Herbert L. Foss

Herbert Louis Foss
Herbert Louis Foss
Born	October 12, 1871; Belfast, Maine
Died	September 1, 1937 (aged 65); Hingham, Massachusetts
Place of burial	Fort Hill Cemetery Hingham, Massachusetts
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Rank	Seaman
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War
Awards	Medal of Honor

Last updated April 06, 2019

Herbert Louis Foss (October 12, 1871, Belfast, Maine – September 1, 1937 Hingham, Massachusetts) was a United States Navy Seaman who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Spanish–American War.

Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,668. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River estuary on Belfast Bay and Penobscot Bay. Belfast is the county seat of Waldo County. The seaport has a wealth of antique architecture in several historic districts, and remains popular with tourists.

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Maine is the 12th smallest by area, the 9th least populous, and the 38th most densely populated of the 50 U.S. states. It is bordered by New Hampshire to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and northwest respectively. Maine is the easternmost state in the contiguous United States, and the northernmost state east of the Great Lakes. It is known for its jagged, rocky coastline; low, rolling mountains; heavily forested interior; and picturesque waterways, as well as its seafood cuisine, especially lobster and clams. There is a humid continental climate throughout most of the state, including in coastal areas such as its most populous city of Portland. The capital is Augusta.

Hingham, Massachusetts Town in Massachusetts, United States

Hingham is a town in metropolitan Greater Boston on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts in northern Plymouth County. At the 2010 census, the population was 22,157. Hingham is known for its colonial history and location on Boston Harbor. The town was named after Hingham, Norfolk, England, and was first settled by English colonists in 1633.

Spanish–American War

Foss joined in the United States Navy in January, 1897. He served as a seaman on the light cruiser USS Marblehead. On May 11, 1898, during combat off the northwest coast of Cuba, the crew of the USS Marblehead pulled the main communications cable over the bow of their boat. Despite being under heavy fire, they severed the cable. Foss finished the job with a hacksaw. The crew suffered many casualties, however they accomplished their mission of disrupting communications between Cuba and Spain.^[1]

The second USS Marblehead (C-11/PG-27) was a Montgomery-class unprotected cruiser in the United States Navy, authorized in the naval appropriations bill of September 7, 1888. Marblehead served in the Spanish–American War and World War I, and was the last ship of her class in service.

Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is a country comprising the island of Cuba as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located in the northern Caribbean where the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean meet. It is east of the Yucatán Peninsula (Mexico), south of both the U.S. state of Florida and the Bahamas, west of Haiti and north of both Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Havana is the largest city and capital; other major cities include Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey. The area of the Republic of Cuba is 110,860 square kilometres (42,800 sq mi). The island of Cuba is the largest island in Cuba and in the Caribbean, with an area of 105,006 square kilometres (40,543 sq mi), and the second-most populous after Hispaniola, with over 11 million inhabitants.

A hacksaw is a fine-toothed saw, originally and mainly made for cutting metal. The equivalent saw for cutting wood is usually called bow saw.

Post war

After the war Foss moved to Hingham, Massachusetts and found work at an ammunition depot. He was a member of the United Spanish War Veterans. He became the superintendent of the Fort Hill Cemetery and on September 1, 1937, while working at the cemetery, Foss died of heart disease.^[2] He was buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery Hingham, Massachusetts.

The United Spanish War Veterans was an American veterans organization which consisted of veterans of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War and China Relief Expedition.

Awards

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".

Good Conduct Medal (United States) United States military award

The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Navy's variant of the Good Conduct Medal was established in 1869, the Marine Corps version in 1896, the Coast Guard version in 1923, the Army version in 1941, and the Air Force version in 1963; the Air Force Good Conduct Medal was temporarily discontinued from February 2006 to February 2009, followed by its subsequent reinstatement.

The Sampson Medal is a commemorative medal of the United States Navy for service in the Spanish–American War. The medal was authorized by an Act of Congress in 1901. The medal was awarded to those personnel who served on ships in the fleet of Rear Admiral William T. Sampson during combat operations in the waters of the West Indies and Cuba. The Sampson Medal was also known as the Medal Commemorating Naval Engagements in the West Indies or West Indies Naval Campaign Medal, not to be confused with the West Indies Campaign Medal which was a separate award. A similar commemorative decoration was the Dewey Medal, considered senior to the Sampson Medal.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 12 October 1871, Belfast, Maine. Accredited To: Maine. G.O. No.: 521, 7 July 1899.

Citation:

On board the U.S.S. Marblehead during the operation of cutting the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Foss set an example of extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.^[3]

Related Research Articles

John James Doran was a Boatswain's Mate, 2nd Class in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War.

Harry Herbert Miller was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Spanish–American War.

Willard Dwight Miller was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Spanish–American War.

Samuel S. Triplett was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Spanish–American War.

Corporal Edward Sullivan of the. United States Marine Corps was born May 16, 1870, in Cork, County Cork, Ireland. He died March 11, 1955, at Uxbridge, Massachusetts, USA.

Leonard Chadwick was a Spanish–American War Medal of Honor recipient who served in the United States Navy as an Apprentice 1st Class aboard the USS Marblehead (C-11).

The first USS Leyden was a screw steamer that operated as a tug in the U.S. Navy from 1866 to 1903 and saw combat service in the Spanish–American War in 1898.

Ordinary Seaman Anton Olsen was a United States Navy quartermaster who received the Medal of Honor.

Edward Swatton was a sailor in the U.S. Navy stationed aboard the USS Santiago de Cuba (1861) during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher on January 15, 1865.

Joseph Edward Carter was an American sailor serving in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.

John Davis was an American sailor serving in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.

Freeman Gill was a Gunner's Mate first class serving in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.

Franz Kramer was a seaman serving in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.

John Peter Johanson was a sailor serving in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.

William Hart was a machinist first class serving in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.

Henry Hendrickson was a seaman serving in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.

George Frederick Mager was an apprentice first class serving in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.

Hermann William Kuchmeister was a private serving in the United States Marine Corps during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.

Albert Vadas was a seaman of Croatian descent serving in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.

Charles J. Gidding or Giddings (1853–1943) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

References

↑ "Wicked local news". Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
↑ "Hingham misfires with snub of military hero". Boston Herald. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
↑ "Foss". Home of Heroes. Retrieved March 28, 2010.

External links

"Herbert L. Foss". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave . Retrieved July 14, 2010.
"Herbert L. Foss". Hall of Valor. Military Times . Retrieved July 14, 2010.

This biographical article related to the United States Navy is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "Wicked local news". Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2010.

[2] "Hingham misfires with snub of military hero". Boston Herald. Retrieved March 28, 2010.

[3] "Foss". Home of Heroes. Retrieved March 28, 2010.