Richard Ryan (Medal of Honor)

He leapt overboard to rescue a shipmate at Norfolk, Virginia

Richard Ryan earned the Medal of Honor for a rescue at Norfolk, Virginia, on March 4, 1876. An ordinary seaman aboard USS Hartford, he jumped overboard and saved a member of the crew from drowning.

Born in Connecticut in 1851, Ryan served in the United States Navy during a peacetime period following the Civil War. He was accredited to Connecticut for his Medal of Honor.

Ryan died on Staten Island, New York, on December 16, 1933, and is buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Waterbury, Connecticut. His award honors the decision to risk his own safety for a fellow sailor.

Medal of Honor citation

Serving on board the U.S.S. Hartford, Ryan displayed gallant conduct in jumping overboard at Norfolk, Va., and rescuing from drowning one of the crew of that vessel, 4 March 1876.