Oscar Schmidt, Jr.

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Oscar Schmidt, Jr.
March 25, 1896(1896-03-25) – March 24, 1973 (aged 76)
Chief Gunner's Mate Oscar Schmidt
Chief Gunner's Mate Oscar Schmidt
Place of birth Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Rank Chief Gunner's Mate
Unit USS Chestnut Hill
Battles/wars World War I
Awards Medal of Honor
Reverse side of Schmidt's Medal of Honor.
Reverse side of Schmidt's Medal of Honor.

Oscar Schmidt, Jr. (March 25, 1896 – March 24, 1973) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War I.

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[edit] Biography

Schmidt joined the Navy from his birth state of Pennsylvania and served during and after World War I, rising to the rank of Chief Gunner's Mate. On 9 October 1918, while a crewmember on USS Chestnut Hill, he assisted in the rescue of crewmen from the burning submarine chaser SC-219 following a gasoline explosion. For this act, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Schmidt died the day before his 77th birthday and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia.

[edit] Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Chief Gunner's Mate, U.S. Navy. Place and date: At sea, 9 October 1918. Entered service at: Pennsylvania. Born: 25 March 1896, Philadelphia, Pa. G.O. No.: 450, 1919.

Citation:

For gallant conduct and extraordinary heroism while attached to the U.S.S. Chestnut Hill, on the occasion of the explosion and subsequent fire on board the U.S. submarine chaser 219. Schmidt, seeing a man, whose legs were partly blown off, hanging on a line from the bow of the 219, jumped overboard, swam to the sub chaser and carried him from the bow to the stern where a member of the 219's crew helped him land the man on the afterdeck of the submarine. Schmidt then endeavored to pass through the flames amidships to get another man who was seriously burned. This he was unable to do, but when the injured man fell overboard and drifted to the stern of the chaser Schmidt helped him aboard .

[edit] See also

United States Navy Portal

[edit] References

This article includes information collected from the Naval Historical Center, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.