Oscar Schmidt Jr.

He swam to a burning vessel and rescued two injured sailors.

Oscar Schmidt Jr. was born on 25 March 1896 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He joined the Navy in 1913 and served until 1919, attaining the rating of chief gunner's mate. During the First World War he served in the United States Navy aboard USS Chestnut Hill.

On 9 October 1918 at sea, an explosion and fire struck submarine chaser 219. Schmidt jumped overboard and swam to a badly injured man hanging from its bow. He carried him to the stern, where another sailor helped bring him aboard. Unable to cross the flames to a second injured man, Schmidt helped him aboard after he fell into the water and drifted to the stern.

Schmidt received the Medal of Honor on 15 March 1919. He also received the Italian War Cross. After leaving the Navy he settled in York, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Helen, and their two sons. He worked for the York Safe and Lock Company, supervising construction of a Tokyo bank vault in 1929 and an assembly line during the Second World War. After Helen died in 1951, he bought and operated the Hotel Lincoln. He moved to Somers Point, New Jersey, in 1963 and married Louise. He died on 24 March 1973 in Somers Point, New Jersey, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His medal is held by Founding Forward in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Medal of Honor citation

For gallant conduct and extraordinary heroism while attached to the U.S.S. Chestnut Hill, on the occasion of the explosion and subsequent fire on board the U.S. submarine chaser 219. Schmidt, seeing a man, whose legs were partly blown off, hanging on a line from the bow of the 219, jumped overboard, swam to the sub chaser and carried him from the bow to the stern where a member of the 219's crew helped him land the man on the afterdeck of the submarine. Schmidt then endeavored to pass through the flames amidships to get another man who was seriously burned. This he was unable to do, but when the injured man fell overboard and drifted to the stern of the chaser Schmidt helped him aboard.