Serving as a sailor in the U.S. Navy, Captain of the Forecastle John Greene received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 24, 1862 in Forts Jackson & St. Philip, Louisiana during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Varuna.
18 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on August 31, 1863.
His Medal of Honor is credited to New York.
Greene is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 678 credited to New York.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Captain of a gun on board the U.S.S. Varuna during the attacks on Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and while under fire and ramming by the rebel ship Morgan, 24 April 1862. During this action at extremely close-range while his ship was under furious fire and twice rammed by the rebel ship Morgan, Greene remained steadfast at his gun throughout the thickest of the fight and was instrumental in inflicting damage on the enemy until the Varuna, badly damaged and forced to beach, was finally sunk.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Timeline
- April 24, 1862Act of valor — Forts Jackson & St. Philip, LouisianaU.S.S. Varuna
- August 31, 1863Medal of Honor presented
Biography
John Greene (fl. 1862) was a Union Navy sailor in the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip.
From the Wikipedia article “John Greene (Medal of Honor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
