U.S. Navy retired Fireman 2nd Class John Vaessen is

U.S. Navy retired Fireman 2nd Class John Vaessen is recognized during a Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony on Coast Guard Island, in Alameda, Calif., Dec. 7, 2013. Vaessen was serving aboard the USS Utah on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, when the Utah took two torpedoes and rolled over, trapping Vaessen below decks. Realizing that his ship was capsizing, Vaessen remained at his post at the forward distribution board after word had been passed to abandon ship and kept the lights burning as long as possible. Trapped, he was later rescued through a hole cut in the bottom of the capsized ship. According to Vaessen, what saved him was a thorough knowledge of the ship, a three-cell flashlight with a faulty switch and an end wrench used for opening hatches. Former Adm. Chester Nimitz, commander in chief Pacific Fleet, awarded Vaessen the Navy Cross. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Thomas McKenzie)