David D. Barrow

He helped cut enemy cables under deadly fire from the shore.

David Duffy Barrow was born on 22 July 1876 in Reelsboro, North Carolina, and entered the United States Navy during an era when American naval power was rapidly expanding. By the time the Spanish-American War began in 1898, Barrow was serving as a Seaman aboard USS Nashville, a gunboat that became involved in early operations against Spanish positions around Cuba.

On May 11, 1898, USS Nashville and USS Marblehead moved toward Cienfuegos, Cuba, as part of an operation to sever the submarine telegraph cables running from the area. Small boats carrying sailors were sent close to shore to locate, raise and cut the cables. The mission required the crews to remain exposed in open boats while working within range of Spanish defensive positions.

Barrow was among the sailors who took part in this dangerous cable-cutting operation. The men had to drag sections of cable from the water, bring them within reach and physically cut them while Spanish troops fired from the shore. The operation left the American boats vulnerable because the sailors could not simply maneuver at speed while performing the work.

As enemy fire intensified, the cable-cutting parties continued their task. Bullets struck the boats and the water around them, and American sailors were killed and wounded during the operation. Despite the danger, Barrow remained at his duty and continued working under fire rather than abandoning the mission.

For his conduct at Cienfuegos, Barrow received the Medal of Honor. Commander Raymond P. Rodgers presented it aboard USS Nashville at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Massachusetts, on 16 August 1899. Barrow later attained the rating of Coxswain. He died in Richmond, Virginia, on 6 December 1948 and was buried at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Official Medal of Honor citation:

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