| Thomas Robinson | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 17, 1837 Norway |
| Died | May 12, 1915 (aged 77) |
| Place of burial | Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ | United States Navy |
| Rank | Captain of the Afterguard |
| Unit | USS Tallapoosa |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Thomas Robinson (May 17, 1837 – May 12, 1915) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.
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 and second most powerful air force in the world.
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".
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A native of Norway, Robinson immigrated to the United States and joined the Navy from the state of New York. By July 15, 1866, he was serving as captain of the afterguard on the USS Tallapoosa. On that day, while the Tallapoosa was off the coast of New Orleans, Louisiana, he attempted to rescue a shipmate, Landsman Wellington Brocar, from drowning. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor two weeks later, on August 1. [1]
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northwestern Europe whose territory comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula; the remote island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard are also part of the Kingdom of Norway. The Antarctic Peter I Island and the sub-Antarctic Bouvet Island are dependent territories and thus not considered part of the kingdom. Norway also lays claim to a section of Antarctica known as Queen Maud Land.
New York is a state in the Northeastern United States. New York was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that formed the United States. With an estimated 19.54 million residents in 2018, it is the fourth most populous state. To distinguish the state from the city in the state with the same name, it is sometimes called New York State.
USS Tallapoosa (1863) was a wooden-hulled, double-ended steamer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was outfitted with heavy guns for intercepting blockade runners and howitzers for shore bombardment.
Robinson's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
For heroic efforts to save from drowning Wellington Brocar, landsman, of the Tallapoosa, off New Orleans, 15 July 1866. [1]
Robinson died at age 77 and was buried at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota. [2]
