Seaman Lawrence Clinton Sinnett was a sailor in the U.S. Navy who 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. Sinnett was 26 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.
Sinnett was born on April 4, 1888 in Burnt House, Richie County, West Virginia. His Medal of Honor is credited to Pennsylvania. Sinnett died on June 11, 1962, at the age of 74. He is buried at I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Harrisville, West Virginia.
Sinnett is one of 56 Medal of Honor recipients from the 1914 Veracruz expedition and one of 380 credited to Pennsylvania.
Official Medal of Honor citation
On board the U.S.S. Florida, Sinnett showed extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21 April 1914.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
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Places
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From the archives
Additional information on his action comes from U.S. Navy General Order No. 101, dated June 15, 1914. "On April 21, at about 12:30 p.m., Ensign G. M. Lowry, in command of First Company, Florida Battalion, at the customhouse, called for volunteers to go into an alleyway betwen the customhouse and an open warehouse down which a heavy fire was being directed by the enemy. Sinnett responded with four others and finally succeeded in dislodging the enemy." The other four volunteers were George Cregan, Harry C. Beasley, Joseph G. Harner, and J. F. Schumacker. All except for Schumacker received the Medal of Honor.
Timeline
- April 4, 1888Born in Burnt House, Richie County, West Virginia
- April 21, 1914Act of valor — Vera Cruz, MexicoAge 26. 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.
- June 11, 1962DiedAge 74.
- Resting placeI.O.O.F. CemeteryHarrisville, West Virginia
Biography
Lawrence Clinton Sinnett (April 4, 1888 – June 11, 1962) was a seaman in the United States Navy and a Medal of Honor recipient for his role in the United States occupation of Veracruz. Sinnett joined the Navy in 1906, and rose to the rank of chief machinists mate before retiring in 1926. He died on June 11, 1962 and is buried in Odd Fellows cemetery, Harrisville, West Virginia.
From the Wikipedia article “Lawrence C. Sinnett”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
