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Chief Watertender · U.S. Navy

Peter Tomich

Chief Watertender Peter Tomich, Navy, received the Medal of Honor posthumously for actions on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory during World War II.

World War II December 7, 1941PosthumousBorn in Austria

Serving as a sailor in the U.S. Navy, Chief Watertender Peter Tomich was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory during World War II. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Utah. Tomich was 48 years old.

Tomich was killed in the action for which his medal was awarded. 16 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on January 4, 1944, 2 years after the action.

Tomich was born on June 3, 1893 in Prolog, Austria — one of 6 recipients born in Austria. His Medal of Honor is credited to New Jersey. He is buried at Remains not recovered from U.S.S. Utah. His medal is held by Utah Historical Society (duplicate Medal), Salt Lake City, UT ; Naval Historical Center, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC. Records also list him as Herceg-Tonic, Petar.

Tomich is one of 474 Medal of Honor recipients from World War II and one of 93 credited to New Jersey.

★ Fire & Explosions at Sea★ Gave Their Lives

Official Medal of Honor citation

For distinguished conduct in the line of his profession, and extraordinary courage and disregard of his own safety, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor by the Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. Although realizing that the ship was capsizing as a result of enemy bombing and torpedoing, Tomich remained at his post in the engineering plant of the U.S.S. Utah until he saw that all boilers were secured and all fireroom personnel had left their stations, and by so doing lost his own life.

Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.

Wounds and death in action

  • Killed in action during the act for which the medal was awarded (December 7, 1941).
  • Age at death: 48
  • Resting place: Remains not recovered from U.S.S. Utah

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: World War I, World War II, Attack on Pearl Harbor.

Places

  • Born: Herzegovina — map
  • Died: Pearl Harbor — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New Jersey →

Timeline

  1. June 3, 1893
    Born in Prolog, Austria
  2. December 7, 1941
    Act of valor — Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory
    Age 48. U.S.S. Utah Killed in action.
  3. January 4, 1944
    Medal of Honor presented posthumously
    U.S.S. Tomich, presented to the ship by Rear Adm. Monroe Kelly. When the ship was decommissioned on September 20, 1946, Tomich's Medal of Honor was returned to the Navy Department. (No living relatives could be found.)…
  4. Resting place
    Remains not recovered from U.S.S. Utah

Biography

Petar Herceg 'Tonić' (later anglicized as Peter Tomich; June 3, 1893 – December 7, 1941) was a United States Navy sailor of Herzegovinian Croat descent who received the United States military's highest award, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II.

From the Wikipedia article “Peter Tomich”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Named in his honor

Further reading

Also honored for actions on December 7, 1941

Mervyn Sharp Bennion Captain · Navy World War II · 1941 ✦ John Duncan Bulkeley Lieutenant · Navy World War II · 1941 George Ham Cannon First Lieutenant · Marine Corps World War II · 1941 ✦ John William Finn Lieutenant · Navy World War II · 1941 Francis Charles Flaherty Ensign · Navy World War II · 1941 ✦ Samuel Glenn Fuqua Captain · Navy World War II · 1941 Edwin Joseph Hill Chief Boatswain · Navy World War II · 1941 ✦ Herbert Charpoit Jones Ensign · Navy World War II · 1941 ✦ Isaac Campbell Kidd Rear Admiral · Navy World War II · 1941 ✦ Jackson Charles Pharris Gunner · Navy World War II · 1941 TR Thomas James Reeves Radio Electrician · Navy World War II · 1941 ✦ Donald Kirby Ross Warrant Machinist · Navy World War II · 1941

See all 17 recipients for December 7, 1941 →

Same unit

GB George Bradley Chief Gunner's Mate · Navy Veracruz 1914 · 1914 Abraham Desomer Lieutenant · Navy Veracruz 1914 · 1914 ND Niels Drustrup Lieutenant · Navy Veracruz 1914 · 1914 HN Henry Nehemiah Nickerson Boatswain's Mate Second Class · Navy Veracruz 1914 · 1914

More World War II recipients from New Jersey

NM Nicholas Minue Private · Army World War II · 1943 ✦ JS Joseph John Sadowski Sergeant · Army World War II · 1944 ✦ John "Manila John" Basilone Sergeant · Marine Corps World War II · 1942 JM John William Meagher Technical Sergeant · Army World War II · 1945 Carlton Robert Rouh First Lieutenant · Marine Corps World War II · 1944 FM Francis Xavier McGraw Private First Class · Army World War II · 1944 ✦
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Wikidata and Wikipedia. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.