Weedon Osborne
| Weedon Edward Osborne | |
|---|---|
|
Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Weedon Osborne | |
| Born |
November 13, 1892 Chicago, Illinois |
| Died |
June 6, 1918 (aged 25) Killed in action near Bouresches, France |
| Place of burial | Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, Belleau, Aisne, France |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1917 - 1918 |
| Rank | Lieutenant, Junior Grade |
| Unit |
Navy Dental Corps 6th Marine Regiment |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
Weedon Edward Osborne (November 13, 1892 – June 6, 1918) was a United States Navy officer and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War I. He is one of only three dental officers to have received the medal, the others being Alexander Gordon Lyle and Ben L. Salomon.[1][2]
Biography
A Chicago native, Weedon Osborne graduated from Northwestern University Dental School in 1915. He was appointed a U.S. Navy Dental Surgeon with the rank of Lieutenant, Junior Grade, on May 8, 1917. He was assigned duty with the 6th Marine Regiment on March 26, 1918. During the Battle of Belleau Wood, Osborne's unit participated in the advance on Bouresches, France, about a mile southeast of Belleau Wood. Osborne sought to aid the wounded during the battle and was killed while attempting to carry an injured officer to safety on June 6, 1918. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on that day.
Weedon Osborne was 25 years old at the time of his death. He was buried in Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, Belleau, Aisne, France.
Osborne's Medal of Honor, a rare "Tiffany Cross" version, is held by the U.S. Navy Museum in Washington, D.C. The museum acquired the medal in 2003 from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which had confiscated it the year before after someone had attempted to sell the medal in South Carolina. It is illegal to sell a Medal of Honor within the United States.[3]
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, Junior Grade, (Dental Corps), U.S. Navy. Born: 13 November 1892, Chicago, Ill. Appointed from: Illinois.
Citation:
For extraordinary heroism while attached to the 6th Regiment, U.S. Marines, in actual conflict with the enemy and under fire during the advance on Bouresche, France, on 6 June 1918. In the hottest of the fighting when the marines made their famous advance on Bouresche at the southern edge of Belleau Wood, Lt (j.g.). Osborne threw himself zealously into the work of rescuing the wounded. Extremely courageous in the performance of this perilous task, he was killed while carrying a wounded officer to a place of safety.
Namesake
The destroyer USS Osborne (DD-295), which served during the 1920s, was named for Lieutenant Osborne.
See also
Notes
- ↑ American Dental Association (1964). 68. Journal of the American Dental Association: 168. ISSN 0002-8177. OCLC 1777821.
During the 100 years that officers have been eligible, two dental officers have been awarded the Medal: Alexander Gordan Lyle and ...
Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Col. William T. Bowers, (U.S. Army, Retired). "Ben Salomon". Medal of Honor recipients: United States Army Medical Department. Office of Medical History, Office of the Surgeon General. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ↑ Birnie, Michael (2003-04-27). ""Tiffany" Medal of Honor Comes to Navy Museum". United States Navy. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Naval History & Heritage Command.
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- "Osborne". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History & Heritage Command. Retrieved 2006-11-21.
- "US People - Osborne, Weedon E., Lieutenant (Junior Grade), USN (Dental Corps)". Online Library. Naval History & Heritage Command. 2005-02-27. Retrieved 2006-11-21.
- "Weedon Osborne". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 2006-11-21.
- "Weedon Edward Osborne - Medal of Honor recipient". National Naval Medical Center Pride of Place Committee. Retrieved 2006-11-21.