The city of Coronado, California, has designated areas on two heavily travel streets as “The Avenue of Heroes” where Hometown Heroes Banners are displayed honoring military members of their community. The following are excerpts from the Coronado Avenue of Heroes Program website concerning Samuel Hugh Alexander whose banner was displayed during mid-2017.
They were called “90 Day Wonders,” college educated young men trained as Reserve Officers to meet the needs of the Navy’s expanded fleet in 1940-45. The label, initially not intended to be a compliment, proved to be unfounded. Samuel Hugh Alexander served with distinction. He completed his accelerated program in mid 1940 and joined the U.S. Pacific Fleet. In 1942 he served aboard the battleship USS Idaho.
In January 1943, then Lieutenant Alexander was ordered to take command of the USS LST 313. On July 10, 1943, an amphibious assault was launched on Sicily and LST-313 was in the first wave, and the embarked troops and vehicles began to move ashore. Then, an enemy bomber scored a direct hit on the ship starting multiple fires in the cargoes of ammunition, land mines, and other flammable material loaded in trucks. LT Alexander took charge of fighting the fire and directed the rescue and transfer to another ship of all survivors, many of whom had been severely burned and injured. Faithful to the longstanding tradition of sea captains, LT Alexander was the last to leave his flaming ship. He was honored with a Navy Cross for his actions on this day as he “saved the lives of many of the embarked personnel” and displayed “complete disregard for his own safety.”
Alexander later had a succession of assignments all over the world. He retired from the Navy as a Commander in 1961 and then had a career in the California aerospace industry. CDR Alexander died in 2011, twelve days after his 97th birthday. He was survived by his wife who continues to live in Coronado.
Note: CDR Samuel Hugh Alexander is buried as Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego where his memorial marker carries the inscription: CDR – USN – WORLD WAR II – KOREA.
NAVY CROSS CITATION
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Samuel Hugh Alexander, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Officer in Charge of the USS LST THREE HUNDRED THIRTEEN (LST-313), during the amphibious assault on the Island of Sicily. On 10 July 1943, the USS LST 313 beached at the assigned point near Gela, Sicily, to disembark assault troops and vehicles. Shortly thereafter the ship received a direct hit during a particularly heavy enemy bombing attack. The resulting explosion set fire to the cargo ammunition, land mines and other flammable material loaded in trucks. Lieutenant Alexander coolly and courageously took charge of fighting the fire, and directed the rescue and transfer to another ship of all survivors, many of whom had been severely burned and injured from the force of the initial explosion. His prompt and gallant action temporarily checked the spreading of the fire and saved the lives of many of the embarked personnel who would otherwise have lost their lives. The exceptional heroism, cool and courageous action and complete disregard for his own safety displayed by Lieutenant Alexander were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)
