Robert Henry Stanley (May 2, 1881 – July 15, 1942) was a 40-year member of 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 ...

. He was the first

hospital corpsman A hospital corpsman (HM r corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist of the United States Navy, who may also serve in a U.S. Marine Corps unit. The corresponding rating within the United States Coast Guard is health services technician (HS) ...

to receive the nation's highest military decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor. He was awarded the medal for carrying messages under heavy fire on June 13, 20, 21 and 22 and July 12, 1900, while assigned to the at

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

(then Peking),

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

during the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...

Early life and military career

Stanley was born

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * 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 * '' ...

on May 2, 1881. On March 28, 1898, he enlisted in the Navy at age 16 aboard the

receiving ship A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Hulk may be used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, an abandoned wreck or shell, or to refer to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipmen ...

, moored at the

Brooklyn Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend ...

. He served as a landsman and participated in 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 ...

, which was declared only a month after his enlistment, and the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

which began in 1899. He was serving as a

Hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

Apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

on the when the ship arrived in

Tientsin Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popul ...

on May 22, 1900. The ''Newark'' had been sent during the

China Relief Expedition The China Relief Expedition was an expedition in China undertaken by the United States Armed Forces to rescue United States citizens, European nationals, and other foreign nationals during the latter years of the Boxer Rebellion, which lasted f ...

to help relieve

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

forces fighting in the

. On 13 and 20, 21, and June 22 and July 12, in

(then known to Americans as "Peking"), he volunteered to carry messages between the American and

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

legations despite heavy fire,Health.mil - Military Health System & Defense Health Agency, ''Hospital Apprentice Robert Stanley''
/ref> "Chinese snipers were everywhere and Boxer militants fought viciously." For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor a year later, on July 19, 1901. The medal was presented to him aboard the armored cruiser . Stanley, at age 19, was the youngest Medal of Honor recipient of the Boxer Rebellion. He was also the first member of the U.S. Navy medical community to receive the award. Stanley was discharged from the Navy on August 8, 1901, which was one month after being awarded the Medal of Honor. Stanley was a member of the Imperial Order of the Dragon, a fraternal society for veterans of the Boxer Rebellion of all ranks. This organization contrasted with the

Military Order of the Dragon The Military Order of the Dragon was an exclusive fraternal order founded in 1900 by members of the China Relief Expedition, a U.S. military force that participated in the Boxer Rebellion in Imperial China. Background Following custom, the offi ...

whose membership consisted solely of commissioned officers.

Later career

In 1917, Stanley re-enlisted in order to serve in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. During the war, he served on the USS ''America'' (ID-3006), a German passenger liner seized by the United States and converted to a troop transport. Stanley was promoted to the

warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...

rank of Pharmacist on August 5, 5, 1920. He was promoted to Chief Pharmacist on September 24, 1923.

Retirement and death

Stanley retired from the Navy on February 1, 1939. He died in

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

, at age 61, on July 15, 1942. He was buried with his wife Mary Ellen (1881–1930) at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

, in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

Military awards

Stanley's military awards and decorations include: *

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. ...

Navy Good Conduct Medal The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Navy's variant of the Good Conduct Medal was established in 1869, the Marine Corps version in 1896, the Coast Guard version in 1923, the Army ...

Sampson Medal The Sampson Medal was a U.S. Navy campaign medal. The medal was authorized by an Act of Congress in 1901. The medal was awarded to those personnel who served on ships in the fleet of Rear Admiral William T. Sampson during combat operations in th ...

Spanish Campaign Medal The Spanish Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which recognized those men of the U.S. military who had served in the Spanish–American War. Although a single decoration, there were two versions of the Spanish C ...

Philippine Campaign Medal The Philippine Campaign Medal is a medal of the United States Armed Forces which was created to denote service of U.S. military men in the Philippine–American War between the years of 1899 and 1913. Although a single service medal, the Philippin ...

China Relief Expedition Medal The China Relief Expedition Medal was a decoration of the United States military which was issued to members of both the United States Navy and the United States Marines for service in the China Relief Expedition between 1900 and 1901 during the ...

Haitian Campaign Medal The Haitian Campaign Medal was a United States Navy military award which was first established on June 22, 1917,World War I Victory Medal with "TRANSPORT" clasp

Medal of Honor citation

His official citation reads: Citation:

"In action with the relief expedition of the Allied Forces in China during the battles of 13, 20–22 June 1900. Throughout this period and in the presence of the enemy, Stanley distinguished himself by meritorious conduct." "For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in volunteering and carrying messages under fire at Peking, China, 12 July 1900." "Hospital Apprentice Stanley's exceptional fortitude, inspiring initiative, and unrelenting devotion to duty reflect great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stanley, Robert H. 1881 births 1942 deaths People from Brooklyn United States Navy sailors American military personnel of the Boxer Rebellion United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Navy personnel of World War I American military personnel of the Philippine–American War American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Boxer Rebellion recipients of the Medal of Honor