When the National Medal of Honor Museum opens to the public on March 25, 2025, visitors will see, among many artifacts, a section of the navigation bridge of USS San Francisco (CA-38). People often refer to some artifacts as “witness” items—those which were present during a major historical event. Nearly four feet wide and three feet tall, this aluminum section of the ship’s railing bears the scars of one of the fiercest naval battles of World War II. During the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal over the night of November 12-13, 1942, four men aboard the ship earned the Medal of Honor in a pivotal battle against the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Aboard San Francisco was Rear Admiral Daniel Callaghan, in command of Task Force 67. Callaghan had previously commanded San Francisco and selected his old ship as the flagship of his task force. Under the command of Captain Cassin Young (a Pearl Harbor Medal of Honor Recipient), San Francisco was full of junior officers and enlisted men, who had already dealt with Japanese forces earlier that day when a Japanese aircraft crashed into the ship.
Callaghan’s task force sailed in a straight line, hoping to “cross the T,” a naval tactic where all ships are able to fire to one side while the enemy force, sailing at them in a straight line, is unable to return fire for fear of hitting their own ships. With only cruisers and destroyers, Callaghan’s force was outnumbered and outgunned by the Japanese force that included two battleships. An order went out from Callaghan, “We want the big ones! Get the big ones!” The big ones, the battleships, were on their way to bombard the vital airfield on Guadalcanal called Henderson Field.
The plan quickly fell apart when it was discovered that the Japanese force was sailing in small groups. Illuminated by a Japanese ship’s searchlight, USS Atlanta (CL-51) responded by unleashing her main battery, beginning a firefight that was quick, but chaotic. With the first shots fired, order descended into chaos as ships began firing into the night. Just ten minutes into the battle, San Francisco began taking hit after hit, many of them from the Japanese battleship Hiei.
Suddenly, San Francisco was rocked by several violent hits. Callaghan, on the navigation bridge, was killed instantly, along with his staff. In a matter of seconds, every officer on the bridge, including Captain Young, was either killed or mortally wounded, except young Lieutenant Commander Bruce McCandless, who as the officer of the deck, was assisting with the ship’s navigation. Briefly knocked unconscious, McCandless came to and looked for his senior officers for orders. There was no one left to give any.
McCandless, aware of the dire nature of his situation, called down into the ship to inform Lieutenant Commander Herbert Schonland that he was now the senior officer capable of commanding the ship. Schonland, who was running the ship’s damage control, could not stop his vital work as water poured into the ship and firefighting efforts increased the ship’s instability. He relinquished command to McCandless, who by default was then in charge of the entire task force until a senior officer on another ship could take command.
With the battle raging on all sides, McCandless feared communicating Callaghan’s death over the radio. If the Japanese had intercepted the message, it might have given them an edge. Fearing court martial and the end of his career, McCandless decided nothing was left to be done but carry out what he knew Callaghan had planned to do.
The battle lasted barely an hour, but the American force sustained heavy losses. Of the 13 ships in Callaghan’s task force, four were sunk, one would be lost later that day, and nearly every other ship sustained major damage. But their mission was accomplished. They held off the Japanese forces attempting to bombard Henderson Field.
Aboard San Francisco, Lieutenant Commander Schonland successfully managed damage to the ship. Although it sustained roughly 45 major hits, the ship was secured and capable of returning on its own power to its namesake city a month later. For his efforts in leading the ship’s repair teams, Scholand was awarded the Medal of Honor. For his leadership against a superior force, Rear Admiral Callaghan was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. It was presented to his son, Daniel Callaghan Jr, a young naval officer. A third Medal was awarded to Boatswain’s Mate First Class Reinhold Keppler, who earlier in the day treated those wounded by the Japanese aircraft crashing into the ship. That night, during the fierce battle, Keppler led a team fighting a fire in the ship’s hangar. Mortally wounded in the battle, Keppler aided his fellow sailors until he died from blood loss.
The most notable Medal of Honor Recipient from San Francisco’s crew was Lieutenant Commander Bruce McCandless. When the ship returned to San Francisco, he was presented the Medal in a special ceremony aboard this ship. His story is one of many which will be told in the National Medal of Honor Museum. Alongside some of his personal items will be the large piece of the navigation bridge from the USS San Francisco, removed when the ship was repaired in early 1943. It bears a scar from the battle—a large hole torn into the bottom by a Japanese naval shell, and a stark reminder of the scars of war.
Kali Schick is Senior Historian, National Medal of Honor Museum
