Michael Connolly (born 1855, date of death unknown) 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 and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, 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. ...
.
Biography
Born in 1855 in
Boston, Massachusetts, Connolly joined the Navy from that state. By August 7, 1876, he was serving as an
ordinary seaman
__NOTOC__
An ordinary seaman (OS) is a member of the deck department of a ship. The position is an apprenticeship to become an able seaman, and has been for centuries. In modern times, an OS is required to work on a ship for a specific amount o ...
on the . On that day, while ''Plymouth'' was in
Halifax Harbor,
Nova Scotia, he rescued a civilian from drowning. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor weeks later, on August 24.
He deserted from the Navy the next month, and nothing is known from him after his desertion.
Connolly's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
On board the U.S.S. ''Plymouth'', Halifax Harbor, Nova Scotia, 7 August 1876. Acting gallantly, Connolly succeeding in rescuing a citizen from drowning on this date.
See also
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients in non-combat incidents
Prior to 1963, the Medal of Honor could be awarded for actions not involving direct combat with "an enemy of the United States" or "opposing foreign force (actions against a party in which the U.S. is not directly engaged in war with).DoD Awards ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connolly, Michael
1855 births
Year of death missing
Military personnel from Boston
United States Navy sailors
United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients
Non-combat recipients of the Medal of Honor