The Medal in Peace Time 1899 - 1911

BONNEY, ROBERT EARL

Rank and organization: Chief Watertender, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. HOP-

KINS. Place and date: Aboard U.S.S. HOPKINS, 14 February 1910. En-

tered service at: Nashville, Tenn. Birth: Tennessee. Citation: While

serving on board the U.S.S. HOPKINS, Bonney displayed extraordinary

heroism in the line of his profession on the occasion of the accident to one

of the boilers of that vessel, 14 February 1910.

 

CLAUSEY, JOHN J.

Rank and organization: Chief Gunner's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 16

May 1875, San Francisco, Calif. Accredited to: California. G.O. No.:

13, 5 January 1906. Citation: On board the U.S.S. BENNINGTON for

extraordinary heroism displayed at the time of the explosion of a boiler of

that vessel at San Diego, Calif., 21 July 1905.

 

COX, ROBERT EDWARD

Rank and organization: Chief Gunner's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 22

December 1855, St. Albans, W. Va. Accredited to: West Virginia. G.O.

No.: 43, 14 April 1921. (Medal presented by President Harding.) Cita-

tion: For extraordinary heroism on U.S.S. MISSOURI 13 April, 1904.

While at target practice off Pensacola, Fla., an accident occurred in the

after turret of the MISSOURI whereby the lives of 5 officers and 28 men

were lost. The ship was in imminent danger of destruction by explosion,

and the prompt action of C.G. Cox and 2 gunners' mates caused the fire to

be brought under control, and the loss of the MISSOURI, together with

her crew, was averted.

 

HOLTZ, AUGUST

Rank and organization: Chief Watertender, U.S. Navy. Born: 12 Febru-

ary 1871, St. Louis, Mo. Entered service at: St. Louis, Mo. G.O. No.:

83, 4 October 1910. Citation: On board the U.S.S. NORTH DAKOTA,

for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the fire on

board that vessel, 8 September 1910.

 

JOHANNESSEN, JOHANNES J.

Rank and organization: Chief Watertender, U.S. Navy. Born: 13 May

1872, Bodo, Norway. Enlisted at: Yokohama, Japan. G.O. No.: 182, 20

March 1905. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. IOWA, for extraordi-

nary heroism at the time of the blowing out of the manhole plate of boiler

D on board that vessel, 25 January 1905.

 

KLEIN, ROBERT

Rank and organization: Chief Carpenter's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 11

November 1884, Gerdonen, Germany. Enlisted at: Marseilles, France.

G.O. No.: 173, 6 October 1904. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S.

RALEIGH, for heroism in rescuing shipmates overcome in double bot-

toms by fumes of turpentine, 25 January 1904.

  

MONSSEN, MONS

Rank and organization: Chief Gunner's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 20

January 1867, Norway. G.O. No.: 160, 26 May 1904. Citation: Serving

on board the U.S.S. MISSOURI, for extraordinary heroism in entering a

burning magazine through the scuttle and endeavoring to extinguish the

fire by throwing water with his hands until a hose was passed to him, 13

April 1904.

 

NORDSTROM, ISIDOR

Rank and organization: Chief Boatswain, U.S. Navy. Born: 24 May

1876, Goteborg, Sweden. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 142, 4

December 1924. Citation: For gallant conduct upon the occasion of the

disastrous fire of accidentally ignited powder charges, which occurred in

the forward turret of the U.S.S. KEARSAGE during target practice on 13

April 1906. Chief Boatswain Nordstrom, then chief boatswain's mate was

among the first to enter the turret in order to assist in bringing out the in-

jured.

 

REID, PATRICK

Rank and organization: Chief Watertender, U.S. Navy. Born: 17 June 1875,

Dublin, Ireland. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 83, 4 October 1910

Citation: For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the fire

on board the U.S.S. NORTH DAKOTA where Reid was serving, 8 September 1910.

 

SHACKLETTE, William Sidney

Rank and organization: Hospital Steward, U.S. Navy. Born: 17 May 1880, Delaplane, Va.

Accredited to: Virginia. G.O. No.: 13, 5 January 1906. Citation: For extraordinary heroism

while serving on the U.S.S. BENNINGTON at the time of the explosion of a boiler of that vessel

at San Diego, Calif., 21 July 1905.

