About Eugene B. Fluckey
Eugene Bennett Fluckey (October 5, 1913 – June 28, 2007), nicknamed "Lucky Fluckey", was a United States Navy rear admiral who received the Medal of Honor and four Navy Crosses during his service as a submarine commander in World War II. After 37 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, Fluckey retired in 1972, publishing a memoir, Thunder Below! twenty years later in 1992. In his recollections, Fluckey credited his Medal of Honor to the actions of the entire crew of USS Barb, detailing his efforts to ensure their valor was properly recognized. Fluckey remained active in the veterans' community for the remainder of his life, and together with his wife Marjorie (and his second wife, Margaret) ran an orphanage in Portugal from 1974 to 1982. Fluckey died in 2007 at age 93; he is buried at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery. Fluckey was awarded four Navy Crosses for extraordinary heroism during the eighth, ninth, tenth, and twelfth war patrols of Barb. With two frigates pursuing, Barb set a then-world speed record for a submarine of 23.5 knots (43.5 km/h) using 150% overload. The Portuguese government, for his distinguished service, decorated him with the Medalha de Mérito Militar, noting that this was the first time this decoration was awarded to a naval attaché of any other nation.
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