John F. Auer

Last updated
John F. Auer
Born1866
Nyack, New York
DiedMarch 28, 1951(1951-03-28) (aged 84–85) [1]
Nyack, New York
Place of burial
Oak Hill Cemetery
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of servicec. 1882-c.1887
Rank Seaman Apprentice
Unit USS Lancaster
Awards Medal of Honor

John F. Auer (1866-1951) was a sailor in the United States Navy who was one of 193 people received the Medal of Honor in non-combat events, [2] a practice no longer authorized by law, and one of only 3,449 recipients of the award. [3]

United States Navy Naval warfare branch of the United States Armed Forces

The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most capable navy in the world and it has been estimated that in terms of tonnage of its active battle fleet alone, it is larger than the next 13 navies combined, which includes 11 U.S. allies or partner nations. with the highest combined battle fleet tonnage and the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with eleven in service, and two new carriers under construction. With 319,421 personnel on active duty and 99,616 in the Ready Reserve, the Navy is the third largest of the service branches. It has 282 deployable combat vessels and more than 3,700 operational aircraft as of March 2018, making it the second-largest air force in the world, after the United States Air Force.

Medal of Honor United States of Americas highest military honor

The Medal of Honor is the United States of America's highest and most prestigious personal military decoration that may be awarded to recognize U.S. military service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. The medal is normally awarded by the President of the United States in the name of the U.S. Congress. Because the medal is presented "in the name of Congress", it is often referred to informally as the "Congressional Medal of Honor". However, the official name of the current award is "Medal of Honor." Within the United States Code the medal is referred to as the "Medal of Honor", and less frequently as "Congressional Medal of Honor". U.S. awards, including the Medal of Honor, do not have post-nominal titles, and while there is no official abbreviation, the most common abbreviations are "MOH" and "MH".

Combat purposeful violent conflict, typically refers to armed conflict or melee

Combat is a purposeful violent conflict meant to weaken, establish dominance over, or kill the opposition, or to drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed.

Contents

Early life and naval service

Auer was born in 1866 in Nyack, New York, the fifth of five children of Joseph Auer, a stable owner and harness maker. [4] When he was sixteen years old, Auer joined the United States Navy because he wanted to see the world. [5] After completing basic training he was assigned to the USS Lancaster, the flagship of the European Squadron as a Seaman Apprentice. On November 20, 1883, while the Lancaster was in port in Marseille, France, a young Frenchman who was on a stone pier astern of the Lancaster fell overboard, and disappeared below the water twice. Seeing him, and realizing that the boy could not swim, Auer jumped into the water together with Boatswain's Mate Matthew Gillick, and they were able to rescue the boy. [6] For their heroism, both Auer and Gillick were awarded the United States' highest military decoration for gallantry, the Medal of Honor, on February 2, 1884. Before Seaman Auer left the Navy, the medal was stolen, [4] though he wore the ribbon (and retained the citation) until his final years. [4]

Nyack, New York Village in New York, United States

Nyack is a village located primarily in the town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, United States. Incorporated in 1872, it retains a very small western section in Clarkstown. It is an inner suburb of New York City lying approximately 19 miles (31 km) north of the Manhattan boundary near the west bank of the Hudson River, situated north of South Nyack, east of Central Nyack, south of Upper Nyack, and southeast of Valley Cottage.

USS <i>Lancaster</i> (1858)

The first USS Lancaster was a screw sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the American Civil War through the Spanish–American War.

European Squadron

The European Squadron, also known as the European Station, was a part of the United States Navy in the late 19th century and the early 1900s. The squadron was originally named the Mediterranean Squadron and renamed following the American Civil War. In 1905, the squadron was absorbed into the North Atlantic Fleet.

Later life

Auer served in the Navy for five years, after which he returned to his native Nyack. He worked as a letter carrier at Nyack's post office, and kept the same route for over twenty years. Auer died on March 28, 1951, and was survived by his two sons and his wife Eva Kathrine, who died a month later. [7] They were both buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Nyack. His grave can be found in section K, lot 139. [1]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman Apprentice, U.S. Navy. Born: 1866, New York. Accredited to: New York.

Citation:

On board the U.S.S. Lancaster, Marseille, France, 20 November 1883. Jumping overboard, Auer rescued from drowning a French lad who had fallen into the sea from a stone pier astern of the ship.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 John F. Auer at Find a Grave
  2. ↑ The Hall of Heroes; accessed December 6, 2009.
  3. ↑ Congressional Medal of Honor Society Statistics, Page; accessed December 6, 2009
  4. 1 2 3 John F. Auer, Holder of Congressional Medal of Honor, Dies at Nyack Home, Nyack Journal News March 28, 1951
  5. ↑ Nyack Villager; November 2009 issue
  6. ↑ U.S. Army listing of Medal of Honor citations
  7. ↑ Eva Kathrine Auer at Find A Grave.
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