USS Pruitt
She was named for United States Marine Corps Corporal John H. Pruitt, a World War I Medal of Honor recipient who was killed in action Western Front on 4 October 1918[1][2] during the Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge.[2] After completing these duties, Pruitt spent most of the 1920s operating in the United States Asiatic Fleet in the western Pacific Ocean, protecting American interests in the East Asia.[1][2] Her pattern of operations was to spend winters in the Philippine Islands and summers along the coast of China,[2] including service on the Yangtze Patrol in October 1926, from March to June 1927, and in August 1927.[3] In 1935 Lieutenant (junior grade) Richard O'Kane, who later would be awarded the Medal of Honor as the most successful U.S. submarine officer of World War II, reported for duty aboard Pruitt.On 19 June 1942, she departed Hawaii for Bremerton, Washington, from which she steamed to the Aleutian Islands for minelaying operations and escort assignments from a base at Kodiak, Alaska.Later shifting to Holtz Bay on Attu's northeast coast, she continued to perform patrol duties and to escort smaller craft from Amchitka and Adak until the battle ended on 30 May 1943.
John H. PruittMedal of HonorUnited States NavyBath Iron WorksminelayerMiscellaneous auxiliaryfour-stackdestroyersClemson-classdestroyerlong tonssteam turbines4 in (100 mm)3 in (76 mm)21 inch (533 mm)torpedo tubesWorld War IIUnited States Marine CorpsCorporalWorld War IWestern FrontBattle of Blanc Mont Ridgelaunchlaid downlaunchedsponsoredcommissionedUnited States Atlantic FleetUnited States Secretary of the NavyEdwin DenbyUnited StatesGuantanamo Bay Naval BaseGuantánamo Baycommanding officerOscar C. Badger IIadmiralUnited States Asiatic FleetPacific OceanEast AsiaPhilippine IslandsYangtze PatrolLieutenant (junior grade)Richard O'KanesubmarineDivisionPearl Harbor Navy YardPearl HarborHawaiiGeorge Stephen Morrisonrear admiralattack on Pearl HarborHawaiian Sea FrontierBremertonWashingtonAleutian IslandsminelayingKodiakAlaskaUnited States West Coastlanding craftBattle of AttuMarine RaiderBattalionSouthern CaliforniaSan FranciscoCaliforniaTask ForceCold BayAlaska PeninsulaMassacre BayUnited States Army7th Infantry DivisionlandingsantisubmarineantiaircraftHoltz BayAmchitkaNorth AmericaSolomon IslandsPurvis BayFlorida IslandBougainvilleBattle of Bougainvillenaval minesNew HebridesCape Torokinahad landedNew CaledoniaSociety IslandsMidway AtollNorthwestern Hawaiian Islandscessation of hostilitiesInternational Date LinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniadecommissionedNavy ListPhiladelphia Navy YardLeague IslandYangtze Service MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalWorld War II Victory Medallanding zonepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting ShipsClemson-class destroyersClemsonDahlgrenGoldsboroughSemmesSatterleeGrahamAbel P. UpshurWelborn C. WoodGeorge E. BadgerBranchHerndonDallasChandlerSouthardBroomeSmith ThompsonBarkerJohn D. EdwardsWhippleParrott