Member-only story
The White Boats of Pearl Harbor: Unveiling the Heroic Stories Behind Their Names
Chapter 4: TB-39–4, DONALD K. ROSS
In April 2009, Naval Station Pearl Harbor and the National Park Service held a short ceremony to dedicate six new ferry boats for visitors to the USS Arizona Memorial. Each was named in honor of a recipient of the Medal of Honor from the Pearl Harbor attack of December 7, 1941. With nearly two million visitors annually — few notice the names on the six boats or realize the history behind their names. This is the story of Donald Kirby Ross.
BORN — Born in Beverly, Kansas on December 8, 1910
MARKED MOMENT — Ross enlisted in the Navy in June of 1929, graduating basic training in San Diego as his company’s honor graduate.
DEC. 7, 1941 — Warrant Officer Machinist on board the USS Nevada (BB-36), the fourth oldest battleship in the fleet, and the oldest battleship that morning on Battleship Row
PREWAR SERVICE
After completing his “A” School training as a Machinist Mate, he was assigned to the transport ship USS Henderson (AP-1). Later, on board the USS Relief (AH-1), a hospital ship, Ross would see combat for the first time in Nicaragua when the ship supported the Marines as part of the Second Nicaraguan Campaign during…
