Rufus Geddie Herring was born on 11 June 1921 at Roseboro, North Carolina. Graduating from Davidson College in the Spring of 1942, he enlisted in the U. S. Naval Reserve and subsequently attended the U. S. Naval Reserve Midshipman School at New York City. After being commissioned in the rank of Ensign, he received diesel engine instruction at the University of Illinois, followed by orders to the Amphibious Training Base, Solomons, Maryland. In August, 1943, he assumed command of the newly-completed USS LCI(L) 449 and remained her Commanding Officer during the next year and a half. He was promoted to Lieutenant (Junior Grade in March 1944. Between February and July of that year he participated in the invasions of Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian and Guam. In preparation for the invasion of Iwo Jima, LCI

449 was assigned the duty of close-in fire support for the Underwater Demolition Team who went in make beach reconnaissance two days prior to the invasion. Going in abreast with six other LCI(G)s, Herring's ship caught the brunt of furious shore battery fire without flinching from their task of protecting the UDT swimmers. The action report for LCI 449 was written by a LT J. J. Mittleton, who went aboard with nineteen sailors to relieve Herring and the brave crew after they sustained 60% casualties. His terse, official prose well describes the events surrounding Herring's heroism: “In less than one minute, three hits started two serious fires, left the ship temporarily out of control, disabled all 40mm guns and wounded nineteen (19) men, five of the later suffering critical injuries.

“The Commanding Officer, Lt. (JG) R. G. HERRING, USNR, had suffered multiple wounds and was in critical condition, rapidly losing strength from severe bleeding, but continued to fight his ship . . . “The pilot house not answering orders from the conn, the Captain went to the pilot house, assigned a replacement for his helmsman, conned the ship and directed the care of the wounded from there. All officers except the Engineer were either missing, killed or wounded”. It was for this selfless leadership and determination to continue fighting his ship that Herring was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on September 5, 1945, as pictured above. Rufus Herring, the only LCIer to with the Nation's highest decoration during World War II, remained in the Navy until he retired in 1947 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He subsequently returned to Roseboro, where he pursued a business career. He died on 31 January 1996 and is buried in Roseboro, North Carolina. His Citation for the Congressional Medal of Honor closes with these stirring words: “His unwavering fortitude, aggressive perseverance and indomitable spirit against terrific odds refects the highest credit upon Lt. Herring and uphold the highest traditions of the U. S. Naval Service. We are proud indeed to count Rufus G. Herring as one of our own.

R G Herring