Landsman Engineer's Force William Sweeney, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on June 15, 1880 in opposite the Navy Yard, Norfolk, Virginia — a peacetime act of courage recognized in the Interim 1871 - 1899 period. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Jean Sands. Sweeney was about 24 years old.
One other service member also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.
Sweeney was born in 1856 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. His Medal of Honor is credited to Massachusetts.
Official Medal of Honor citation
For jumping overboard from the U.S.S. Jean Sands, opposite the Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va., on the night of 15 June 1880, and rescuing from drowning a young girl who had fallen overboard.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Places
- Born: Boston — map
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Timeline
- 1856Born in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
- June 15, 1880Act of valor — opposite the Navy Yard, Norfolk, VirginiaAge about 24. U.S.S. Jean Sands
Biography
William Sweeney (born 1856, date of death unknown) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. Born in 1856 in Boston, Massachusetts, Sweeney joined the Navy from that state. By June 15, 1880, he was serving as a landsman in the engineering department of the USS Jean Sands. On that night, while Jean Sands was outside the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, he and another sailor, Landsman James F. O'Conner, jumped overboard and rescued a young girl from drowning. For this action, both Sweeney and O'Conner were awarded the Medal of Honor four years later, on October 18, 1884.
From the Wikipedia article “William Sweeney (Medal of Honor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
