William Henry Morin (May 23, 1869 – August 29, 1935) was a boatswain's mate second class 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
Morin was born May 23, 1869, in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and enlisted 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 ...
on November 17, 1892.
During the Spanish–American War he was a boatswain's mate second class aboard the cruiser
U.S.S. ''Marblehead''. In July 1898 he assisted in the clearing of 27 contact mines from
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for which he, and two others, received the Medal of Honor in December of that year.
Morin was
warranted to the rank of boatswain on July 30, 1903, and retired from the Navy on April 12, 1910.
In 1916, Morin became the first reported naval officer to be court-martialed. He was convicted of disobeying a lawful order of the
Secretary of the Navy
The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense.
By law, the se ...
and three specifications of conduct unbecoming an officer and gentlemen predicated on his failure to pay certain debts. Despite holding the Medal of Honor, he was dismissed from the Navy on October 10, 1916.
[1 COMPILATION OF COURT-MARTIAL ORDERS, U.S. DEP'T OF NAVY, 1916-1927, (1940).]
He died at age 66 on August 29, 1935.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Boatswain's Mate Second Class, U.S. Navy. Born: 23 May 1869, England. G.O. No.: 500, 14 December 1898.
Citation:
On board the U.S.S. Marblehead at the approaches to Caimanera, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 26 and 27 July 1898. Displaying heroism, Morin took part in the perilous work of sweeping for and disabling 27 contact mines during this period.
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:Morin, William H.
1869 births
1935 deaths
United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients
United States Navy sailors
American military personnel of the Spanish–American War
English emigrants to the United States
English-born Medal of Honor recipients
Spanish–American War recipients of the Medal of Honor