Edouard Izac: Courage and Perseverance Personified
Quick answer: Who was Edouard Izac?
Edouard Izac was a U.S. Navy lieutenant captured when the German submarine U-90 sank the transport USS President Lincoln in 1918. He gathered intelligence on German submarine movements, escaped from a prison camp, crossed the Rhine to Switzerland, and received the Medal of Honor. He later represented San Diego in Congress for five terms.
Looking for an example of courage and perseverance? Visit Edouard Izac the next time you're at Arlington National Cemetery. His grave is visible from Porter Drive. Edouard Victor Michel Izac grew up in a rural setting and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1915. In 1918 he was serving aboard the troop transport USS President Lincoln when she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-90. Izac was taken prisoner aboard the submarine, where he gathered information on German submarine movements so important that he was determined to escape and get it to the U.S. Navy. Moved to prison camps in Germany, he made his break in October 1918. According to his Medal of Honor citation, he broke through barbed-wire fences and deliberately drew the guards' fire so others could escape in the confusion. He made his way through the mountains of southwestern Germany living on raw vegetables and at the end swam the Rhine at night close to German sentries. He later moved to San Diego and was elected to Congress as a Democrat from California's 20th District, serving on the House Naval Affairs Committee as war came to the Pacific. He lost his bid for a sixth term in 1946. When he died, he was the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient.
Why it matters for leaders: Izac never stopped looking for a way to get his information home, even as a prisoner deep in enemy territory.
Q: Why did Izac receive the Medal of Honor?
A: For gathering intelligence while a prisoner of U-90 and for his escape from a German prison camp in October 1918 to deliver it.
Q: Where is Izac buried?
A: At Arlington National Cemetery, near Porter Drive.
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By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation