William Pinckney

William Pinckney (April 27, 1915 – July 21, 1976) was a United States Navy sailor who was the second African-American to be awarded the Navy Cross, the second-highest decoration for valor in combat after the Medal of Honor. Pinckney received the medal for saving the life of a fellow crew member on board the during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. The is named in his honor.

Early life Pinckney was born in Dale, South Carolina, on April 27, 1915, to Renty and Jenny Pinckney. His father worked as a carpenter on shrimp boats while his mother died when he was eight years old. Pinckney attended school through the seventh grade then worked as a carpenter on shrimp boats before he joined the Navy. At the time, cook was one of the few ratings open in the U.S. Navy to Black sailors.

While serving on the Enterprise, Pinckney took part in a number of battles including the Doolittle Raid, the Battle of Midway, and the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, where the carrier suffered three direct bomb hits that killed 74 sailors and wounded 95.

After repairs at Pearl Harbor, the Enterprise took part in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in October 1942. On October 26, the ship was struck by two 250 kg bombs that killed 44 men and wounded 75. In 2018, a new headstone was unveiled that listed the Navy Cross.

Legacy In 1943, Pinckney receiving the Navy Cross resulted in coverage across the United States, including in the New York Times, the Call and Post in Cleveland, the Detroit Evening Times, the Jackson Advocate and the Negro History Bulletin.

The 1945 documentary film The Negro Sailor also describes Pinckney's heroism and shows a painting of him saving Bagwell's life. It also honors Doris Miller and Leonard Roy Harmon.

In that same year, Senator James M. Mead gave a speech on the Senate floor about the "Service of Negroes in the Navy" in which he read Pinckney's award citation.

The USS Pinckney (DDG 91), commissioned on May 29, 2004, is named in his honor. In announcing the naming of the ship, Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig said that Pinckney "embodied the Navy's value of selfless service, at a time when the institution undervalued black service members. His willingness to give so much, and sacrifice for an institution which gave him so little, makes these acts for which he earned the Navy Cross that much more heroic."

Navy Cross citation