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The USS Richard M. McCool, Jr. was commissioned Sept. 7 and named after a Tishomingo native who was a U.S. Navy officer and recipient of the U.S. military’s highest decoration: the Medal of Honor. McCool was honored in 1945 for heroism displayed after his ship was attacked by kamikaze aircraft in the Battle of Okinawa.
Despite suffering from shrapnel wounds and painful burns, McCool led efforts to battle a fire on his ship and rescued injured sailors. The San Antonio-class amphibious warship provides modern, sea-based platforms that are networked, survivable and built to operate in the 21st century.
– Staff report, The Oklahoma 100
