Serving as a Marine in the U.S. Marine Corps, Sergeant John Henry Helms received the Medal of Honor for his actions on January 10, 1901 in Montevideo, Uruguay — a peacetime act of courage recognized in the Interim 1899 - 1910 period. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Chicago. Helms was 26 years old.
Helms was born on March 16, 1874 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. His Medal of Honor is credited to Illinois. Helms died on February 17, 1918 in Cervicos, Dominican Republic, at the age of 43. He is buried at Mound Grove Cemetery in Kankakee, Illinois.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Serving on board the U.S.S. Chicago, for heroism in rescuing Ishi Tomizi, ship's cook, from drowning at Montevideo, Uruguay, 10 January 1901.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Illinois →
From the archives
John Helms continued to serve in the Marine Corps until his death in 1918 in the Dominican Republic.
Timeline
- March 16, 1874Born in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
- January 10, 1901Act of valor — Montevideo, UruguayAge 26. U.S.S. Chicago
- February 17, 1918Died in Cervicos, Dominican RepublicAge 43.
- Resting placeMound Grove CemeteryKankakee, Illinois
Biography
John Henry Helms (March 16, 1874 – February 17, 1919) was a United States Marine and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for saving a shipmate from drowning.
From the Wikipedia article “John Henry Helms”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →