Edouard Victor Michel Izac

Captured by the enemy, imprisoned behind German lines, and determined never to stop serving his country, Lieutenant Commander Edouard Victor Michel Izac turned captivity into one of the most remarkable intelligence successes of the First World War. Risking execution if discovered, he secretly gathered vital information from his captors and escaped through enemy territory to deliver it to Allied authorities. His extraordinary courage and resourcefulness earned him the Medal of Honor, making him the only United States Navy officer to receive the nation's highest military decoration for heroism while a prisoner of war during World War I.

Edouard Victor Michel Izac was born on 18 December 1891 in Cresco, Iowa, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1915. Following his commissioning, he served aboard several warships before being assigned to USS President Lincoln, a troop transport carrying thousands of American soldiers across the Atlantic as the United States expanded its role in the First World War.

On 31 May 1918, USS President Lincoln was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-90 while returning from France. Izac survived the sinking but was captured by the submarine's crew and taken prisoner. During his captivity aboard the submarine, he concealed his ability to understand German and quietly listened to conversations between officers and crew, gathering valuable intelligence about German submarine operations, tactics, and deployment. Although subjected to imprisonment in Germany, he made repeated escape attempts before finally escaping from a prisoner-of-war camp and reaching neutral Switzerland. Once safely behind Allied lines, he reported the intelligence he had collected, providing information considered valuable to the Allied war effort.

For his conspicuous gallantry, exceptional initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty while a prisoner of war, Izac was awarded the Medal of Honor on 11 November 1920. His official citation recognized his remarkable courage in obtaining military intelligence under constant danger and successfully escaping to deliver that information to the United States Navy.

In addition to the Medal of Honor, Izac received the World War I Victory Medal with Transport Clasp, represented on the ribbon by a bronze service star, recognizing his wartime naval service aboard USS President Lincoln. He was also awarded the Order of Prince Danilo I by the Kingdom of Montenegro and Italy's Croce al Merito di Guerra in recognition of his distinguished service during the First World War. These international honours reflected the high regard in which his wartime achievements were held by Allied nations.

Following the war, Izac retired from active naval service because of injuries sustained during his captivity and escape attempts. He later served five terms as a United States Representative from California, continuing his lifelong commitment to public service. When he died on 20 January 1990 at the age of 98, he was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient of the First World War.

Lieutenant Commander Edouard Victor Michel Izac is remembered not only for his extraordinary bravery but also for his intelligence, resilience, and determination under the harshest conditions imaginable. His remarkable story remains one of the most unique in United States naval history, demonstrating that courage is measured not only on the battlefield, but also through endurance, ingenuity, and an unwavering commitment to duty.