Victor Delano: US Navy gunnery officer who rallied his comrades during the attack on Pearl Harbour
As his ship sank in the harbour, he managed to swim to safety
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Victor Delano was a US Navy captain who helped rally fellow sailors during the attack on Pearl Harbour. Not long out of naval academy, Delano was a newly commissioned gunnery officer on the USS West Virginia when Japanese aircraft attacked on 7 December 1941.
Delano helped get machine guns working, showing others how to use them. One of them, mess attendant Doris Miller, was later awarded the US Navy Cross. As the West Virginia sank, Delano swam to safety. He went on to serve elsewhere in the Pacific and after the war commanded a minesweeper in Japan. During the Korean War he was commanding officer of a destroyer, the USS Eversole. He received a master’s degree in nuclear physics in 1949 from MIT and was assigned to the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Victor Delano, US Navy officer: born Washington 20 December 1919; married Jacqueline Stinson (died 1990; one daughter, one son); died Rockville, Maryland 25 August 2014.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments