Paul Hunter Backus had the distinction of being president of the US Naval Academy Class of 1941. He was assigned to the USS Oklahoma and sleeping on board when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor began, on the morning of 7 DEC 1941. He was one of the fortunate ones, who was able to get out of the ship and survive the attack.
Information courtesy of Find A Grave contributor Noelani
As an Ensign, Mr. Backus was assigned to the Battleship South Dakota (BB57) Conning Tower CS Division with the duties of the assistant main battery officer and signal officer, 1st Division as a Lieutenant JG. Battleship South Dakota (BB57) set several records. She was the most decorated US battleship of WWII, earning 13 battle stars and a Navy Unit Citation. In October 1942, she set a record of downing the most enemy planes downed in one engagement where she shot down 32 planes at the Battle of Santa Cruz. She was the first to shell mainland Japan and she had the youngest official US combat veteran Calvin Graham. Her combat record accredits her with shooting down a total of 64 enemy planes, 9 shore bombardments, and unofficially sinking three enemy cruisers, The South Dakota along with the USS Washington dueled the IJN Kirishima in November 1942 during the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, marking one of only two battleship vs battleship engagements in the entire war, and more importantly the loss of 96 shipmates in service to our country.
Information courtesy of Find A Grave contributor Noelani
As an Ensign, Mr. Backus was assigned to the Battleship South Dakota (BB57) Conning Tower CS Division with the duties of the assistant main battery officer and signal officer, 1st Division as a Lieutenant JG. Battleship South Dakota (BB57) set several records. She was the most decorated US battleship of WWII, earning 13 battle stars and a Navy Unit Citation. In October 1942, she set a record of downing the most enemy planes downed in one engagement where she shot down 32 planes at the Battle of Santa Cruz. She was the first to shell mainland Japan and she had the youngest official US combat veteran Calvin Graham. Her combat record accredits her with shooting down a total of 64 enemy planes, 9 shore bombardments, and unofficially sinking three enemy cruisers, The South Dakota along with the USS Washington dueled the IJN Kirishima in November 1942 during the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, marking one of only two battleship vs battleship engagements in the entire war, and more importantly the loss of 96 shipmates in service to our country.
Paul Hunter Backus had the distinction of being president of the US Naval Academy Class of 1941. He was assigned to the USS Oklahoma and sleeping on board when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor began, on the morning of 7 DEC 1941. He was one of the fortunate ones, who was able to get out of the ship and survive the attack.
Information courtesy of Find A Grave contributor Noelani
As an Ensign, Mr. Backus was assigned to the Battleship South Dakota (BB57) Conning Tower CS Division with the duties of the assistant main battery officer and signal officer, 1st Division as a Lieutenant JG. Battleship South Dakota (BB57) set several records. She was the most decorated US battleship of WWII, earning 13 battle stars and a Navy Unit Citation. In October 1942, she set a record of downing the most enemy planes downed in one engagement where she shot down 32 planes at the Battle of Santa Cruz. She was the first to shell mainland Japan and she had the youngest official US combat veteran Calvin Graham. Her combat record accredits her with shooting down a total of 64 enemy planes, 9 shore bombardments, and unofficially sinking three enemy cruisers, The South Dakota along with the USS Washington dueled the IJN Kirishima in November 1942 during the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, marking one of only two battleship vs battleship engagements in the entire war, and more importantly the loss of 96 shipmates in service to our country.
Information courtesy of Find A Grave contributor Noelani
As an Ensign, Mr. Backus was assigned to the Battleship South Dakota (BB57) Conning Tower CS Division with the duties of the assistant main battery officer and signal officer, 1st Division as a Lieutenant JG. Battleship South Dakota (BB57) set several records. She was the most decorated US battleship of WWII, earning 13 battle stars and a Navy Unit Citation. In October 1942, she set a record of downing the most enemy planes downed in one engagement where she shot down 32 planes at the Battle of Santa Cruz. She was the first to shell mainland Japan and she had the youngest official US combat veteran Calvin Graham. Her combat record accredits her with shooting down a total of 64 enemy planes, 9 shore bombardments, and unofficially sinking three enemy cruisers, The South Dakota along with the USS Washington dueled the IJN Kirishima in November 1942 during the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, marking one of only two battleship vs battleship engagements in the entire war, and more importantly the loss of 96 shipmates in service to our country.
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