Cassin Young, Medal of Honor

From the 1900 United States Census, Cassin Young lived with his mother, father, and brother at Milwaukee city, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

• Head Howle C Young 31
• Wife Anna Young 31
• Son Cassin Young 6
• Son Hamilton Young 3
• Servant Margarette Klingble 19

Naval Biography:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Commander Cassin Young (NSN: 0-9615), United States Navy, for distinguished conduct in action, outstanding heroism and utter disregard of his own safety, above and beyond the call of duty, as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. VESTAL (AR-4), during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, by enemy Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. Commander Young proceeded to the bridge and later took personal command of the three-inch anti-aircraft gun. When blown overboard by the blast of the forward magazine explosion of the U.S.S. ARIZONA, to which the U.S.S. VESTAL was moored, he swam back to his ship. The entire forward part of the U.S.S. ARIZONA was a blazing inferno with oil afire on the water between the two ships; as a result of several bomb hits, the U.S.S. VESTAL was afire in several places, was settling and taking on a list. Despite severe enemy bombing and strafing at the time, and his shocking experience of having been blown overboard, Commander Young, with extreme coolness and calmness, moved his ship to an anchorage distant from the U.S.S. ARIZONA, and subsequently beached the U.S.S. VESTAL upon determining that such action was required to save his ship.

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World War II Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Cassin Young was born in Washington, D.C. He enlisted in the Navy in 1912 and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1916. On December 7, 1941, he was Commanding Officer of the repair ship U.S.S Vestal which was badly damaged by enemy bombs and the explosion of the battleship U.S.S Arizona. Commander Young proceeded to the bridge and later took personal command of the 3-inch antiaircraft gun.

When blown overboard by the blast of a magazine explosion from the U.S.S. Arizona, to which the U.S.S. Vestal was moored, he swam back to his ship. As a result of several bomb hits, the U.S.S. Vestal was afire and taking on a list. Despite severe enemy bombing and strafing at the time, Commander Young moved his ship to an anchorage distant from the U.S.S. Arizona, and subsequently beached the U.S.S. Vestal determining that such action was required to save his ship. Young was awarded the Medal of Honor and promoted to Captain in February 1942.

He later was given command of the heavy cruiser U.S.S. San Francisco. On November 13, 1942, during the Naval Battle of Cape Esperance, Captain Young was killed by enemy shells while closely engaging a Japanese battleship. Captain Young posthumously was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during the Guadalcanal Campaign.

There is a cenotaph (an empty tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere) honoring CAPT Joseph Cassin Young at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial at Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines.