William Meyer

William was born on the 22nd of June 1863, in Germany and his parents had immigrated to the US sometime before 1870, since William’s younger brother was born in Illinois in 1870. He enlisted in the US Navy and was a Carpenter’s Mate Third Class when he deployed to Cuba in support of the Spanish-American War and his actions there earned him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

On board the U.S.S. Nashville during the operation of cutting the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Meyer displayed extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.

William received the Medal of Honor on the 7th of July 1899, and he reached the rank of Carpenter Third Class before leaving the Navy. I could not find any record of a wife or children but did find that he was working as a carpenter in Chicago. William Meyer died on the 6th of September 1926, at the age of 63 and he is buried in the Forest Home Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois: Section 49, Lot 299.