John Fish served in the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy, Medical Corps during World War II. At the time of his death, Dr. Fish was the Flight Surgeon aboard the carrier U.S.S. Intrepid serving in the waters off the coast of the Philippines. On November 25, 1944, the Intrepid was hit twice within a few minutes by Japanese Kamakazi planes. While operating in his Battle Dressing Station on casualties from the first blast, Dr. Fish was killed instantly by the concussion of the second bomb, exploding in such a way that the Battle Dressing Station received the full force of the blast. The following afternoon Dr. Fish was buried at sea.