James C. Dempsey
James Charles Dempsey (August 30, 1908 – July 9, 1979), was a decorated submarine commander during World War II who reached the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. He died, aged 70, on July 9, 1979, of congestive heart and kidney failure at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia. As submarine commander of the , he sank the first enemy destroyer in World War II on February 8, 1942. For this action, he was awarded a Navy Cross. According to the official award citation, it was awarded "For extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the USS S-37, in offensive action in the Straits of Makassar on February 8, 1942 ... Lieutenant Dempsey attacked four vessels ... at close range, completely destroying one of them in the engagement." As commander of the USS Spearfish a few months later, Dempsey helped to evacuate the last Americans from the island of Corregidor before it fell to the Japanese on May 6, 1942. On May 3, Dempsey led the Spearfish into hostile waters around Corregidor island. According to a historian of submarine operations in World War II, "Spearfish (Lieutenant Commander J.C.