Henry Thompson (Medal of Honor)

He saved a drowning man during naval service at Mare Island.

Henry Thompson earned the Medal of Honor for rescuing a man from drowning at Mare Island, California. Born in Eastport, Maine, in 1853, he served as a seaman in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Pensacola.

The rescue took place on June 27, 1878. His official citation identifies the lifesaving act and its location. The award recognized courage during peacetime naval service rather than a battlefield action.

Thompson received his Medal of Honor during his lifetime. He died at Sailors’ Snug Harbor in New Brighton, New York, on February 8, 1948, and was buried in its cemetery. His award preserves the memory of a sailor who saved another person’s life.

Official Medal of Honor citation

For rescuing a man from drowning at Mare Island, Cal., 27 June 1878.