Naval skipper during World War II: 17 ships including a carrier, cruiser, and frigate. Fluckey established himself as one of the greatest submarine skippers, credited with the most tonnage sunk by a U.S. After one war patrol as the prospective commanding officer of the submarine USS Barb (SS-220), he became the submarine's seventh commander in January 1944 to August 1945. In December 1943, he attended the Prospective Commanding Officer's School at the Submarine Base New London until January 1944, then reported to Commander Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet.

He completed five war patrols on the Bonita and after he was detached from the submarine in June 1942, he returned to Annapolis for graduate instruction in naval engineering. In June 1938, he reported for instruction at the Submarine School, New London, Connecticut and upon completion in December, he served on the submarine USS S-42 (SS-153), and in June 1941, he was assigned to the submarine USS Bonita (SS-165). One of his classmates was Samuel Adams.įluckey's initial assignments with the Navy were aboard the battleship USS Nevada (BB-36), and in May 1936 he was transferred to the destroyer USS McCormick (DD-223). He entered the United States Naval Academy on June 13, 1931, and graduated and was commissioned an Ensign on June 6, 1935. He prepared for the Naval Academy at Columbian Preparatory School, Washington. He also was a member of the Boy Scouts, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. He was too young to go to college, so his father sent him to the Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Western High School in Washington at age 15. Military Assistance Advisory Group, PortugalĮugene Bennett Fluckey (Octo– June 28, 2007), nicknamed ' Lucky Fluckey', was a United States Navy rear admiral who received the Medal of Honor and four Navy Crosses during his service as a submarine commander in World War II.įluckey was born in Washington, D.C.

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