Note: For clarification, in 1905 all Navy Hospital Stewards were Chief Petty Officers.

 

SNYDER, WILLIAM E.

Rank and organization: Chief Electrician, U.S. Navy. Born: 24 Febru-

ary 1883, South Bethlehem, Pa. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.:

58, 2 March 1910. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. BIRMING-

HAM, for extraordinary heroism, rescuing G.H. Kephart, seaman, from

drowning at Hampton Roads, Va., 4 January 1910.

  

STANTON, THOMAS

Rank and organization: Chief Machinist's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 11

August 1869, Ireland. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 83, 4 October 1910

Citation: For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession

during the fire on board the U.S.S. NORTH DAKOTA, 8 September 1910

 

STOKES, JOHN

Rank and organization: Chief Master-at-Arms, U.S. Navy. Born: 12

June 1871, New York, N.Y. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 525,

29 July 1899. Citation: On board the U.S.S. NEW YORK off the coast of

Jamaica, 31 March 1899. Showing gallant conduct, Stokes jumped over-

board and assisted in the rescue of Peter Mahoney, watertender, U.S.

Navy.

 

WALSH, MICHAEL

Rank and organization: Chief Machinist, U.S. Navy. Born: 27 July

1858, Newport, R.I. Accredited to: Rhode Island. G.O. No.: 145, 26

December 1903. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. LEYDEN; for

heroism at the time of the wreck of that vessel, 21 January 1903.

 

WESTA, KARL

Rank and organization: Chief Machinist's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 8

April 1875, Norway. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 83, 4 October 1910

Citation: On board the U.S.S. NORTH DAKOTA; for extraordi-

nary heroism in the line of his profession during the fire on board that

vessel, 8 September 1910.

 

The Medal in Peace Time 1915 - 1916

CRILLEY, FRANK WILLIAM

Rank and organization: Chief Gunner's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 13

September 1883, Trenton, N.J. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. (19 Novem-

ber 1928). Citation: For display of extraordinary heroism in the line of his

profession above and beyond the call of duty during the diving operations

in connection with the sinking in a depth of water 304 feet, of the U.S.S.

F-4 with all on board, as a result of loss of depth control, which occurred

off Honolulu, T.H., on 25 March 1915. On 17 April 1915, William F.

Loughman, chief gunner's mate, U.S. Navy, who had descended to the

wreck and had examined one of the wire hawsers attached to it, upon start-

ing his ascent, and when at a depth of 250 feet beneath the surface of the

water, had his lifeline and air hose so badly fouled by this hawser that he

was unable to free himself; he could neither ascend nor descend. On ac-

count of the length of time that Loughman had already been subjected to

the great pressure due to the depth of water, and of the uncertainty of the

additional time he would have to be subjected to this pressure before he

could be brought to the surface, it was imperative that steps be taken at

once to clear him. Instantly, realizing the desperate case of his comrade,

Crilley volunteered to go to his aid, immediately donned a diving suit and

descended. After a lapse of time of 2 hours and 11 minutes, Crilley was

brought to the surface, having by a superb exhibition of skill, coolness,

endurance and fortitude, untangled the snarl of lines and cleared his im-

periled comrade, so that he was brought, still alive, to the surface.

  

* RUD, GEORGE WILLIAM

Rank and organization: Chief Machinist's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 7

October 1883, Minneapolis, Minn. Accredited to: Minnesota. (1 August 1932)

Citation: For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession

while attached to the U.S.S. MEMPHIS, at a time when that vessel was

suffered total destruction from a hurricane while anchored off Santo Do-

mingo City, 29 August 1916. C.M.M. Rud took his station in the engine-

room and remained at his post amidst scalding steam and the rushing of

thousands of tons of water into his department, receiving serious burns

from which he immediately died.

 

SMITH, EUGENE P.

Rank and organization: Chief Watertender, U.S. Navy. Born: 8 August

1871, Truney, Ill. Accredited to: California. G.O. No.: 189, 8 February 1916

Citation: Attached to U.S.S. DECATUR; for several times entering

compartments on board of DECATUR immediately following an explosion

on board that vessel, 9 September 1915, and locating and rescuing injured

shipmates.