Richard Ryan (c. 1851–1933) 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 about 1851 in
Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in 20 ...
, Ryan joined the Navy from that state.
By March 4, 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 morning, while ''Hartford'' was at
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
, Landsman James Mullen fell from a gun port into the water. Mullen, who could not swim, was being swept away by a strong tidal current. Ryan jumped overboard, swam to the drowning crewman, and kept him afloat until they were rescued by the ship's
launch. For this action, he received the Medal of Honor weeks later, on March 23.
Ryan's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
Serving on board the U.S.S. ''Hartford'', Ryan displayed gallant conduct in jumping overboard at Norfolk, Va., and rescuing from drowning one of the crew of that vessel, 4 March 1876.
Ryan died in 1933 at
Sailors' Snug Harbor Hospital,
Staten Island, New York
Staten Island ( ) is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey b ...
, after being admitted on and off for over 30 years. He is buried in Old Saint Joseph's Cemetery in Waterbury, Connecticut.
See also
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients during peacetime
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
*
1850s births
1933 deaths
United States Navy sailors
United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients
Non-combat recipients of the Medal of Honor
Military personnel from Connecticut
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