Edward Allen Gisburne

He lost a leg while trying to save a fellow serviceman under enemy fire. Yet that sacrifice did not end his military career. Edward Allen Gisburne, a United States Navy Medal of Honor recipient, returned to serve his country in two world wars, proving that courage is measured not only by what a person sacrifices, but by what they choose to do afterward.

Born on 14 June 1892 in Providence, Rhode Island, Edward Allen "Eddie" Gisburne joined the U.S. Navy as a young man. By April 1914, he was serving as an Electrician Third Class aboard USS Florida during the American occupation of Veracruz, Mexico. There, amid heavy gunfire and confusion, the young sailor faced a moment that would change his life forever.

On 21 April 1914, Marine Private Daniel Haggerty was mortally wounded while serving with a naval signaling party on the roof of the Terminal Hotel. Seeing his comrade exposed to enemy fire, Gisburne attempted to pull Haggerty to safety. Even after enemy bullets struck both his legs, Gisburne continued his rescue efforts. Severely wounded, he was eventually brought to safety by Seaman Berrie H. Jarrett, whose courage also earned the Medal of Honor.

Gisburne's extraordinary bravery was recognized with the Medal of Honor for his actions during the seizure of Veracruz on 21 and 22 April 1914. U.S. Navy General Order No. 101, dated 15 June 1914, specifically recognized his continued efforts to save Haggerty despite his own wounds. General Order No. 116, dated 19 August 1914, provided further details of the rooftop action and Jarrett's intervention. Unable to attend the principal Medal of Honor presentation ceremony in January 1915, Gisburne received his medal by mail that month. His participation in the operation also established his entitlement to the Mexican Service Medal.

The wounds sustained at Veracruz cost Gisburne a leg. For many sailors, such a devastating injury would have ended their military careers. But when the United States entered World War I in April 1917, he returned to naval service after receiving special authorization. Drawing upon his expertise in radio communications, he supported the Atlantic Fleet's cruisers and transports, helping maintain vital communications during wartime operations. His service qualified him for the World War I Victory Medal. He also served aboard USS George Washington when the vessel carried President Woodrow Wilson to Europe after the Armistice.

Between the wars, Gisburne built a productive civilian life in Massachusetts. He worked in broadcasting and communications, taught radio courses and became an active member of his community. His dedication to public service extended to education, with voters electing him to the Milton School Committee in 1935 and again in 1938.

Then came another extraordinary chapter. During World War II, Gisburne returned to the Navy once more. Now approximately 50 years old and an amputee, the former enlisted sailor served as a commissioned lieutenant at Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island. His wartime service supported his entitlement to the American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal, completing a remarkable military career spanning the Mexican Campaign and both world wars.

His family also endured the terrible cost of war. His eldest son, Staff Sergeant Edward A. Gisburne Jr., served aboard a B-29 bomber in the Pacific and was killed during an air mission on 26 May 1945. For a father who had already sacrificed so much in uniform, the loss was profound.

Edward Allen Gisburne died in 1955 and was laid to rest at Milton Cemetery in Massachusetts. His legacy reaches far beyond the Medal of Honor he earned at Veracruz. From risking his life to rescue a wounded Marine, to returning to duty after losing a leg, to answering his country's call in another world war, Gisburne demonstrated an uncommon lifetime of courage, resilience and service. His story reminds us that extraordinary heroism can occur in a single moment, but a lifetime of dedication is what makes that moment truly unforgettable.