Military Life
Flaherty enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve as an Ensign in July of 1940. He was stationed on board the Battleship U.S.S. Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. His ship took about 9 direct and fatal hits from torpedoes that were dropped from the Japanese during the first wave of the attack on December 7, 1941. While Flaherty was trapped in a gun turret, he shined a flashlight towards the exit so that his crew mates could escape the ship. Flaherty saved multiple lives that day, but lost his own life in the process. He was only 22 when he was killed in action at Pearl Harbor. His body was never recovered. Flaherty was the first of only 13 men to receive the Medal of Honor during all of World War 2. Francis Flaherty had several opportunities and every right to save his own life on December 7, 1941, but that wasn't what he was thinking about.
Medal of Honor Citation
"For conspicuous devotion to duty and extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, by Japanese Forces on 7 December 1941. When it was seen that the U.S.S. Oklahoma was going to capsize and the order was given to abandon ship, Ensign Flaherty remained in a turret, holding a flashlight so the remainder of the turret crew could see to escape, thereby sacrificing his own life."
"For conspicuous devotion to duty and extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, by Japanese Forces on 7 December 1941. When it was seen that the U.S.S. Oklahoma was going to capsize and the order was given to abandon ship, Ensign Flaherty remained in a turret, holding a flashlight so the remainder of the turret crew could see to escape, thereby sacrificing his own life."