Joseph H. Davis
Encyclopedia
Joseph H. Davis was a United States Navy
sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
.
, Davis joined the Navy from that city. By January 22, 1886, he was serving as a landsman
on the receiving ship . On that day, while at Norfolk, Virginia
, he jumped overboard from a ferry and rescued Ordinary Seaman John Norman from drowning. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Davis's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
Davis left the Navy while still a landsman. He died on June 19, 1903, at age 42 and was buried at Montrose Cemetery in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
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 on July 22, 1860, in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Davis joined the Navy from that city. By January 22, 1886, he was serving as a landsman
Landman (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 receiving ship . On that day, while at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, he jumped overboard from a ferry and rescued Ordinary Seaman John Norman from drowning. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Davis's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
On board the U.S. Receiving Ship Dale off the Wharf at Norfolk, Va., 22 January 1886. Jumping overboard from the ferryboat, Davis rescued from drowning John Norman, ordinary seaman.
Davis left the Navy while still a landsman. He died on June 19, 1903, at age 42 and was buried at Montrose Cemetery in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients during peacetime