Navy Medals Rescinded

While the purging of 911 names from the Roll of Army Medal of Honor recipients is well heralded, lesser known is the fact that at least 17 sailors have also been stricken from the Roll of Honor.  In some cases there is historical record detailing a revocation of the award for mis-conduct or desertion.  In others, there is simply an indication that the individual was once listed as a Medal of Honor recipient on the rolls, but that name no longer is a part of the official list.

Lieutenant Commander E. G. Blakeslee is listed as a recipent on page 18 of "The Navy Book of Distinguished Service" published by Fassett Publishing Company in Washington, DC (1921).  Blakeslee was cited "For distinguished service in the line of his profession while serving on the staff of the commander of the United States Naval forces operating in European waters" during World War I.  Beyond that reference, his name no longer appears in the Navy Roll of Honor.

During the Civil War, Boatswains Mate Thomas Gehegan received the Medal of Honor for his "Personal Valor" as captain of a 6" gun aboard the USS Pinola (G.O. 11, 3 April 1863).   Subsequently charged with misconduct, his Medal of Honor for action in the Battle of New Orleans on 24-25 April, 1862 was forfeited, and remains in the custody of the Navy Department.  The image at left is his actual medal, duly engraved "Personal Valor - THOMAS GEHEGAN - Boatswains Mate, U.S.S. Pinola, New Orleans April 24th & 25th - 1862".  

Of sixteen Navy Awards (not counting Blakeslee's), seven were revoked for desertion, two for misconduct.  Eleven of these awards were earned in the Civil War, 4 for non-combat action, and one in the Philippine Insurrection.

Civil War  (11)		Date of Action	Date Of Award	Cause for Purge
Charles Florence	Boatswains Mate USS Cayuga	24-25 Apr 1862	G.O. 11, 3 Apr 1863	Misconduct
Thomas Gehegan	Boatswains Mate USS Pinola	24-25 Apr 1862	G.O. 11, 3 Apr 1863	?
John Jackson	Ordinary Seaman USS C.P. Williams	16 Aug 1863	G.O. 32, 16 Apr 1864	Erroneous Award
Josepf Brown	Quartermaster USS Brooklyn	5 Aug 1864	G.O. 45, 31 Dec 1864	Deserted
John Martin	Boatswains Mate USS Galena	5 Aug 1864	G.O. 59, 22 Jun 1865	Deserted 3 Aug 1865
John Noble	Landsman USS Metacomet	5 Aug 1864	G.O. 71, 15 Jan 1866	?
Charles Robinson	Chief BWM USS Galena	5 Aug 1864	G.O. 59, 22 Jun 1865	Deserted
Frank Lucas	Coxswain USS Agawam	23 Dec 1864	G.O. 45, 31 Dec 1864	Deserted 3 Apr 1865
Clement Dees	Seaman USS Pontoosuc	Dec 1864 - Feb 1865	G.O. 59, 22 Jun 1865	Deserted 18 Feb 1866
John Jackson	Ship's Cpl USS Poonoosuc	Dec 1864 - Feb 1865	G.O. 59, 22 Jun 1865	Deserted
Charles Reed	Ordinary Seaman USS Magnolia	5-6 Mar 1865	G.O. 59, 22 Jun 1865	?
Peace Time Awards (4)
William Higgins	USS Plymouth	15 May 1876	?	Deserted
Thomas Noon	Seaman USN-New Orleans	1873	?	?
John Powers	Ordinary Seaman USS Plymouth	G.O. 55, 19 Jul 1901	G.O. 218, 24 Aug 1876	?
William B. Stacey	Seaman USS Rhode Island	?	G.O. 71, 15 Jan 1866	?
Philippine Insurection  (1)
William H. Jaeger	Apprentice 1/C USS Pampanga	16 July 1900 Samar, P.I.	G.O. 55, 19 Jul 1901	?
World War I  (1)
E. G. Blakeslee	Lieut. Commander - Staff of CO, USN, Europe			Removed from List

 

SOURCES:  The sixteen names (excluding Lieutenant Commander Blakeslee) are from the "United States Navy Medals of Honor, Unclaimed or Withheld" Compiled and Edited by Jane Kenworthy, Medal of Honor History Roundtable (1976) and was provided to us by Chuck Sughrue.