Name Abraham DeSomer Awards Medal of Honor Rank Lieutenant commander | Died August 31, 1974 Service/branch United States Navy | |
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Born December 29, 1884
Milwaukee, Wisconsin ( 1884-12-29 ) Allegiance United States of America Years of service 1907 - 1932, 1940 - 1942 Battles/wars United States occupation of Veracruz, 1914 Place of burial San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, California, United States Battles and wars United States occupation of Veracruz | ||
Abraham DeSomer (December 29, 1884 – August 31, 1974) was an enlisted man and later an officer in the United States Navy. He received America's highest military decoration - the Medal of Honor - for actions during the American intervention at Veracruz, Mexico.
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Biography
Abraham DeSomer was born on December 29, 1884 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In the early 1900s, he enlisted in the United States Navy from that state. Following his initial sea duty on board the gunboat USS Yorktown, DeSomer transferred to the monitor USS Monadnock, which served on the Asiatic Station, and became a Gunner's Mate. From 1907 to 1911, he was assigned to the battleship USS Nebraska. DeSomer was promoted to Chief Petty Officer in 1910. A year later, he reported to the battleship USS Utah. While serving on that ship from 21–22 April 1914, during the intervention at Veracruz, Mexico, his "extraordinary herosim in the line of his profession" was recognized by the award of the Medal of Honor.
In February 1915 DeSomer was promoted to the Warrant Officer rank of Gunner. During the next four years he served on the transport USS Hancock, the armored cruiser USS Montana and the battleship USS Minnesota. He was temporarily commissioned as an Ensign in August 1917 and attained the rank of Lieutenant in September 1918. In the Spring of 1919, DeSomer transferred to Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois. He was made a permanent Lieutenant in August 1920 and, a year later, reported to the newly commissioned battleship USS California. DeSomer began two more years of training duty at Great Lakes in the summer of 1925, then was assigned to the destroyer tender USS Dobbin and the aircraft carrier USS Lexington before transferring in November 1930 to Naval Air Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Following more than thirty years of continuous service as an enlisted man and an officer, Lieutenant DeSomer retired in January 1932. He returned to active duty in the summer of 1940, after the fall of France prompted a massive expansion of America's defenses. Promoted to Lieutenant Commander on the retired list in February 1942, he remained on active status through the war years. Abraham DeSomer died on August 31, 1974 and is buried at the San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, California.
Description of Medal of Honor Action
In a letter dated 13 June 1914 to DeSomer, Josephus Daniels quoted Admiral F. F. Fletcher's summary of DeSomer's actions on 21–22 April 1914:
Daniels concluded with:
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, United States Navy, U.S.S. Utah. Place and date: Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21 and April 22, 1914. Entered service at: Wisconsin. Birth: Milwaukee, Wis.
Citation:
On board the U.S.S. Utah, for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21 and April 22, 1914.