William Sadler (Medal of Honor)
Encyclopedia
William Sadler was a United States Navy
sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
.
, Rhode Island
, Second Class Boy Frank Gallagher fell overboard. Sadler jumped into the water and kept the sailor afloat until they were picked up by one of the ship's small boats. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor three years later, on October 18, 1884.
Sadler'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 1854 in Boston, Massachusetts, Sadler joined the Navy from that state. By June 25, 1881, he was serving as a captain of the top on the . On that day, while Saratoga was off Coaster's Harbor IslandCoaster's Harbor Island
Coaster's Harbor Island is a island in Narragansett Bay, Newport, Rhode Island. The island is home to the Naval War College , an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, Second Class Boy Frank Gallagher fell overboard. Sadler jumped into the water and kept the sailor afloat until they were picked up by one of the ship's small boats. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor three years later, on October 18, 1884.
Sadler's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
For jumping overboard from the U.S.S. Saratoga, off Coasters Harbor Island, R.I., 25 June 1881, and sustaining until picked up by a boat from the ship, Frank Gallagher, second class boy, who had fallen overboard.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients during peacetime