Henry Nehemiah Nickerson

He held a street barricade after repeated wounds at Veracruz

Henry Nehemiah Nickerson earned the Medal of Honor during the U.S. Navy’s seizure of Veracruz, Mexico. Born in Edgewood, West Virginia, on December 2, 1888, he served aboard USS Utah as a boatswain’s mate second class.

On April 21, 1914, Nickerson continued working after being wounded three times. With first aid applied, he led a squad building an advanced barricade under fire, then held a dangerous street-corner position. Further wounds shattered his left leg, forcing his evacuation and eventually its amputation. Navy General Order No. 101 praised the courage that inspired those around him.

Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels presented his Medal of Honor on January 6, 1915, aboard USS Florida at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. A Navy Department letter of June 13, 1914 also recorded his advancement in rating. He subsequently held the rating of boatswain’s mate first class. After losing his leg, he left active naval service and returned to civilian life in the Wheeling area. Nickerson died on May 2, 1979, and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling, West Virginia. His award commemorates his resolve after repeated wounds.

Official citation

On board the U.S.S. Utah, Nickerson showed extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21 April 1914.