| dbo:abstract
|
- Thomas Burke (1833 – 27 October 1883) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. A native of County Galway, Ireland, Burke immigrated to the U.S. and joined the Navy from the state of New York on 21 January 1862. By May 10, 1866, he was serving as a seaman on the USS De Soto. On that day, while the De Soto was off the coast of Eastport, Maine, he and two shipmates rescued two sailors from the USS Winooski from drowning. For this action, he and his shipmates, Seaman Richard Bates and Captain of the Afterguard John Brown, were awarded the Medal of Honor three months later, on August 1. Burke's official Medal of Honor citation reads: For heroic conduct, with 2 comrades, in rescuing from drowning James Rose and John Russell, seamen, of the U.S.S. Winooski, off Eastport, Maine, 10 May 1866. Burke died at age 51 (per pension file) and was buried at St. Michael's Church in the town of Pensacola, county of Escambia, Florida in 1883, as evidenced in his pension file. St. Elizabeth's in Washington, D.C. and the National Cemeteries Administration have recently acknowledged that he was never buried in Washington, D.C., although the mistake is listed on many websites to this day. There are veterans of the same name at this cemetery in Washington, D.C. but none received the Medal of Honor. The erroneous Medal of Honor grave marker in Washington, D.C. is in the process (as of January 2016) of being replaced by a non Medal of Honor marker. Many officials and others have played a role in solving this riddle over the past few years, including the dedicated staff at St. Elizabeth's, and the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the US, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the National Cemeteries Administration and others. St. Michaels in Pensacola has several burial grounds, and is currently trying to determine which one Burke was buried in. The grave for Joseph Noil at St Elizabeth's in DC does not have a Medal of Honor marker, though he was a recipient for naval actions just after the Civil War. Many of the above played a role in helping to correct this and having a proper marker erected. Steps are well underway for this to happen in the months to come. He is Canada's only colored man to earn the Medal of Honor, though at least two others of color were thought to, but later verified, as not having a Canadian connection. This is still listed on many websites. (en)
|
| rdfs:comment
|
- Thomas Burke (1833 – 27 October 1883) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. A native of County Galway, Ireland, Burke immigrated to the U.S. and joined the Navy from the state of New York on 21 January 1862. By May 10, 1866, he was serving as a seaman on the USS De Soto. On that day, while the De Soto was off the coast of Eastport, Maine, he and two shipmates rescued two sailors from the USS Winooski from drowning. For this action, he and his shipmates, Seaman Richard Bates and Captain of the Afterguard John Brown, were awarded the Medal of Honor three months later, on August 1. (en)
|
