George Breeman (September 15, 1880 – April 10, 1937) was a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

sailor who received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

for his heroism following a turret explosion in 1906 on board the battleship .

Biography

Born in

Passaic Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69,7 ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, Breeman enlisted in the

on June 2, 1902, and was rated as a landsman for training. He served briefly in the receiving ships and before being assigned to the gunboat on September 19, 1902. On March 23, 1903, while still in ''Topeka'', he was rated an ordinary seaman. In May 1903, Breeman was reassigned to . On April 13, 1906, a flash fire occurred in ''Kearsarge''s forward 13-inch turret, where Breeman was serving, killing several officers and men. Burning powder fell into the 13-inch handling room below. Breeman rushed from his battle station in the adjacent powder magazine into the handling room and stamped out the fires. He then returned to the magazine, closed the hatch to the handling room, and began replacing the covers on open powder tanks. Breeman received the

on May 5, 1906, for his actions on board ''Kearsarge'' the previous month and received $100 as a gratuity. Not long thereafter, his term of enlistment expired, and Breeman received an honorable discharge from the Navy. On September 16, 1912, he reenlisted at New York City. After a brief period of service in , he transferred to the battleship on December 23, 1912, where he served for a little more than eight years. During most of that time, his ship operated in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. During America's participation in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, however, he and his ship helped to train gunners in northern waters. At the end of the war, Breeman made four voyages to Europe and back in bringing veterans home. During his long tour of duty in ''New Hampshire'', he advanced to the rank of chief turret captain. On May 20, 1921, Breeman transferred to the receiving ship at

Hampton Roads, Virginia Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point where the Chesapeake Bay flows into the Atlantic O ...

, before moving on to a tour of duty at the

Naval Air Station Anacostia Anacostia is a historic neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. Its downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. It is located east of the Anacostia River, after which the neighborhood is nam ...

, in Washington, D.C. In March 1922, Breeman returned to sea in the new battleship . That final sea duty assignment lasted for almost three years. On May 31, 1927, he went ashore for the last time. After successive tours at the Naval Training Station, Hampton Roads, and the Navy Recruiting Station, Newark, New Jersey, Breeman was transferred to the Fleet Reserve on January 3, 1929. Chief Turret Captain Breeman died of a heart attack on April 10, 1937, in Passaic. On April 14, 1947, he was buried in Section 6 of

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

in Arlington,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

USS ''Breeman''

The destroyer escort was launched on September 4, 1943, by the Dravo Corporation of Wilmington,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

. The launching ceremony was sponsored by his niece, Mrs. Marie Breeman Schellgell. The vessel was commissioned by the United States Navy on December 12, 1943, with Lt. Comdr. Edward N.W. Hunter commanding. The boat saw service throughout the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, before being decommissioned on April 26, 1946. The ''Breeman'' was later transferred to the Nationalist government of

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

on October 29, 1948.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: September 15, 1880, Passaic, N.J. Accredited to: New Jersey. G.O. No.: 21, May 5, 1906. Citation:

Breeman displayed heroism in the line of his profession while serving on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge at the time of the accidental ignition of powder charges in the forward 13-inch turret.

Legacy

A memorial to Breeman's heroism stands in Veteran's Memorial Park in

References

: * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Breeman, George 1880 births 1937 deaths United States Navy personnel of World War I Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients People from Passaic, New Jersey United States Navy sailors Non-combat recipients of the Medal of Honor

Biography

USS ''Breeman''

Medal of Honor citation

Legacy

See also

References