William Corey
Encyclopedia
William Corey was a United States Navy
sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
.
on the . On that day, while Plymouth was at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
, Corey and another sailor, Seaman Charles Gidding
, attempted to rescue a crewmate who had fallen from the ship's rigging
into the water. For this action, both men were awarded the Medal of Honor two weeks later, on August 9. Another of Plymouths crew, Seaman Thomas Kersey, rescued a shipmate from drowning on the same day and also received the medal.
Corey's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
.
Biography
Born in 1853 in New York, New York, Corey joined the Navy from that state. By July 26, 1876, he was serving as a landsmanLandman (rank)
Landman was a military rank given to naval recruits.-United Kingdom:In the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom in the middle of the 18th century , the term Landman referred to a seaman with less than a year's experience at sea...
on the . On that day, while Plymouth was at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
, Corey and another sailor, Seaman Charles Gidding
Charles Gidding
-External links:...
, attempted to rescue a crewmate who had fallen from the ship's rigging
Rigging
Rigging is the apparatus through which the force of the wind is used to propel sailboats and sailing ships forward. This includes masts, yards, sails, and cordage.-Terms and classifications:...
into the water. For this action, both men were awarded the Medal of Honor two weeks later, on August 9. Another of Plymouths crew, Seaman Thomas Kersey, rescued a shipmate from drowning on the same day and also received the medal.
Corey's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
On board the U.S.S. Plymouth, Navy Yard, New York, 26 July 1876. Showing heroic conduct, Corey endeavored to save the life of one of the crew of that ship who had fallen overboard from aloft.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients during peacetime