Good Conduct Medal - First Award - 9 June 1917 - 6 October 1919
Good Conduct Bar - Second Award - 7 October - 6 October 1921
World War I Victory Medal
Expert Rifle Badge
Member of the National Guard of Michigan (Infantry) for three months.
World War I Marine Corps Hero who was serving on board USS San Diego when sunk off Fire Island 19 July, 1918.
Enlisted 9 June 1917, Marine Barracks, Port Royal, S.C.
On July 8, 1918, the San Diego left Portsmouth, New Hampshire, en route to New York. She had rounded Nantucket Light and was heading west. On July 19, 1918, she was zigzagging as per war instructions on course to New York. Sea was smooth, the visibility 6 miles. At 11:23 AM, an ear shattering explosion tore a huge hole in her port side amidships. Captain Christy immediately sounded submarine defense quarters, which involves a general alarm and the closing of all water-tight doors. Soon after, two more explosions ripped through her hull. These secondary explosions were determined later to be caused by the rupturing of one of her boilers and ignition of her magazine. The ship immediately started to list to port. Officers and crew quickly went to their stations. Guns were fired from all sides of the war ship at anything that was taken for a possible periscope. Her port guns fired until they were awash. Her starboard guns fired until the list of the ship pointed them into the sky.
Under the impression that a submarine was surely in the area, the men stayed at their posts until Captain Christy shouted the order " All hands abandon ship ". In a last ditch effort to save his ship, Captain H. Christy had steamed toward Fire Island Beach, but never made it. At 11:51 AM the San Diego sank, only 28 minutes after the initial explosion. In accordance with navy tradition, Captain Christy was the last man to leave his ship. As the vessel was turning over, he made his way from the bridge down two ladders to the boat deck over the side to the armor belt, dropped four feet to the bilge keel and finally jumped overboard from the docking keel which was then only eight feet from the water. As the Captain left his ship, men in the life boats cheered him and started to sing our National Anthem. Most survivors were picked up by nearby vessels, but at least four life boats full of men rowed ashore, three at Bellport and one near the Lone Hill Coast Guard Station. The San Diego was the only major warship lost by the United States in World War I.
The original casualty reports ranged from 30 to 40. Apparently, the muster roll on the San Diego was not saved. The only list of men on board was the payroll of June 30, but since the end of June, they had received and transferred over 100 men. When the Navy eventually finalized the death toll, the official count was only six.
Since her sinking, there has been much debate about whether it was a torpedo, German mine or U.S. mine that sent the cruiser to Davy Jones' Locker. Captain Christy wrote in his final log that they had been hit by a torpedo. The Navy, however, found and destroyed five or six German surface mines in the vicinity, so it is generally accepted that a mine laid by the U-156 did the job. Ironically, the U-156 was sunk on its homeward journey possibly by a U.S. mine.
From: http://njscuba.net/sites/site_uss_san_diego.html
Later served on the USS Idaho, 24 March 1919 to 6 October 1919
Good Conduct Bar - Second Award - 7 October - 6 October 1921
World War I Victory Medal
Expert Rifle Badge
Member of the National Guard of Michigan (Infantry) for three months.
World War I Marine Corps Hero who was serving on board USS San Diego when sunk off Fire Island 19 July, 1918.
Enlisted 9 June 1917, Marine Barracks, Port Royal, S.C.
On July 8, 1918, the San Diego left Portsmouth, New Hampshire, en route to New York. She had rounded Nantucket Light and was heading west. On July 19, 1918, she was zigzagging as per war instructions on course to New York. Sea was smooth, the visibility 6 miles. At 11:23 AM, an ear shattering explosion tore a huge hole in her port side amidships. Captain Christy immediately sounded submarine defense quarters, which involves a general alarm and the closing of all water-tight doors. Soon after, two more explosions ripped through her hull. These secondary explosions were determined later to be caused by the rupturing of one of her boilers and ignition of her magazine. The ship immediately started to list to port. Officers and crew quickly went to their stations. Guns were fired from all sides of the war ship at anything that was taken for a possible periscope. Her port guns fired until they were awash. Her starboard guns fired until the list of the ship pointed them into the sky.
Under the impression that a submarine was surely in the area, the men stayed at their posts until Captain Christy shouted the order " All hands abandon ship ". In a last ditch effort to save his ship, Captain H. Christy had steamed toward Fire Island Beach, but never made it. At 11:51 AM the San Diego sank, only 28 minutes after the initial explosion. In accordance with navy tradition, Captain Christy was the last man to leave his ship. As the vessel was turning over, he made his way from the bridge down two ladders to the boat deck over the side to the armor belt, dropped four feet to the bilge keel and finally jumped overboard from the docking keel which was then only eight feet from the water. As the Captain left his ship, men in the life boats cheered him and started to sing our National Anthem. Most survivors were picked up by nearby vessels, but at least four life boats full of men rowed ashore, three at Bellport and one near the Lone Hill Coast Guard Station. The San Diego was the only major warship lost by the United States in World War I.
The original casualty reports ranged from 30 to 40. Apparently, the muster roll on the San Diego was not saved. The only list of men on board was the payroll of June 30, but since the end of June, they had received and transferred over 100 men. When the Navy eventually finalized the death toll, the official count was only six.
Since her sinking, there has been much debate about whether it was a torpedo, German mine or U.S. mine that sent the cruiser to Davy Jones' Locker. Captain Christy wrote in his final log that they had been hit by a torpedo. The Navy, however, found and destroyed five or six German surface mines in the vicinity, so it is generally accepted that a mine laid by the U-156 did the job. Ironically, the U-156 was sunk on its homeward journey possibly by a U.S. mine.
