William Badders (September 15, 1901 – November 23, 1986) was a diver in the United States Navy and a recipient of the highest American military decoration, the Medal of Honor, as well as the Navy Cross.

Early life and career

William Badders was born in Harrisburg, Illinois, on September 15, 1901. He enrolled in the U.S. Naval Reserve in August 1918 and transferred to the regular Navy in December 1919. Later trained as a diver, Badders was awarded the Navy Cross for "extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty" during the

salvage Salvage may refer to: * Marine salvage, the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo and sometimes the crew from peril * Water salvage, rescuing people from floods. * Salvage tug, a type of tugboat used to rescue or salvage ships which are in dis ...

of in 1926. He was designated a Master Diver in April 1931 and received commendations for his diving work in salvaging in 1928 and the

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

Kaku Maru in 1932, and for clearing the propeller of at sea in 1933. Squalus rescuers MOH

Chief Machinist's Mate Badders was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during the rescue of survivors of and subsequent salvage of that

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

in 1939. He was Senior Member of the rescue chamber crew and served as a diver during the salvage effort. He transferred to the Fleet Reserve in March 1940. William Badders died on November 23, 1986, and was buried in the San Francisco National Cemetery in San Francisco, California.

Awards

Medal of Honor citation

William Badders' official Navy Medal of Honor citation is as follows: The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to ::WILLIAM BADDERS ::NAVY ::for service as set forth in the following: CITATION:

For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession as a Diver with the Submarine and Rescue Salvage Unit, U.S.S. ''Falcon'', during the rescue and salvage operations following the sinking of the U.S.S. ''Squalus'' on 1939-05-13. During the rescue operations, Chief Machinist's Mate Badders, as senior member of the rescue chamber crew, made the last extremely hazardous trip of the rescue chamber to attempt to rescue any possible survivors in the flooded after portion of the ''Squalus''. He was fully aware of the great danger involved in that if he and his assistant became incapacitated, there was no way in which either could be rescued. During the salvage operations, Chief Machinist's Mate Badders made important and difficult dives under the most hazardous conditions. His outstanding performance of duty contributed much to the success of the operations and characterizes conduct far above and beyond the ordinary call of duty.

Navy Cross Citation

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Engineman First Class William Badders, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty as a Diver, on the occasion of the salvaging of the U.S.S. S-51, from 16 October 1925 to 8 July 1926. Engineman First Class Badders actions during this operation were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Navy and Marine Corps Medal Citation

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Chief Machinist's Mate William Badders, United States Navy in lieu of previously awarded letters of commendation: (A) Commendation by Secretary of the Navy dated August 6, 1926 (B) Commendation by Secretary of the Navy dated May 12, 1928 (C) Commendation by Commander in Chief Army & Navy dated September 16, 1939 (D) Commendation by ChBuNav dated December 27, 1940.

Badders also received the Good Conduct Medal, World War I Victory Medal,

Yangtze Service Medal The Yangtze Service Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created in 1930 for presentation to members of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps (and to a lesser extent, members of the United States Army). Th ...

and American Defense Service Medal.

References