William Morse (Medal of Honor)

Saving a drowning shipmate in Rio de Janeiro

William Morse earned the Medal of Honor for rescuing a fellow sailor in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 19, 1880. A seaman aboard USS Shenandoah, he jumped overboard and saved First Class Fireman James Grady from drowning.

Born in Germany in 1852, Morse’s naval service was accredited to New York. His official citation identifies the rescue as the act recognized by the medal. It preserves a record of a sailor’s decisive response when a shipmate’s life was in danger.

Medal of Honor citation

For jumping overboard from the U.S.S. Shenandoah at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 19 September 1880, and rescuing from drowning James Grady, first class fireman.