Patrick Regan (born 1852, date of death unknown) was a
United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the
Medal of Honor.
Biography
Born in 1852 in
Cobh
Cobh ( ,), known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown, is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. With a population of around 13,000 inhabitants, Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and home to Ireland's ...
(then known as Queenstown),
Ireland, Regan immigrated to the United States and was living in New York City when he joined the U.S. Navy. He served 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 the morning of 30 July 1873, ''Pensacola'' was in the harbor of
Coquimbo,
Chile, when a northerly gale began. During the high winds, one of Regan's crewmates, Ordinary Seaman Peter Linguist, fell into the water while trying to re-board the ship from a small boat. When he resurfaced, his head struck the boat and he was knocked unconscious. Wearing heavy clothing and boots, Linguist quickly began to sink. Regan witnessed the event from the ship's
gun deck and, when he realized the sailor was drowning, jumped through a
porthole and rescued him. ''Pensacolas captain, John H. Upshur, sent word of Regan's act to his superiors that very day, and Regan was notified two months later, on 6 October, that he would be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Regan's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
Serving on board the U.S.S. ''Pensacola'', Regan displayed gallant conduct in the harbor of Coquimbo, Chile, 30 July 1873.
See also
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients during peacetime
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Regan, Patrick
1852 births
19th-century Irish people
Irish sailors in the United States Navy
Year of death missing
People from Cobh
Military personnel from New York City
Irish emigrants to the United States
United States Navy sailors
United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients
Irish-born Medal of Honor recipients
Non-combat recipients of the Medal of Honor
Military personnel from County Cork