Sponsored by:

Navy Federal Credit Union
John
Henry
Lang

John Lang left home to enlist in the Canadian Army at Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1916. After service in England and France in the Canadian Engineers, Lang transferred to the Canadian Black Watch Infantry and then was seconded to the Royal Highland Regiment (the British Black Watch) with whom he participated in the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917. He was awarded the British Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) for his actions in that engagement. Upon his return from Europe at the end of the First World War, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Lang served for most of his navy career in the China Fleet in the ship’s company of several gunboats as Quartermaster. During the Second World War Lang was a member of the commissioning crew of the battleship U.S.S. Massachusetts and participated in the naval landings in Morocco, commanded a Landing Ship Tank (LST) until she was sunk in the invasion of the Admiralty Islands and was Executive Officer of Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) Number 2. As a member of this “Frogman” unit he was working on the removal of a moored Japanese mine on a reef off Saipan when another mine nearby detonated killing several comrades and wounding Lang terribly. After two years recuperation, he was retired from the US Navy in the grade of “Commissioned Warrant Officer”. After his death his ashes were scattered on the Pacific Ocean at his request.

Awards Received

  • Navy Cross

    Service:

    United States Navy

    Rank:

    Chief Quartermaster

    Division:

    U.S.S. Panay (PR-5)

    Action Date:

    December 12, 1937
    Bureau of Navigation Bulletin 261 (July 1, 1938)

    The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Chief Quartermaster John Henry Lang, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty during the bombing and loss of the U.S.S. PANAY (PR-5), when that vessel was attacked by Japanese airplanes during patrol in the Yangtze River, China, on 12 December 1937. Chief Quartermaster Lang assisted his severely wounded commanding officer from the bridge and, although badly wounded himself, courageously operated the machine gun battery against the attacking planes, even though these guns could not bear forward from which direction most of the attacks were made. Chief Quartermaster Lang demonstrated great intelligence and initiative in a situation where all of the officers were wounded, and refused medical aid for himself until all others were cared for. His conduct throughout this action reflects great credit upon himself, and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.