A fallen Black World War Ii hero, Leonard Roy Harmon, was honored Sunday during an annual ceremony at Lands End in San Francisco.
SAN FRANCISCO -- On Memorial Day weekend, a San Francisco tradition was revived after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The annual ceremony was held to honor the memory of the USS San Francisco in the battle of Guadalcanal during World War II. The event also honored a sailor who was commended for his bravery, even as he battled racism in the military.
Miraculously, the ship was not sunk but 77 sailors died in the battle, including most of the command staff. At Sunday's ceremony, their names were read aloud and a bell was rung to honor their passing. Professor Armstead, who gave the ceremony's keynote address, said Harmon probably should have received the Medal of Honor for his actions but instead the Navy granted him an honor that was even rarer -- they named a ship for him."First of all, an unlisted man -- there's not many ships named after unlisted men and there were no ships that had ever been named after a Black sailor," Armstead said.
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