PETER TOMICH

Chief Watertender Peter Tonich-Tomich was in charge of rhe Utah's engine room. In the engineering plant bclow deck, Water rushed roward the huge boilers, Above the horrible din around hirn, he yelled to his Crew to get out. He Could feel tbe ship slowly turning on her side and knew that in moments any hope oescape would vanish. Because he was an immigrant from Croaria, Tomich's crew was the only family he knew. He continued to shout at them. Knowing that unless the boilers were secured thcy would rupture and explode, lie ignored the evacuation order himself. He calmly moved from valve to valve, stting the gauges, releasing steam here and there, srabilizing and securing the huge boilersthat otherwise would have turned the entire ship into a massive inferno from which no one could escape. As the ship, continued to roll over, Tomich remained at his station. There was no explosion. Tomich was awarded the Medal of Honor posthuusly for “extraordinary courage and disregard of his own safety." He is among 58 sailors entombed inside ihe Utah. His is the only Medal Of Honor in the last century to go unclaimed. His next-of-kin has never been located.

NAVAL H1STORY - AUGUST 2001