Richard Hetherington O'Kane was born in Dover, New Hampshire, on 2 February 1911. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in May 1934 and spent his first years of active duty in the cruiser Chester and destroyer Pruitt. He received submarine instruction in 1938 and was then assigned to USS Argonaut until 1942. Lieutenant O'Kane then joined the precommissioning crew of the new submarine Wahoo, serving as her Executive Officer under Commanding Officer Dudley W. Morton and establishing a record as a very promising tactician.
In July 1943, Lieutenant Commander O'Kane was detached from Wahoo and soon became Prospective Commanding Officer of USS Tang, which was then under construction. He placed her in commission in October 1943 and commanded her through her entire career. In five war patrols, O'Kane and Tang sank an officially recognized total of 24 Japanese ships, establishing one of the Pacific War's top records for submarine achievement. He was captured by the Japanese when his ship was accidently sunk off China during the night of 24-25 October 1944 and was secretly held prisoner until the war's end some ten months later. Following his release, Commander O'Kane was awarded the Medal of Honor for his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" during his submarine's final operations against Japanese shipping.
In the years following World War II, Commander O'Kane served with the Pacific Reserve Fleet as Commanding Officer of the submarine tender Pelias, testified at Japanese war crimes trials, was Executive Officer of the submarine tender Nereus and was Commander Submarine Division Thirty-Two. He was a student at the Armed Forces Staff College in 1950-51 and was subsequently assigned to the Submarine School at New London, Connecticut, initially as an instructor and, in 1952-53, as Officer in Charge.
Promoted to the rank of Captain in July 1953, O'Kane commanded the submarine tender Sperry until June 1954 and then became Commander Submarine Squadron Seven. Following studies at the Naval War College in 1955-56, he served in Washington, D.C., with the Ship Characteristics Board. Captain O'Kane retired from active duty in July 1957 and, on the basis of his extensive combat awards, was simultaneously advanced to the rank of Rear Admiral on the Retired List. Richard H. O'Kane died on 16 February 1994.
The guided-missile destroyer USS O'Kane (DDG-77), 1999-____, is named in honor of Rear Admiral O'Kane.
This page features all the views we have related to Richard H. O'Kane.
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Photo #: 80-G-702334 Commander Richard H. O'Kane, USN Photographed in about March 1946, shortly after he had been awarded the Medal of Honor. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 50KB; 595 x 765 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: NH 97859 Commander Richard H. O'Kane, USN Oil painting by Commander Albert K. Murray, USNR, Official U.S. Navy Combat Artist, depicting Commander O'Kane on board the submarine Tang (SS-306) in 1944. This photograph was taken to support the Metropolitian Museum of Art exhibition "Your Navy: Its contribution to America from Colonial Days to World Leadership", which opened on 25 October 1948. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 72KB; 655 x 675 pixels |
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Photo #: 80-G-35725 Lieutenant Commander Dudley W. Morton, USN, Commanding Officer, USS Wahoo (SS-238), at right With his Executive Officer, Lieutenant Richard H. O'Kane, on Wahoo's open bridge, at Pearl Harbor after her very successful third war patrol, circa 7 February 1943. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 85KB; 740 x 605 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-37034 USS Wahoo (SS-238) Lieutenant Richard H. O'Kane, Executive Officer, at the periscope during Wahoo's attack on a Japanese convoy north of New Guinea, 26 January 1943. Several ships, among them the transport Buyo Maru, were sunk in this action. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 51KB; 740 x 600 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-37033 USS Wahoo (SS-238) Lieutenant Commander Dudley W. Morton, Commanding Officer, with another officer (probably Lieutenant Richard H. O'Kane), in Wahoo's conning tower during her attack on a Japanese convoy north of New Guinea, 26 January 1943. Several ships, among them the transport Buyo Maru, were sunk in this action. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 75KB; 740 x 595 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-35726 USS Wahoo (SS-238) At Pearl Harbor, soon after the end of her third war patrol, circa 7 February 1943. Her Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Dudley W. Morton, is on the open bridge, in right center. Officer standing at left appears to be the Executive Officer, Lieutenant Richard H. O'Kane. Note: broom lashed to the periscope head, indicating a "clean sweep" of enemy targets encountered; pennant bearing the slogan "Shoot the sunza bitches" and eight small flags, representing claimed sinkings of two Japanese warships and six merchant vessels. Note that the forward radar mast, mounted in front of the periscope shears, has been censored out of this photograph. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 76KB; 595 x 765 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-227987 USS Tang (SS-306) The submarine's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Richard H. O'Kane (center), poses with the twenty-two aircrewmen that Tang rescued off Truk during the carrier air raids there on 29 April-1 May 1944. The photograph was taken upon Tang's return to Pearl Harbor from her second war patrol, in May 1944. Those present are identified in Photo # 80-G-227987 (complete caption). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 137KB; 585 x 765 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: NH 97858 Commander Richard H. O'Kane, USN Is congratulated by President Harry S. Truman, after he had been presented with the Medal of Honor in ceremonies on the White House lawn, Washington, D.C., 27 March 1946. Commander O'Kane, USN, received the award for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" as Commanding Officer of USS Tang (SS-306) in combat on 23-24 October 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 92KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 95937 USS Tang (SS-563) Sponsor and official party at the ship's launching ceremonies, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, 19 June 1951. Present in the front row are (left to right): Miss Marsha G. O'Kane, Maid of Honor; Mrs. Richard H. O'Kane, Sponsor; and Commander Richard H. O'Kane, USN, former Commanding Officer of the first USS Tang (SS-306). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 124KB; 740 x 635 pixels |
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Medal of Honor citation of Commander Richard Hetherington O'Kane (as printed in his official biography): |
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the "Online Library's" digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 6 February 2002