John King (soldier)
John King (born February 7, 1865 in Currabee , Ireland ; died May 20, 1938 ) was a US Navy soldier . During his service, he was awarded the Medal of Honor twice.
Life
John King was born in 1865 in Currabee, a small village near Ballinrobe, Ireland. After coming into conflict with the law in his home country, he decided to relocate to the United States . There he joined the US Navy in 1893 and was used as a coal trimmer . Here he took part in the Philippine-American War and the Spanish-American War , among others .
On May 29, 1901, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for the first time, as he had shown in a boiler explosion on the USS Vicksburg a bravery far beyond his duty to avert further damage to crew and ship. On October 19, 1909, he received his second Medal of Honor for having shown outstanding bravery again in a boiler explosion on the USS Salem on September 13, 1909. He is one of the 19 recipients of the Medal of Honor .
In 1916 he was honorably discharged from the US Navy, but was called up again after the USA entered the war . He served in the New York area through August 1919, when he finally retired.
John King died on May 20, 1938 and was buried in Hot Springs , Arkansas .
Honors
- Medal of Honor (1901)
- Medal of Honor (1909)
- A Charles F. Adams class ship , the USS John King , was named after him.
swell
- ↑ Background information on John King on the Naval History and Heritage Command website www.history.navy.mil, accessed on January 14, 2016
- ^ Averil Staunton: John King US Navy - Congressional Medal of Honor - US Navy www.historicalballinrobe.com, accessed January 14, 2016
- ↑ Background information on the award on the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website www.cmohs.org, accessed on January 14, 2016
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | King, John |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | US Navy soldier, two-time Medal of Honor holder |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 7, 1865 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Currabee , Ireland |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 20, 1938 |