John Morris (Medal of Honor)

He jumped overboard and rescued a drowning shipmate in port.

John Morris was born in New York. He served as a corporal in the United States Marine Corps aboard USS Lancaster.

On Christmas Day, December 25, 1881, while the flagship was at Villefranche, France, ordinary seaman Robert Blizzard jumped overboard. Blizzard was a prisoner at the time. Morris leaped into the water and rescued him from drowning.

The Medal of Honor recognized Morris's courage and decisive action to save another man's life. His citation preserves the record of the rescue aboard Lancaster.

Official Medal of Honor citation:

For leaping overboard from the U.S. flagship Lancaster, at Villefranche, France, 25 December 1881, and rescuing from drowning Robert Blizzard, ordinary seaman, a prisoner, who had jumped overboard.