Thomas Ryan

Thomas John Ryan, Jr. (August 5, 1901 – January 28, 1970) was a career American naval officer who rose to the rank of Rear Admiral. He received the Medal of Honor during peacetime.[1]

Medal of Honor citation

 
Ryan receiving the Medal of Honor from President Calvin Coolidge, March 15, 1924

Ryan's Medal of Honor recognized his conduct in Japan during the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake.[2]

The words of Williams' citation explain:

For heroism in effecting the rescue of a woman from the burning Grand Hotel, Yokohama, Japan, on 1 September 1923. Following the earthquake and fire which occurred in Yokohama on 1 September, Ens. Ryan, with complete disregard for his own life, extricated a woman from the Grand Hotel, thus saving her life. His heroic conduct upon this occasion reflects the greatest credit on himself and on the U.S. Navy, of which he is a part.[1]

References

 
Medal of Honor
  1. 1.0 1.1 US Army Center of Military History, "Medal of Honor Recipients, Interim Awards, 1920-1940" Archived 2010-04-20 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-11-23.
  2. Naval Historical Center, "The Medal of Honor, Navy Medals of Honor, 1861-1941" Archived 2012-10-22 at the Wayback Machine, Photo #NH 46075; retrieved 2011-11-23.