Thomas Joel Maloy

Who was Thomas Joel Maloy?

Thomas Joel Maloy was a member of the United States Navy and a recipient of the Navy Cross for heroism.

Maloy was born in Portland, Oregon, and enlisted in the Navy 30 September 1926. On 13 November 1942, in action off Guadalcanal, Chief Watertender Maloy’s ship, USS Atlanta, was torpedoed and went dead in the water. After ordering his crew to abandon number one fireroom, Maloy remained at his station struggling to stem the rapid flooding of the area. Compelled to leave the compartment, he proceeded to the forward engine room to investigate conditions there. He perished in this heroic attempt to save the ship. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism during the Guadalcanal campaign. The USS Maloy DDE-791 was named after him.