George Cregan
On the 11th of December, 1886, George was born in New York City, New York and he enlisted in the US Navy in 1907 at the age of 21. When he deployed to Vera Cruz for the Mexican Campaign, he was a Coxswain (possibly a Petty Officer) for the USS Florida and his actions there would earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:
On board the U.S.S. Florida, for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21 April 1914. Cregan was ashore when he volunteered for an assault detail under Ens. George Maus Lowry on the Vera Cruz customhouse under enemy fire both in the alley between the customhouse and warehouse and the assault over the objective's walls. During the move up the alley, he tended a wounded comrade, J.F. Schumaker, holding a compress with one hand and firing with the other. (CMOHS.org)
George received his Medal of Honor on the 15th of June, 1914 and was promoted to the warrant officer rank of Boatswain after World War 1 on the 15th of March, 1920. He was the commanding officer of the USS Sagamore on the 17th of December, 1927, during a salvage operation off the coast of Provincetown, Massachusetts. George was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions as Chief Boatswain during the mission to salvage the USS S-4. This S-class submarine was accidentally sunk when she was surfacing and rammed by the USS Paulding, a US Coast Guard destroyer. Despite all the efforts of the salvage operation, all 40 men on board were lost, with six being trapped in the forward torpedo room.
George reached the rank of Lieutenant Commander before retiring on the 1st of March, 1947, after 40 years of service. He was married to Isabel and they had one son, George R Cregan (who served in the US Marine Corps during World War 2). George Cregan died on the 30th of June, 1969 at the age of 82 and he is buried in Arlington National Cemetery: Section 46, Site 1066 (FindAGrave.com).
