Member-only story

The White Boats of Pearl Harbor: Unveiling the Heroic Stories Behind Their Names

Chapter 6: TB-39–6, PETER TOMICH

David Hodge
5 min readOct 17, 2024
Chief Watertender Peter Tomich, United States Navy

BORN — Born in Bosnia Herzegovina on June 3, 1893.

MARKED MOMENT — An Army veteran, Tomich joined the Navy ten days after his Army enlistment expired.

DEC. 7, 1941 — Tomich was a Chief Watertender in the boiler room aboard USS Utah.

PREWAR SERVICE

Tomich was a Herzegovinian Croat, born in Prolog, near the Bosnian Herzegovinian town of Ljubuški. The region was under Austro-Hungarian rule and in 1913, Tomich immigrated to the United States.

In 1917, he joined the Army and served during World War One. Ten days after being discharged, Tomich received his American citizenship and joined the Navy in 1919. His first assignment was aboard the Clemson-class destroyer USS Litchfield (DD-336).

The destroyer USS Litchfield (DD-336) underway before World War One. (U.S. Navy photograph)

Tomich rose through the ranks, and by 1941 was a Chief Watertender on board the USS Utah (AG-16), with 22 years of naval service.

Tomich was known around the waterfront as “the most experienced” and “the best.” As with many…

--

--

David Hodge
David Hodge

Written by David Hodge

Retired Navy Musician, I'm now a Community Relations Manager in Pearl Harbor. I'm also a woodworker and a guy that's always putting something together.

No responses yet