Donald K. Ross
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| Donald Kirby Ross | |
|---|---|
| 8 December 1910 – 27 May 1992 | |
 Lieutenant Donald K. Ross, circa 1944
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| Place of birth | Beverly, Kansas |
| Place of death | Bremerton, Washington |
| Allegiance | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1929 – 1956 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | Attack on Pearl Harbor Battle of Normandy Operation Dragoon |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Donald Kirby Ross (8 December 1910 – 27 May 1992) was an officer of the United States Navy who received the Medal of Honor.
Ross enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Denver, Colorado, on 3 June 1929 and graduated company honorman from basic training, San Diego, Calif.. He completed Machinist Mate School, Norfolk, Va. first in his class and was assigned to USS Henderson (AP-1) on a China service run.
While serving in hospital ship Relief (AH-1), Ross saw his first action (with the Marines) in Nicaragua in 1931. Advancing through the rates on the minesweeper Brant (AM-24), destroyer Simpson (DD-221) and cruiser Minneapolis (CA-36), he attained the rank of Warrant Officer Machinist in October 1940, and was assigned to the battleship Nevada (BB-36).
During the 7 December 1941 Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor, Nevada was badly damaged by bombs and torpedoes. Ross distinguished himself by assuming responsibility to furnish power to get the ship underway—the only battleship to do so during the Japanese attack.
- "When his station in the forward dynamo room became almost untenable due to smoke, steam and heat," reads Ross' citation, "he forced his men to leave that station and performed all the duties himself until blinded and unconscious. Upon being rescued and resuscitated, he returned and secured the forward dynamo room and proceeded to the after dynamo room, where he was later again rendered unconscious by exhaustion. Upon recovering consciousness, he returned to his station, where he remained until directed to abandon it."
Ross was promoted to Chief Machinist in March 1942. He was presented the Medal of Honor by Admiral Chester Nimitz on 18 April 1942, and was commissioned an Ensign in June 1942. Later in the war, he also participated in the landings at Normandy and Southern France.
He rose steadily in temporary rank to Lieutenant Commander by the end of the war, reverting to Lieutenant at its conclusion. He again received promotion to Lieutenant Commander in 1949 and to Commander in November 1954. Upon his retirement from active duty in July 1956, after twenty-seven years' of service aboard every type of surface ship then afloat, he was promoted to Captain on the basis of his combat awards.
Making his home in Washington state after leaving the Navy, Captain Ross was active in farm life and community affairs, and in perpetuating the memory of the Pearl Harbor attack, which he described as "not a story about a defeat. It's a story about a job well done". He attended 50th Anniversary ceremonies at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1991, during which a memorial was dedicated to his old ship, USS Nevada. Captain Donald K. Ross died at Bremerton, Washington, on 27 May 1992.
In 1997, the guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG-71) was named in honor of Captain Ross.
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This article includes information collected from the Naval Historical Center, which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain. |
