Ship's Cook Adam Weissel, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on August 26, 1881 in Newport, Rhode Island — a peacetime act of courage recognized in the Interim 1871 - 1899 period. At the time he was serving with U.S. Training Ship Minnesota. Weissel was about 27 years old.
One other service member also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.
Weissel was born in 1854 in Germany — one of 130 recipients born in Germany. His Medal of Honor is credited to New York. Weissel died on December 10, 1928 in Berkeley, California, at the age of about 74. He is buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.
Official Medal of Honor citation
For jumping overboard from the U.S. training ship Minnesota, 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.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
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Timeline
- 1854Born in Germany
- August 26, 1881Act of valor — Newport, Rhode IslandAge about 27. U.S. Training Ship Minnesota
- December 10, 1928Died in Berkeley, CaliforniaAge about 74.
- Resting placeMountain View CemeteryOakland, California
Biography
Adam Weissel (1854 – 10 December 1928) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.
From the Wikipedia article “Adam Weissel”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →