severe burns, he led his men to fight the fires and rescue crewmembers until evacuated due to his wounds. McCool was temporarily promoted to Lieutenant while in command of LCS 122. This photograph was taken after January 1946 when McCool's temporary promotion to Lieutenant was reverted after World War II. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 70KB; 615 x 765 pixels |
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Photo #: 80-G-701648 Lieutenant Richard M. McCool, Jr., USN is presented with the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman at the White House, Washington, D.C. on 18 December 1945. The medal was awarded for "conspicuous gallantry" while in command of USS LCS 122 off Okinawa, Japan in June 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 55KB; 675 x 765 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Medal of Honor citation of Lieutenant Richard Miles McCool, Jr., USN (as printed in the official publication "Medal of Honor, 1861-1949, The Navy", page 227): |
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Page made 22 December 2008