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Henry Breault (14 Oct. 1900 – 5 Dec. 1941) was a only enlisted submariner to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions aboard a United States submarine O-5. (SS-66) in the Panama Canal in 1923.-
Citation:
For heroism and devotion to duty while serving on board the U.S. submarine O-5 at the time of the sinking of that vessel. On the morning of 28 October 1923, the O-5 collided with the steamship Abangarez and sank in less than a minute. When the collision occurred, Breault was in the torpedo room. Upon reaching the hatch, he saw that the boat was rapidly sinking. Instead of jumping overboard to save his own life, he returned to the torpedo room to the rescue of a shipmate whom he knew was trapped in the boat, closing the torpedo room hatch on himself. Breault and Brown remained trapped in this compartment until rescued by the salvage party 31 hours later.
Salvage of the USS O-5 off Panama 31 hours after sinking and the rescue of Breault and Brown. They are seen exiting the submarines torpedo loading hatch which has just slipped back under water. The sub was lifted to the surface by the The derrick barge US Ajax which had made a its own heroic transit of the canal which was hampered by mud slides to make it in time to rescue the last two men alive in the O-5.-
April 4, 1924 President Calvin Coolidge, has presented the Congressional Medal Of Honor to Henry Breault in a ceremony on the White House lawn.-
Citation:
For heroism and devotion to duty while serving on board the U.S. submarine O-5 at the time of the sinking of that vessel. On the morning of 28 October 1923, the O-5 collided with the steamship Abangarez and sank in less than a minute. When the collision occurred, Breault was in the torpedo room. Upon reaching the hatch, he saw that the boat was rapidly sinking. Instead of jumping overboard to save his own life, he returned to the torpedo room to the rescue of a shipmate whom he knew was trapped in the boat, closing the torpedo room hatch on himself. Breault and Brown remained trapped in this compartment until rescued by the salvage party 31 hours later.
Salvage of the USS O-5 off Panama 31 hours after sinking and the rescue of Breault and Brown. They are seen exiting the submarines torpedo loading hatch which has just slipped back under water. The sub was lifted to the surface by the The derrick barge US Ajax which had made a its own heroic transit of the canal which was hampered by mud slides to make it in time to rescue the last two men alive in the O-5.-
April 4, 1924 President Calvin Coolidge, has presented the Congressional Medal Of Honor to Henry Breault in a ceremony on the White House lawn.-