Middleton Stuart Elliott Jr. (October 16, 1872 – October 29, 1952) was a
United States Navy admiral and a
Medal of Honor recipient for his role in the
United States occupation of Veracruz.
Biography
Elliott was born on October 16, 1872, in
Beaufort, South Carolina. His father was Middleton Stuart Elliott Sr. (1841–1921), who served in the Beaufort Volunteer Artillery in the
Confederate States Army during the
American Civil War. His uncle was Brigadier General
Stephen Elliott. He was raised in Beaufort and attended medical school at Columbia College, known later as
George Washington University.
Elliott was appointed from South Carolina to the United States Navy as a Passed Assistant Surgeon, with the rank of
ensign. After briefly serving at the Naval Laboratory in New York, he reported to then transferred to , where he participated in the
Spanish–American War. In October 1899, Elliott was promoted to
lieutenant (junior grade) and ordered to
Port Royal Naval Station, South Carolina. Following this duty, he served on , and . While at sea, he was promoted to
lieutenant. In March 1903, Elliott was promoted to Surgeon with the corresponding rank of
lieutenant commander. In November, he reported to Naval Hospital Norfolk, Virginia. Two years later, he served in succession on board the monitor , and . In November 1908, he was assigned to the Naval Hospital in Washington D.C.
In mid-1911, Elliott was ordered to , transferring to . While on ''Florida'', he participated as a Surgeon in the
intervention at Vera Cruz, Mexico. On April 21, 1914, he quickly established a base hospital and supervised the removal of the wounded and field station operations until the city's capture the next day. For his "distinguished conduct in battle" on this occasion, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. That summer, he reported for shore duty at the Navy Recruiting Station in New York City. While on recruiting duty in August 1916, he was promoted to Medical Inspector with the corresponding rank of
commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
. During
World War I, he commanded the Naval Hospital and Supply Depot at
Cañacao Bay
Cañacao Bay is a small bay located within the larger Manila Bay in Luzon island in the Philippines.
It is located along the northeastern end of the Cavite Peninsula and Cavite City, in the Province of Cavite.''Webster's New Geographical Dictiona ...
, Philippines. In January 1918, Elliott was promoted Medical Director with the corresponding rank of
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
. Returning to Washington D.C. in December 1919, he assumed command of the Naval Hospital.
In April 1923, Elliott served at the
Mare Island Navy Yard,
Vallejo, California, followed by a tour at the
Puget Sound Navy Yard,
Bremerton, Washington. In June 1927, he was promoted to
rear admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
,
which made him the first medical officer in the United States Navy to reach the rank of admiral.
In June 1929, he became the District Medical Officer for the
Eleventh Naval District
The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...
based in
San Diego, California. Returning to Washington, D.C. three years later, he served on the Naval Retirement Board observing Medical and Naval Exams. Remaining in the area during the last quarter of 1933, he became an inspector at the Medical Department Activities section within the
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. In January 1935, Elliott became the president of the Naval Retirement Board. In December, he was appointed as the Inspector of Medical Department Activities for the Eleventh, Twelve, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Naval Districts. In November 1936, he retired and was placed on the retired list. During World War II, he was briefly recalled to active duty in February 1942, was promoted to
vice admiral, and then was placed back on the retired list with his promoted rank. Elliott died on October 29, 1952, and is buried at
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is a federal military cemetery in the city of San Diego, California. It is located on the grounds of the former Army coastal artillery station Fort Rosecrans and is administered by the United States Department o ...
, San Diego, California.
In 2004, the elementary school at the Marine Corps Base Beaufort, South Carolina, was named in his honor.
Medal of Honor citation
Elliott's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
For distinguished conduct in battle, engagements of Vera Cruz, 21 and 22 April 1914. Surg. Elliott was eminent and conspicuous in the efficient establishment and operation of the base hospital, and in his cool judgment and courage in supervising first aid stations on the firing line and removing the wounded.
See also
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients (Veracruz)
The United States occupation of the Mexican port of Veracruz lasted for seven months in 1914 and occurred in the midst of poor diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States, related to the ongoing Mexican Revolution.
In response to ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Elliott, Middleton S.
1872 births
1952 deaths
People from Beaufort, South Carolina
United States Navy vice admirals
United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients
United States Navy personnel of World War I
United States Navy World War II admirals
Burials at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
Battle of Veracruz (1914) recipients of the Medal of Honor