Thomas Smith (born 1856, 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.
Born in 1856 in
Ireland, Smith emigrated to the United States and joined the Navy from
Virginia. By October 1, 1878, he was serving as a
seaman
Seaman may refer to:
* Sailor, a member of a marine watercraft's crew
* Seaman (rank), a military rank in some navies
* Seaman (name) (including a list of people with the name)
* ''Seaman'' (video game), a 1999 simulation video game for the Seg ...
on the . On that day, while ''Enterprise'' was off the coast of
Pará,
Brazil, he rescued Coxswain William Kent from drowning. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Smith's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
For rescuing from drowning William Kent, coxswain of the U.S.S. ''Enterprise'', off Para, Brazil, 1 October 1878.
See also
*
List of Medal of Honor recipients during peacetime
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Thomas
1856 births
Year of death missing
Irish emigrants to the United States
United States Navy sailors
United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients
Irish-born Medal of Honor recipients
Irish sailors in the United States Navy
Non-combat recipients of the Medal of Honor