Notable Burials at Philadelphia's West Laurel Hill Cemetery-- Part 1 Road Trippin'

From Wikipedia.

This is a continuation of my Road Trippin' Through History that I started in my Running the Blockade: Civil War Navy blog last week.  I wrote about a Sgt. Richard Binder, USMC, who had received a Medal of Honor for service at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher in 1865.

When I Road Trip Through History, I start with a story and see where it takes me.  One of the things I like to do is find out if there are any folks of interest buried where the person is interred.  Sgt. Binder is buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery.  The cemetery is by Philadelphia, but actually in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania and is affiliated with the larger Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.

Earlier today, I, posted about four Union soldiers who received Medals of Honor during the Civil War in my Running the Blockade blog.

There are a number of early baseball players buried there, but I am not familiar with any of their names.

ALEXANDER MILNE CALDER  ((1845-1923) Sculptor.  Designed the George Meade statue in Philadelphia along with the Benjamin Franklin statue atop the Philadelphia City Hall.

WILLIAM E. CARTER  (1875-1940)  Millionaire and survivor of the Titanic.

More to Come.  --Cooter

William Charles Fitzgerald, USN, Navy Cross Recipient, Vietnam War

From Wikipedia

I have been writing about the Guided Missile Destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) in the three previous posts and got to wondering about who the ship was named after.

William "Bill" C. Fitzgerald (January 28, 1938 to August 7, 1967) was a United States naval officer who was killed in action during the Vietnam War, while serving as an advisor to the Republic of Vietnam Navy.  He received the Navy Cross posthumously for his rile in fighting  off a Viet Cong attack.

From Vermont, his father was a career Navy man who retired as a chief petty officer.  After high school graduation, he followed his father's footsteps and enlisted in the Navy.  Seaman Fitzgerald eventually earned selection for officer training by appointment to the  U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis with the Class of 1963.  He excelled there.

Midshipmen Fitzgerald graduated and was commissioned into the U.S. Navy on June 5, 1963 and then reported to the destroyer USS Charles H. Roan (DD-853), where he rose from "boot ensign" to weapons department head.

The Dewey Medal-- Part 4: Designed by D.C. French and Made By Tiffany's

The Dewey Medal was designed by celebrated artist Daniel Chester French, who sculped the seated Lincoln in Washington, D.C.'s Lincoln memorial and the Minuteman statue at Concord, Massachusetts.  The medal itself was struck by Tiffany & Company.

The front, or obverse, depicts a bust of Commodore George Dewey.  On the back, or reverse,  is included the name of the vessel on which the recipient served.  The name of the recipient is engraved on the medal's lower rim, this being  one of only two service medals issued officially to  the recipient.

*************************

One of these medals is located at the Headquarters Artifact Collection, Naval History and Heritage Command.

The obverse features a profile bust of Commodore George Dewey with text to the right and left of his head that reads:  "The gift of the people of the United States to the officers and men of the Asiatic Squadron under the command of Commodore George Dewey."

  Below the bust are the words: DC French 1898."

The reverse of the medal has the image of a bare-chested sailor sitting on a cannon barrel with a furled flag upon his lap.  The text along the edge reads:  "In memory of the Victory on Manila Bay on May 1, 1898."

Below the image is a tablet for the stamped "USS Olympia."  The rim of this medal is stamped "Ah Foy, Landsman."

--Cooter

The Dewey Medal-- Part 3: Very Few Were Made

The Dewey Medal was a one-time only decoration.  It consists of a circular medallion inscribed front and back, with a profile if Dewey on the front and a sailor sitting on a gun on the back.  It is suspended by a blue and gold ribbon.

Admiral Dewey also received one, but through modesty always wore it with the sailor's picture on it.  Dewey is one of only four Americans entitled to wear a medal with their mage on it.  The other three are Rear Admiral William T. Sampson (Sampson Medal for his victory at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba in the Spanish-American War), Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd (1st and 2nd Byrd Expeditions to Antarctica) and General of the Armies John J. Pershing.

The Dewey Medal is one of the few  United States military awards to have fewer recipients than the Medal of Honor..  Only 1,825 medals were struck, each machine engraved to the recipient with his name, rate(enlisted) or rank (officer).

--Cooter

The Dewey Medal-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

I found mention of this medal being given to Ensign Henry E. Pearson who commanded the USS Zafiro at the Battle of Manila Bay.  I had never heard of the Dewey Medal, so Wikipedia here I come.

It was a military decoration of the United States Navy established by the U.S. Congress on June 3, 1898, to recognize the leadership of George Dewey during the Spanish-American War and the sailors and Marines under his command.  Specifically it was for the Battle of Manila Bay.

To receive one, the person had to have served on one of these ships at the battle on May 1. 1898:

USS  Baltimore

USS Boston

USS Concord

USS  McCullough

USS  Olympia

USS  Petrel

USS Raleigh

--Cooter