Serving as a sailor in the U.S. Navy, Seaman Ora Graves received the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 23, 1917 at Sea aboard the U.S.S. Pittsburgh during World War I. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Pittsburgh. Graves was 20 years old.
One other service member also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on July 27, 1918 — on board the U.S.S. Pittsburgh presented by Capt. G.B. Bradshaw.
Graves was born on July 26, 1896 in Las Animas, Bent County, Colorado. His Medal of Honor is credited to San Francisco, San Francisco County, California. Graves died on September 28, 1961 in El Cajon, California, at the age of 65. He is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California.
Graves is one of 132 Medal of Honor recipients from World War I and one of 142 credited to California.
Official Medal of Honor citation
For extraordinary heroism on 23 July 1917, while the U.S.S. Pittsburgh was proceeding to Buenos Aires, Argentina. A 3-inch saluting charge exploded, causing the death of C.T. Lyles, seaman. Upon the explosion, Graves was blown to the deck, but soon recovered and discovered burning waste on the deck. He put out the burning waste while the casemate was filled with clouds of smoke, knowing that there was more powder there which might explode.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: World War I.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in California →
From the archives
For most of history, Ora Graves was accredited to Nebraska. However, further research has shown that there were two men by the name of "Ora Graves" who served in the U.S. Navy during World War I. One of these men was born in 1892, and lived and died in Nebraska, and had the service number 1616682. The other, who was born in Colorado in 1896 and served on the USS Pittsburgh and received the Medal of Honor, had the service number 1616680. The Medal of Honor Recipient enlisted at San Francisco, California, in 1915. No doubt the similarities in the two men's service records resulted in an honest error.
Timeline
- July 26, 1896Born in Las Animas, Bent County, Colorado
- July 23, 1917Act of valor — at Sea aboard the U.S.S. PittsburghAge 20. U.S.S. Pittsburgh
- July 27, 1918Medal of Honor presentedOn board the U.S.S. Pittsburgh presented by Capt. G.B. Bradshaw
- September 28, 1961Died in El Cajon, CaliforniaAge 65.
- Resting placeFort Rosecrans National CemeterySan Diego, California
Biography
Ora Graves (July 26, 1896 – September 28, 1961) was a sailor in the United States Navy who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during World War I.
From the Wikipedia article “Ora Graves”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
