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Patrick Reid (Medal of Honor)

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Patrick Reid
At the White House, June 13, 1911
Born(1875-06-17)June 17, 1875
Dublin, Ireland
DiedOctober 23, 1924
Manhattan, New York
Place of burial
St. John Cemetery, Queens, New York
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service / branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1895–1915
RankChief Watertender
UnitUSS North Dakota (BB-29)
AwardsMedal of Honor

Patrick Reid (June 17, 1875 – October 23, 1924) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Biography

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Reid was born on June 17, 1875, in Dublin, Ireland. He joined the U.S. Navy from New York in 1895[1] and by September 8, 1910, was serving as a chief watertender on the USS North Dakota (BB-29).[2] On that day, while the North Dakota was conducting tests using oil as fuel, an explosion occurred, killing three sailors and endangering the ship. In the engine room, pieces of hot coal and coke floated in waist-high hot water, oil was aflame above one of the boilers, and the entire room was filled with smoke, steam, and fumes. Despite these dangers, Reid and five other men of the ship's engineering department entered the engine room to haul the boiler fires and perform other tasks necessary to prevent a boiler explosion. After ensuring the safety of the ship, they then searched for and removed the bodies of the three sailors killed in the initial explosion.[3]

For these actions, Reid and the five other men were awarded the Medal of Honor a month later, on October 4. The others were Chief Machinist's Mate Thomas Stanton, Chief Machinist's Mate Karl Westa, Chief Watertender August Holtz, Machinist's Mate First Class Charles C. Roberts, and Watertender Harry Lipscomb.[2]

Medal of Honor citation

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Reid's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the fire on board the U.S.S. North Dakota where Reid was serving, 8 September 1910.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Reid, Patrick, CWT | TWS".
  2. ^ a b c "Medal of Honor recipients - Interim Awards, 1901-1911". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. August 3, 2009. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
  3. ^ Williams, Dion (April 1919). "War Decorations". United States Naval Institute Proceedings. 45 (4): 511–512. ISSN 0041-798X. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
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