John Allison Fitzgerald
Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy

John Allison Fitzgerald was born in 1908 in California.

Fitzgerald graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1931.

In World War II, he was the Commanding Officer of the Submarine USS Gar during her first war patrol starting 2 February 1942. While on this patrol, over 10,000 tons of enemy shipping was sunk. His next command was the Submarine USS Grenadier and on its fifth war patrol on 23 April 1943, the Grenadier, while in a dive, was struck by an enemy bomb which crippled the vessel. The Grenadier settled on the bottom of the ocean at 267 feet. Fitzgerald and crew fought courageously for twenty-two hours to save his fatally damaged ship. He had to surface due to ongoing fires, and after surfacing he mustered all the remaining fire power for the possibility of an air attack and probable destruction of his ship.

As the Japanese ships moved in, Fitzgerald ordered his crew to abandon ship. He and his crew became prisoners of war and served almost two and a half years in prisoner of war camps before being released on 2 September 1945.

Fitzgerald was awarded the U.S. Navy's second highest award for valor, the Navy Cross, for his conduct in resisting capture and the scuttling of his ship prior to the Japanese capturing it. In addition Fitzgerald was awarded the Silver Star Medal and the Prisoner of War Medal.

Fitzgerald retired as a Rear Admiral.

Death and Burial

Rear Admiral John Allison Fitzgerald died on 6 July 1990. He is buried at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, MD.