MOH

Medal of Honor: Donald Kirby Ross – World War II – December 7, 1941

Deep in USS Nevada’s dynamo rooms, one machinist ordered his men to safety, then stayed behind alone — fighting heat, steam, smoke, and exhaustion until he collapsed twice, returning each time to keep the ship’s power alive under fire.

December 9, 2025

Name: Donald Kirby Ross
Rank: Machinist (later Chief Warrant Officer)
Organization: U.S. Navy
Unit: USS Nevada (BB-36)
Place and Date: Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii – 7 December 1941
Entered Service At: Denver, Colorado
Born: December 8, 1910 – Beverly, Kansas
Departed: May 27, 1992
Accredited To: Colorado

Summary of Action

On the morning of December 7, 1941, as Japanese aircraft began their assault on Pearl Harbor, Machinist Donald K. Ross was stationed in the forward dynamo room aboard USS Nevada. The battleship quickly became a primary target as she attempted to get underway, and the spaces deep below decks filled with choking smoke, scalding steam, and unbearable heat.

Recognizing that his men could no longer survive in the compartment, Ross ordered them to evacuate — then stayed behind to operate the machinery alone, maintaining essential power to the ship’s systems. The environment soon overwhelmed him; blinded and unconscious, he collapsed.

Rescued and revived topside, Ross immediately returned below, securing the forward dynamo room before moving to the after dynamo room to continue his work. There, the extreme conditions again overcame him, and he collapsed a second time. Even then, once resuscitated, he returned to his station and remained at his post until ordered to abandon it.

His determination and refusal to leave his duties kept Nevada operational at a critical moment in the attack, contributing directly to her survival.

Medal of Honor Citation

ROSS, DONALD KIRBY

Rank and organization: Machinist, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Nevada.

Place and date: Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, 7 December 1941.

Entered service at: Denver, Colo.

Born: 8 December 1910, Beverly, Kans.

Citation:

For distinguished conduct in the line of his profession, extraordinary courage and disregard of his own life during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. When his station in the forward dynamo room of the U.S.S. Nevada became almost untenable due to smoke, steam, and heat, Machinist Ross 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. Again recovering consciousness he returned to his station where he remained until directed to abandon it.