Austin J. Durney

Cutting vital submarine cables while under heavy enemy fire.

Austin Joseph Durney was a United States Navy blacksmith whose Medal of Honor recognised his courage during the Spanish-American War. Born in Philadelphia on 26 November 1867, he entered the Navy from Maryland and served aboard the gunboat USS Nashville.

On 11 May 1898, Durney took part in a small-boat expedition off Cienfuegos, Cuba. Sailors from Nashville and USS Marblehead were sent close to shore to find and cut underwater telegraph cables used by Spanish forces. Grappling for cables and bringing them to the surface required prolonged work in exposed boats while troops ashore fired on the crews.

Durney remained at his task under heavy enemy fire. The expedition severed two main cables, although a local connection remained intact. His citation commended the bravery and composure he showed throughout the operation.

His Medal of Honor was authorised under Navy General Order No. 521 of 7 July 1899. Commander Raymond P. Rodgers presented it on 16 August 1899 at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Massachusetts. The same personally documented naval engagement supports his Sampson Medal and Spanish Campaign Medal.

Durney left naval service in 1900. He died in Ridgely, Maryland, on 17 November 1926 and was buried at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Cemetery in Cordova. The Naval Historical Center preserves an identified portrait of him and an image of Nashville’s cable-cutting crew.

Medal of Honor citation:

On board the U.S.S. Nashville during the operation of cutting the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Durney set an example of extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.