Nicholas Erickson (July 18, 1870 – June 21, 1931) was a
Coxswain
The coxswain ( , or ) is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from ''cock'', referring to the cockboat, a type of ship's boat ...
serving in the
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 ...
during the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
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 bravery.
[ ]
Biography
Erickson was born July 18, 1870, in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
, and after entering the navy he was sent to fight in the Spanish–American War aboard the U.S.S. Marblehead as a Coxswain.
He died June 21, 1931, and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery Bronx,
New York
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* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Coxswain, U.S. Navy. Born: 18 July 1870, Finland. Accredited to: New York. 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, Erickson set an example of extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.
See also
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Spanish–American War
The Spanish–American War ( es, Guerra Hispano-Estadounidense, ''desastre del 98'', ''Guerra Hispano-Cubana-Norteamericana'' or ''Guerra de Cuba '') was a military conflict between Spain and the United States that began in April 1898. Hostiliti ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Erickson, Nick
1870 births
1931 deaths
United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients
United States Navy sailors
American military personnel of the Spanish–American War
Foreign-born Medal of Honor recipients
Finnish emigrants to the United States
Spanish–American War recipients of the Medal of Honor