On November 13, 1942, during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Leonard Roy Harmon served as a mess attendant aboard the USS San Francisco. The ship came under intense Japanese fire—shrapnel tore through the decks, fires spread, and sailors were wounded across the vessel.
Harmon didn’t hesitate. Working alongside pharmacist’s mates, he carried the injured below deck to safety. At one point, he saved an unconscious crewmate, Rae Arison. Moments later, while helping Pharmacist’s Mate Lynford Bondsteel, Harmon saw enemy fire heading their way. Without a second thought, he pushed Bondsteel out of the line of fire—taking the fatal hit himself.
For his selfless sacrifice, Harmon was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, one of the highest honors for valor in combat. His citation noted that he “deliberately exposed himself to hostile gunfire in order to protect a shipmate.”
Less than a year later, on August 31, 1943, the Navy commissioned the USS Harmon (DE-678)—the first U.S. Navy warship named after an African American.
Leonard Roy Harmon’s courage remains a powerful reminder: true heroism isn’t measured by rank, but by the sacrifice made for others.