Nick Erickson

Cutting cables under fire, he helped disrupt communications.

Nicholas Erickson, also recorded as Nick, was born in Finland, on 18 July 1870. He later entered the United States Navy and was serving as a coxswain in the cruiser USS Marblehead during the Spanish-American War.

On 11 May 1898, naval crews were sent in small boats to cut the submarine communications cables at Cienfuegos, Cuba. The operation required men to work close to shore while exposed to Spanish fire. Erickson was among the sailors taking part from Marblehead. While the cable cutters carried out their work, the boats and their occupants came under sustained attack.

His Medal of Honor citation specifically recognised his bravery and composure throughout the operation. The sailors and Marines in the boats relied on each other and the supporting ships while working close to the defended shoreline. Cutting the cables damaged the defenders' communications with the outside world.

Erickson received the Medal of Honor under the naval general order issued in July 1899. After the war he worked at the Iona Island ammunition depot. He died on 21 June 1931 and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York. His service is commemorated among the naval Medal of Honor recipients of the Cienfuegos operation.

Official Medal of Honor citation:

On board the U.S.S. Marblehead during the operation of cutting the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Erickson set an example of extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.