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Service Profile
- Branch
- U.S. Navy
- Rank
- Fireman First Class
- Service Era
- Spanish-American War
- Medals Recorded
- 1
Awards & Decorations
Ribbon Rack
Biography
He entered a steam-filled fireroom to save his stricken ship
Thomas Cavanaugh earned the Medal of Honor aboard USS Potomac on November 14, 1898. A fireman first class, he volunteered to enter a fireroom filled with steam during the ship’s passage from Cat Island to Nassau.
After repeated attempts, Cavanaugh reached and opened an auxiliary valve, relieving the vessel from further danger. His award recognizes courage during a hazardous machinery-space emergency.
Born in Ireland on May 10, 1869, Cavanaugh served in the United States Navy and was accredited to New York for his Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor citation
On board the U.S.S. Potomac during the passage of that vessel from Cat Island to Nassau, 14 November 1898. Volunteering to enter the fireroom, which was filled with steam, Cavanaugh, after repeated attempts, succeeded in reaching the auxiliary valve and opening it, thereby relieving the vessel from further danger.
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