Return to Naval Historical Center home page. Return to Online Library listing

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- PEOPLE -- UNITED STATES --

Machinist's Mate First Class Robert R. Scott, USN, (1915-1941)

Robert R. Scott was born in Massillon, Ohio, on 13 July 1915. He enlisted in the Navy during the 1930s and had risen to the rank of Machinist's Mate First Class by 1941. During the 7 December 1941 Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor, he was serving on board USS California (BB-44). When the ship was hit by Japanese torpedoes, causing serious flooding of his battle station, MM1c Scott remained in the compartment in order to continue supplying compressed air to the ship's guns, and so lost his life. For this act of heroism, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

This page features our only view of MM1c Robert R. Scott, USN.


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the "Online Library's" digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 92308

Machinist's Mate First Class Robert R. Scott, USN


Who was awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously, for heroism while serving on board USS California (BB-44) during the 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor.
Halftone reproduction, copied from the official publication "Medal of Honor, 1861-1948, The Navy", page 258.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 89KB; 585 x 765 pixels

 



Medal of Honor citation of Machinist's Mate First Class Robert R. Scott (as printed in the official publication "Medal of Honor, 1861-1949, The Navy", page 258):

"For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor by Japanese Forces on 7 December 1941. The compartment, in the U.S.S. California, in which the air compressor, to which SCOTT was assigned as his battle station, was flooded as the result of a torpedo hit. The remainder of the personnel evacuated that compartment but SCOTT refused to leave, saying words to the effect 'This is my station and I will stay and give them air as long as the guns are going"."


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the "Online Library's" digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

Page made 3 December 2000