Robert Augustus Sweeney

Robert Augustus Sweeney (February 20, 1853 – December 19, 1890) was an extraordinary sailor in the United States Navy. He holds a unique place in American military history as one of only 19 individuals, and the only African American, to be awarded the Medal of Honor twice. Remarkably, both of his medals were awarded during the peacetime "Interim Period" of the late 19th century for acts of extreme heroism where he risked his own life to save others from drowning. Here is a look at his life, his incredible bravery, and his lasting legacy. Early Life and Naval Service Sweeney was born on the Caribbean island of Montserrat in 1853. He later immigrated to the United States and enlisted in the U.S. Navy out of New Jersey, serving as an Ordinary Seaman, a rank designated for sailors learning the ropes of naval operations. While mid-20th-century naval records initially misstated his birthplace as Montreal, Canada, historical corrections by the Medal of Honor Historical Society verified his true Caribbean roots. The Two Heroic Rescues Sweeney earned both of his medals within a span of just over two years, both involving life-or-death situations in treacherous waters. 1. The First Medal: Hampton Roads, Virginia (October 26, 1881) While serving aboard the sloop-of-war USS Kearsarge, a fellow shipmate, Seaman Edward Martin Christoverson, fell from a Jacob’s ladder into the ocean. Christoverson could not swim, and a powerful tidal current coupled with rough seas began pulling him under. Without a second thought, Sweeney dove into the water. In a blind panic, Christoverson latched onto Sweeney, dragging them both underwater twice. Supported by a midshipman who dove in to assist, Sweeney managed to keep the drowning sailor afloat long enough for the crew to throw out a line and pull everyone safely back aboard. Six days later, Sweeney was awarded his first Medal of Honor. 2. The Second Medal: Brooklyn Navy Yard (December 20, 1883) Two years later, Sweeney was assigned to the USS Yantic. While docked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard next to the training ship USS Jamestown, a young, third-class boy named Adam Alphonse George slipped from a plank between the two ships and plunged into the frigid water. Sweeney and another sailor, J.W. Norris, immediately jumped overboard into the tight space between the hulls. Together, they successfully rescued the boy from a fast-moving tide that the ship's logbook noted would have probably drowned him. For this second act of swift bravery, Sweeney received his second Medal of Honor. Legacy Sweeney’s life was cut tragically short when he passed away on December 19, 1890, at the age of 37. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Queens, New York. Because he served during a peacetime era, his name is not as widely recognized as wartime heroes, but his legacy stands tall. Out of the millions of people who have served in the United States Armed Forces, fewer than twenty have ever replicated his feat of earning two Medals of Honor. As the sole Black serviceman to do so, he remains an enduring icon of selflessness, valor, and aquatic heroism.