Lucky Fluckey: The Submarine Commander Who Redefined Naval Warfare

Early Life and Struggles: Born in Washington, D.C., Fluckey was academically gifted, graduating from Western High School at just 15 years old. Too young for college, he was sent to Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania to continue his education. During these formative years, he became deeply involved in the Boy Scouts of America, earning the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout—an achievement that would later reflect his lifelong commitment to leadership, preparedness, and service.

Determined to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, Fluckey prepared at Columbian Preparatory School before earning his appointment. His early life was marked not by hardship in the traditional sense, but by discipline, high expectations, and an early push toward responsibility—traits that would define his naval career.

Military Enlistment and Heroics: Fluckey entered the United States Naval Academy in 1931 and was commissioned an Ensign in 1935. After serving aboard surface ships, he found his calling beneath the waves, attending Submarine School in New London, Connecticut. By the early years of World War II, Fluckey was already a seasoned submariner, completing multiple war patrols aboard USS Bonita.

In January 1944, Fluckey assumed command of USS Barb, a moment that would cement his place in naval history. Under his leadership, Barb became one of the most successful U.S. submarines of the war, sinking 179,700 tons of enemy shipping, including 25 vessels such as a carrier, cruiser, and frigate—second only to legendary submariner Richard O’Kane.

Defining Moment: Fluckey’s most defining moment came during Barb’s 11th war patrol, an operation so daring it redefined what submarines could accomplish. Demonstrating extraordinary boldness, he led attacks deep inside heavily defended enemy waters along the China coast, inventing new tactics such as night convoy attacks from astern and penetrating anchorages thought unreachable.

Perhaps most remarkable was Fluckey’s decision to send an eight-man landing party ashore on Sakhalin Island, then part of Japan’s home territory. The crew sabotaged a coastal railway, destroying a 16-car Japanese train—the only U.S. ground combat operation on the Japanese home islands during World War II. Fluckey deliberately selected crew members from every division of the submarine, ensuring shared risk and shared honor.

For these actions, Fluckey received the Medal of Honor, though he consistently credited the award to the courage and skill of his entire crew, stating that Barb’s success was a team achievement, not a personal one.

Post-War Life and Career: After World War II, Fluckey continued a distinguished naval career spanning 37 years. He served in numerous high-level roles, including personal aide to Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Director of Naval Intelligence, Commander of Submarine Force Pacific Fleet, and later as a U.S. Naval Attaché to Portugal—where he earned the Portuguese Medalha de Mérito Militar, a rare honor for a foreign naval officer.

Promoted to Rear Admiral, Fluckey retired from active duty in 1972. Retirement did not slow his service-oriented life. Alongside his wife Marjorie, and later his second wife Margaret, he ran an orphanage in Portugal from 1974 to 1982, quietly continuing his commitment to helping others.

In 1992, he published his memoir, Thunder Below!, a candid and crew-centered account of life aboard Barb. The book won the Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature and remains one of the most respected submarine war memoirs ever written.

Military Awards and Decorations: Rear Admiral Eugene B. Fluckey’s decorations reflect a career of extraordinary valor and leadership, including:

He was also one of only eleven Eagle Scouts in history to receive the Medal of Honor—a rare and powerful testament to a lifetime of service.

Rear Admiral Eugene B. “Lucky” Fluckey was more than a brilliant tactician or decorated war hero—he was a leader who believed deeply in his people, a servant who wore his honors lightly, and a patriot whose courage reshaped naval warfare. From the daring exploits of USS Barb to decades of service after the war, Fluckey’s life reflects the highest ideals of the U.S. Navy: honor, courage, and commitment.

His legacy endures not only in history books and medals, but in the lives he led, the crew he protected, and the example he set—proving that true valor is shared, not claimed.