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Service Profile
- Branch
- U.S. Navy
- Rank
- Landsman
- Service Era
- Spanish-American War
- Medals Recorded
- 3
Awards & Decorations
Ribbon Rack
Biography
Cutting enemy cables under fierce rifle fire off Cienfuegos.
John Phillip Rilley was born on January 22, 1877, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Navy as a landsman aboard USS Nashville during the Spanish-American War.
On May 11, 1898, at Cienfuegos, Cuba, he took part in cutting the cable leading from the port. Facing heavy enemy fire, he maintained the bravery and composure recognized in his Medal of Honor citation.
Rilley died on November 16, 1950, and is buried at Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts. His Medal of Honor commemorates his courage during the cable-cutting operation.
Official Medal of Honor citation:
On board the U.S.S. Nashville during the operation of cutting the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Rilley displayed extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.
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