William Seach
William was born on the 23rd of May, 1877, in London, England, and after moving to the US, he joined the US Navy at the age of 22. He was a Seaman when he deployed to China in support of the Boxer Rebellion and his actions there earned him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:
In action with the relief expedition of the Allied forces in China during the battles of 13, 20, 21, and 22 June 1900. June 13: Seach and six others were cited for their courage in repulsing an attack by 300 Chinese Imperialist soldiers and Boxer militants with a bayonet charge, thus thwarting a planned massive attack on the entire force. June 20: During a day-long battle, Seach ran across an open clearing, gained cover, and cleaned out nests of Chinese snipers. June 21: During a surprise saber attack by Chinese cavalrymen, Seach was cited for defending gun emplacements. June 22: Seach and others breached the wall of a Chinese fort, fought their way to the enemy's guns, and turned the cannon upon the defenders of the fort. Throughout this period and in the presence of the enemy, Seach distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.
William received his Medal of Honor in July of 1901 and seven and a half years later, he was a Warrant Officer and then promoted to Chief Gunner in 1915. William was the Gunnery Officer on board the USS President Lincoln during World War 1 when it was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine on the 31st of May, 1918. He received injuries during the sinking and was briefly held as a Prisoner of War by the Germans, who then released him to drift and was later rescued by the French. Fun fact, William was imprisoned with Edouard Izac, who also received the Medal of Honor and whose story I covered back on episode 87.
William retired from the Navy in 1923 at the rank of Lieutenant and spent his life in Massachusetts. Thirty years later, he was a member of the Honor Guard at the interment of the unknown soldiers from World War 2 and the Korean War at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. William Seach died on the 24th of October, 1978 at the age of 101, which at the time made him the oldest and longest living Medal of Honor recipient and he was the last surviving recipient from the Boxer Rebellion. The William Seach School in Weymouth, Massachusetts is named in his honor and his Medal, along with his sword and other medals, are on display at the US Naval Shipbuiding Museum inside the USS Salem at the Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts. William is buried in Arlington National Cemetery: Section 11, Lot 334-2.
