Right: The USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941. Photo source: National WWII Museum and Scott Lyons private collection. Click to enlarge.

Left: Rear Admiral Samuel G. Fuqua (then rank of Lieutenant Commander) Congressional Medal of Honor Winner for his heroism aboard the USS Arizona on 7 December 1941. Photo in the Public Domain.

29 November 1941, at sea in the Pacific aboard the USS Arizona
The nationally-ranked Navy Midshipmen football team was down 6-0 at halftime to the United States Military Academy at West Point. The 1941 inter-service rivalry was being played in front of 98,924 fans at Municipal Stadium on a sunny Saturday in Philadelphia. Lieutenant Commander Samuel Fuqua, Damage Control Officer for the USS Arizona, a ’23 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, listened intently to the football game in the Wardroom Officer’s Stateroom along with his friend Major Alan Shapley, USMC, aboard the Arizona. Shapley held a particular interest in the 1941 Army-Navy game. The major, current commander of the battleship’s Marine detachment was also an Annapolis graduate (Class of ’27) and former player on the Navy football team. The Midshipmen had never beaten Army during Shapley’s playing days, but the Marine officer was hopeful Navy’s current winning streak over Army would continue. (source: Scott Lyons monograph and Samuel Fuqua personal papers)

With a scoreless first half of football behind them going into the third quarter, the Naval Academy scored two touchdowns in the second half and held on to beat Army 14-6. Arizona was finishing up her two weeks in training operations at sea away from Pearl Harbor and the Hawaiian Islands. The battleship was the Flagship of Battleship Division Four which consisted of the Arizona, Oklahoma, and Nevada. In the prior month of October, tensions were high within the Pacific Fleet operating out of Pearl Harbor. During these training operations at sea, anti-submarine-screening Destroyers for the two Task Forces had reported contact with unknown submarines—most likely Japanese. (source: Scott Lyons monograph and Samuel Fuqua personal papers)

Thursday, 4 December 1941, at sea in the Pacific, west of the Hawaiian Islands
Lieutenant Commander Fuqua wrote his wife Edna on 4 December, “Did you listen to the Army Navy game? I listened on board ship and was wishing I could be home with you all so we could all listen together.” Aside from his moment of levity on the annual Army-Navy football game, Fuqua shared his concern with his wife over tensions with Japan. He wrote, “The situation in the Pacific doesn’t look any too good at present. Hope conditions improve within the next two weeks though.” (source: Scott Lyons monograph and Samuel Fuqua personal papers)

Friday, 5 December 1941, in harbor with Battleship Division Four
All battleships and destroyers were in-harbor Friday, 5 December. The USS Arizona was scheduled to leave Pearl Harbor on 13 December for Long Beach California and the Christmas holidays. That cast-off and departure never happened. (source: Scott Lyons monograph and Samuel Fuqua personal papers)

Tuesday, 30 December 1941
Navy Department, Bureau of Navigation: "My dear Mrs. Fuqua: The Navy Department is glad to inform you that your husband, Lieutenant Commander Samuel Glenn Fuqua, U.S. Navy, is listed among the survivors of the attack that occurred on December 7, 1941."  (source: Scott Lyons monograph and Samuel Fuqua personal papers)

Left: Aerial view of the Arizona memorial Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii, modern day. Photograph licensed to War History Network. Click to enlarge.

Lieutenant Commander Samuel G. Fuqua's Medal of Honor Citation
"For distinguished conduct in action, outstanding heroism, and utter disregard of his own safety, above and beyond the call of duty during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. Upon the commencement of the attack, Lieutenant Commander Fuqua rushed to the quarterdeck of the U.S.S. Arizona to which he was attached where he was stunned and knocked down by the explosion of a large bomb which hit the quarterdeck, penetrated several decks, and started a severe fire. Upon regaining consciousness, he began to direct the fighting of the fire and the rescue of wounded and injured personnel. Almost immediately there was a tremendous explosion forward, which made the ship appear to rise out of the water, shudder and settle down by the bow rapidly. The whole forward part of the ship was enveloped in flames which were spreading rapidly, and wounded and burned men were pouring out of the ship to the quarterdeck. Despite these conditions, his harrowing experience, and severe enemy bombing and strafing, at the time, Lieutenant Commander Fuqua continued to direct the fighting of fires in order to check them while the wounded and burned could be taken from the ship, and supervised the rescue of these men in such an amazingly calm and cool manner and with such excellent judgement, that it inspired everyone who saw him and undoubtedly resulted in the saving of many lives. After realizing that the ship could not be saved and that he was the senior surviving officer aboard, he directed that it be abandoned, but continued to remain on the quarterdeck and directed abandoning ship and rescue of personnel until satisfied that all personnel that could be had been saved, after which he left the ship with the (last) boatload. The conduct of Lieutenant Commander Fuqua was not only in keeping with the highest traditions of the Naval Service but characterizes him as an outstanding leader of men."

Congressional Medal of Honor Society: Samuel Glenn Fuqua

Recommended further reading
At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor by by Gordon W. Prange (Author), Donald M. Goldstein (Afterword), Katherine V. Dillon (Afterword) is a classic. Published in 1982, this work is still in print.

Walter Lord's Day of Infamy is another timeless work and very readable. The 60th anniversary edition was published by Henry Holt & Company.

Multimedia: Video, Web, Photo, and Discussion
Video: Original Pearl Harbor footage  |  Web: History Channel: Pearl Harbor: Attack, Casualties & Facts   National WWII Museum: The Path to Pearl Harbor  |  Photo Album: Pearl Harbor