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The Medal of Honor At Vera Cruz - April 1914


Adam R
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This week marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vera Cruz. A total of 55 Medals of Honor were awarded to Sailors and Marines for heroism during the battle. Here are photos of some of the recipients.

 

 

 

John McCloy ( A double recipient for the Boxer Rebellion and Vera Cruz.)

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This is from a thread that I started earlier on Jonas Ingram. The thread can be found at

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/124809-jonas-ingram-moh-veracruz/?hl=ingram

 

On April 22, 1914 Ingram landed at Veracruz, Mexico with the USS Arkansas battalion and received the Medal of Honor for "distinguished conduct in battle" and "skillful and efficient handling of the artillery and machine guns".

 

A press photo taken during WWII. If anyone has a photo taken of him prior to WWII, please feel free to post it in the thread I linked to above.

 

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His 1907 dated frock coat

 

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Aside from Fletcher's MOH, does anyone know where any of these MOHs reside today?

 

Elliott's medal is supposedly at the Medal of Honor Museum at Patriot's Point, SC. DeSomer's medal was photographed by the Navy Historical Center so it's probably in their collection. (Many of DeSomer's photos were donated by his son to the NHC.)

 

The medal to John A. Hughes (he's not shown above) was also photographed by the NHC so they probably have it as well. I have a photo of the group to Harry Huse (not shown above) but I don't know if it's in a museum or private collection.

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  • 2 years later...

Here are some screen captures from periodicals of the day showing the ceremony for the original group of Vera Cruz Medal of Honor awardees. Wednesday, January 6th 1915, looked to have been a cold, grey day aboard the USS Florida at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

 

The image of the cased medal is amusing: the star didn't even remain attached during the photo shoot; not a good sign for the future.

 

........

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A group shot after the ceremony: note that Sinnett for sure, and maybe Harner, are holding the cases in their left hands; Cregan may be looking at his. You can see that Nickerson, who was severely wounded in the early action, is missing his left foot: in fact, he suffered a series of amputations and eventually lost the entire leg. Paradoxically, he would outlive all the others.

​And a photo from a glass plate negative, of the medal Type which these enlisted men were presented (from National Archives online)

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Finally: the reverse of Abraham DeSomer's medal and his Navy Department Letter of Commendation (from Naval History & Heritage Command)

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McCloy, John - Medals of Honor - St. John's Roman Catholic Church

Elliott, MIddleton S. - Medal of Honor - On loan to Congressional Medal of Honor Society

DeSomer, Abraham - Medal of Honor - Naval Heritage Historical Center Washington Navy Yard

Fletcher, Frank - Medal of Honor - Naval Heritage Historical Center Washington Navy Yard

 

 

This is according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society as of May 2010.

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aerialbridge

Smedley Butler earned his first of two Medals of Honor at Vera Cruz. With the Brevet Medal he earned during the Boxer Rebellion some consider him a triple recipient. One of a kind and my favorite USMC general.

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SgtMaddoxUSMC

Is that SDB in the sepia photo above with the folded arms and cigar in his mouth?

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aerialbridge

Is that SDB in the sepia photo above with the folded arms and cigar in his mouth?

 

Maj. Butler would have been about 33 y/o in this photo, circled. Col. Littleton "Tony" Waller is seated far left, next to British Admiral Sir Christopher Craddock. Craddock was killed later that year on November 1, during the Battle of Coronel with the Germans, off the coast of Chile. That's another USMC colonel standing next to Craddock-- don't know who. And it's either a USMC light col. or major with the stogie standing behind Craddock. The photo (bought single out of a black paper scrapbook) writing on the back says the 4-striper resting his head on his hand (as though his team were losing) is "Capt. (James) Glennon of the Texas", but I'm pretty certain that's not Glennon from photos that I've seen. The newly commissioned Texas' plankowner captain at Vera Cruz was Albert Grant, but not sure it's him from other photos I've seen. The foreign officer in the lower right is identified on the back as the captain of the Spanish cruiser Emperador Carlos V. Cdr. Yates Stirling, Jr. is above the guy with the pith helmet. Neither Butler nor Stirling were id'd on the back of the photo. Stirling and Butler ran into each other at least a couple times in their careers. In '27-29 when Butler was commander of the Marine Expeditionary Force in China, Stirling was Commander Yangtze Patrol. Stirling wrote about how he was sometimes mistaken for Smedley Butler. I like this spontaneous crowd shot. A lot of USMC and USN history in it and an enlargement hangs in the old cave. Thanks for your interest.

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SgtMaddoxUSMC

Ahh okay now I see Butler.. I was actually talking about the fellow with the campaign cover standing with his arms folded next to white pith helmet.. he also bears some likeness to Butler in the long face and smaller ears... but now that I look closer it is obvious that the other guy is Butler

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