Thomas John Ryan , Jr. ( August 5 , 1901 &ndash; January 28 , 1970 ) was a career American naval officer who received the Medal of Honor , the United States ' highest military decoration , for his actions while in Yokohama , Japan during the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake . Ryan went on to serve in World War II as a destroyer flotilla commander
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
Thomas J. Ryan (admiral)