Adam Weissel

Adam Weissel
Born 1854
Germany
Died December 10, 1928 (aged 73–74)
Place of burial Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland, California
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Rank Ship's Cook
Unit USS Minnesota
Awards Medal of Honor

Adam Weissel (1854 – December 10, 1928) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Biography

Born in 1854 in Germany, Weissel immigrated to the United States and joined the Navy from New York. By August 26, 1881, he was serving as a ship's cook on the training ship USS Minnesota. On that day, while Minnesota was at Newport, Rhode Island, Captain of the Forecastle C. Lorenze fell overboard. Weissel jumped into the water and kept him afloat until they were picked up by one of the ship's small boats. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor three years later, on October 18, 1884.[1]

Weissel's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

For jumping overboard from the U.S. Training Ship Minnesota, at Newport, R.I., 26 August 1881, and sustaining until picked up by a boat from the ship, C. Lorenze, captain of the forecastle, who had fallen overboard.[1]

In 1884, Weissel served as cook on the British ship Alert when it took part in the Arctic rescue of Adolphus Greely and his Lady Franklin Bay Expedition.[2] Weissel died on December 10, 1928, at age 73 or 74 and was buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Medal of Honor recipients - Interim Awards, 1871–1898". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. August 5, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
  2. ↑ Schley, Winfield Scott (1887). Report of Winfield S. Schley: Commander, U. S. Navy, commanding Greely relief expedition of 1884. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. p. 19.
  3. ↑ "Adam Weissel". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. November 18, 2006. Retrieved September 5, 2010.

External links

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