Samuel Wilder King was one of Hawaii’s most notable contributions to the U.S. Navy during World War I. A graduate of Annapolis and a native of Hawaii, King served as a lieutenant commander aboard the U.S.S. St. Louis, which played a critical role in convoying American troops and supplies across the Atlantic. He was instrumental in the success of the Naval Militia of Hawaii, having helped organize and train its members before the war. His leadership and service during the war later helped lay the groundwork for his postwar political career, eventually becoming the first governor of Hawaii of Native Hawaiian descent.
