John Russell (Medal of Honor)

Last updated
John Russell
Born1852
New York City
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Rank Seaman
Unit USS Trenton
Awards Medal of Honor

John Russell (born 1852, 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.

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".

Contents

Biography

Born in 1852 in New York, New York, Russell joined the Navy from that state. By September 21, 1880, he was serving as a seaman on the USS Trenton. On that day, while Trenton was at Genoa, Italy, he and Seaman Philip Moore jumped overboard and rescued Ordinary Seaman Hans Paulsen from drowning. For this action, both Russell and Moore were awarded the Medal of Honor four years later, on October 18, 1884. [1]

Seaman (rank) Military rank

Seaman is a military rank used in many navies around the world. It is considered a junior enlisted rank and, depending on the navy, it may be a single rank on its own or a name shared by several similarly-junior ranks.

USS <i>Trenton</i> (1876)

The first USS Trenton was a wooden-hulled screw steamer in the United States Navy. She was named for Trenton, New Jersey.

Genoa Comune in Liguria, Italy

Genoa is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of Genoa, which in 2015 became the Metropolitan City of Genoa, counted 855,834 resident persons. Over 1.5 million people live in the wider metropolitan area stretching along the Italian Riviera.

Russell's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

For jumping overboard from the U.S.S. Trenton, at Genoa, Italy, 21 September 1880, and rescuing from drowning Hans Paulsen, ordinary seaman. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

John Davis was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

John Smith was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of America's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Luovi Halling was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for attempting to rescue a shipmate from drowning during a storm.

Alexander Peters was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for attempting to rescue a shipmate from drowning during a storm.

Hugh King was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

John Handran United States Navy Medal of Honor recipient

John Handran was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Edward Maddin was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Richard Ryan (1851–1933) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

William Morse was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Philip Moore (1853–1902) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Alexander Haure Turvelin was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Francis Moore was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Johannes Rouning was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. He was likely born in Norway in May 1859.

Christian Osepins (1858–1887) was a Dutch-born United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Matthew Gillick was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

J. W. Norris was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

August Chandron was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Hugh Miller was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

John Enright was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Joseph H. Davis was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

References

  1. 1 2 "Medal of Honor recipients - Interim Awards, 1871–1898". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. August 5, 2010. Retrieved September 3, 2010.