Serving as a sailor in the U.S. Navy, Ordinary Seaman Charles Luers Nordsiek received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 21, 1914 in Vera Cruz, Mexico during the 1914 Veracruz expedition. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Florida. Nordsiek was 18 years old.
40 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on January 6, 1915 — presented by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels on the deck of the USS Florida at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York. He later rose to the rank of Lieutenant.
Nordsiek was born on April 19, 1896 in New York, New York. Nordsiek died on March 9, 1937, at the age of 40. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Nordsiek is one of 56 Medal of Honor recipients from the 1914 Veracruz expedition and one of 678 credited to New York.
Official Medal of Honor citation
On board the U.S.S. Florida, Nordsiek showed extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21-22 April 1914.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: World War I.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
From the archives
Additional information on his action comes from U.S. Navy General Order No. 101, dated June 15, 1914. He was in the signal squad with three other men, Charles F. Bishop, James A. Walsh, and Fred J. Schnepel, under Ensign McDonnell. "They were stationed on the roof of the Terminal Hotel from 11:30 am, April 21, till sunset, and returned there at daylight on the 22d. On this roof and near them a marine was killed, an electrician third class was seriously wounded, and one member of the party (Nordsiek) was wounded. Nothwithstanding the constant fire to which they were subjected and their unusually exposed position, they were not diverted from their extremely important duty of keeping unbroken and efficient communication by signals with the U.S.S. Prairie."
Timeline
- April 19, 1896Born in New York, New York
- April 21, 1914Act of valor — Vera Cruz, MexicoAge 18. U.S.S. Florida
- January 6, 1915Medal of Honor presentedPresented by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels on the deck of the USS Florida at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York.
- March 9, 1937DiedAge 40.
- Resting placeArlington National CemeteryArlington, Virginia
Biography
Charles Luers Nordsiek (April 19, 1896 – March 9, 1937) was a seaman in the United States Navy and a Medal of Honor recipient for his role in the United States occupation of Veracruz. Born in New York City, Nordsiek attended high school there until 1911. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on September 4, 1913. In 1914, Nordsiek was assigned to the battleship USS Florida. He went ashore at Veracruz as a member of a five-man signal squad led by Ensign Edward O. McDonnell. The other squad members were Charles F. Bishop, Fred J. Schnepel and James A. Walsh.
From the Wikipedia article “Charles Luers Nordsiek”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
