Edward William Boers

He showed heroism after a boiler explosion aboard Bennington

Edward William Boers was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on 10 March 1884. He served in the U.S. Navy as a seaman aboard USS Bennington.

On 21 July 1905, a boiler exploded aboard the ship in San Diego harbor, California. Boers displayed the extraordinary heroism recognized in his Medal of Honor citation during the emergency that followed.

He survived the disaster and received the Medal of Honor on 15 April 1906. His award was accredited to Kentucky. The recognition commemorated courage aboard a warship during a shipboard catastrophe rather than an engagement with an enemy.

Boers died in Cincinnati on 2 April 1929 and is buried in Vine Street Hill Cemetery there. His citation preserves his role in the response to the Bennington explosion, linking his naval service to one of the ship's most dangerous moments.

Medal of Honor citation

On board the U.S.S. Bennington, 21 July 1905. Following the explosion of a boiler of that vessel, Boers displayed extraordinary heroism in the resulting action.