From: http://njscuba.net/sites/site_uss_san_diego.html
Later served on the USS Idaho, 24 March 1919 to 6 October 1919
Good Conduct Medal - First Award - 9 June 1917 - 6 October 1919
Good Conduct Bar - Second Award - 7 October - 6 October 1921
World War I Victory Medal
Expert Rifle Badge
Member of the National Guard of Michigan (Infantry) for three months.
World War I Marine Corps Hero who was serving on board USS San Diego when sunk off Fire Island 19 July, 1918.
Enlisted 9 June 1917, Marine Barracks, Port Royal, S.C.
On July 8, 1918, the San Diego left Portsmouth, New Hampshire, en route to New York. She had rounded Nantucket Light and was heading west. On July 19, 1918, she was zigzagging as per war instructions on course to New York. Sea was smooth, the visibility 6 miles. At 11:23 AM, an ear shattering explosion tore a huge hole in her port side amidships. Captain Christy immediately sounded submarine defense quarters, which involves a general alarm and the closing of all water-tight doors. Soon after, two more explosions ripped through her hull. These secondary explosions were determined later to be caused by the rupturing of one of her boilers and ignition of her magazine. The ship immediately started to list to port. Officers and crew quickly went to their stations. Guns were fired from all sides of the war ship at anything that was taken for a possible periscope. Her port guns fired until they were awash. Her starboard guns fired until the list of the ship pointed them into the sky.
Under the impression that a submarine was surely in the area, the men stayed at their posts until Captain Christy shouted the order " All hands abandon ship ". In a last ditch effort to save his ship, Captain H. Christy had steamed toward Fire Island Beach, but never made it. At 11:51 AM the San Diego sank, only 28 minutes after the initial explosion. In accordance with navy tradition, Captain Christy was the last man to leave his ship. As the vessel was turning over, he made his way from the bridge down two ladders to the boat deck over the side to the armor belt, dropped four feet to the bilge keel and finally jumped overboard from the docking keel which was then only eight feet from the water. As the Captain left his ship, men in the life boats cheered him and started to sing our National Anthem. Most survivors were picked up by nearby vessels, but at least four life boats full of men rowed ashore, three at Bellport and one near the Lone Hill Coast Guard Station. The San Diego was the only major warship lost by the United States in World War I.
The original casualty reports ranged from 30 to 40. Apparently, the muster roll on the San Diego was not saved. The only list of men on board was the payroll of June 30, but since the end of June, they had received and transferred over 100 men. When the Navy eventually finalized the death toll, the official count was only six.
Since her sinking, there has been much debate about whether it was a torpedo, German mine or U.S. mine that sent the cruiser to Davy Jones' Locker. Captain Christy wrote in his final log that they had been hit by a torpedo. The Navy, however, found and destroyed five or six German surface mines in the vicinity, so it is generally accepted that a mine laid by the U-156 did the job. Ironically, the U-156 was sunk on its homeward journey possibly by a U.S. mine.
From: http://njscuba.net/sites/site_uss_san_diego.html
Later served on the USS Idaho, 24 March 1919 to 6 October 1919
Good Conduct Bar - Second Award - 7 October - 6 October 1921
World War I Victory Medal
Expert Rifle Badge
Member of the National Guard of Michigan (Infantry) for three months.
World War I Marine Corps Hero who was serving on board USS San Diego when sunk off Fire Island 19 July, 1918.
Enlisted 9 June 1917, Marine Barracks, Port Royal, S.C.
On July 8, 1918, the San Diego left Portsmouth, New Hampshire, en route to New York. She had rounded Nantucket Light and was heading west. On July 19, 1918, she was zigzagging as per war instructions on course to New York. Sea was smooth, the visibility 6 miles. At 11:23 AM, an ear shattering explosion tore a huge hole in her port side amidships. Captain Christy immediately sounded submarine defense quarters, which involves a general alarm and the closing of all water-tight doors. Soon after, two more explosions ripped through her hull. These secondary explosions were determined later to be caused by the rupturing of one of her boilers and ignition of her magazine. The ship immediately started to list to port. Officers and crew quickly went to their stations. Guns were fired from all sides of the war ship at anything that was taken for a possible periscope. Her port guns fired until they were awash. Her starboard guns fired until the list of the ship pointed them into the sky.
Under the impression that a submarine was surely in the area, the men stayed at their posts until Captain Christy shouted the order " All hands abandon ship ". In a last ditch effort to save his ship, Captain H. Christy had steamed toward Fire Island Beach, but never made it. At 11:51 AM the San Diego sank, only 28 minutes after the initial explosion. In accordance with navy tradition, Captain Christy was the last man to leave his ship. As the vessel was turning over, he made his way from the bridge down two ladders to the boat deck over the side to the armor belt, dropped four feet to the bilge keel and finally jumped overboard from the docking keel which was then only eight feet from the water. As the Captain left his ship, men in the life boats cheered him and started to sing our National Anthem. Most survivors were picked up by nearby vessels, but at least four life boats full of men rowed ashore, three at Bellport and one near the Lone Hill Coast Guard Station. The San Diego was the only major warship lost by the United States in World War I.
The original casualty reports ranged from 30 to 40. Apparently, the muster roll on the San Diego was not saved. The only list of men on board was the payroll of June 30, but since the end of June, they had received and transferred over 100 men. When the Navy eventually finalized the death toll, the official count was only six.
Since her sinking, there has been much debate about whether it was a torpedo, German mine or U.S. mine that sent the cruiser to Davy Jones' Locker. Captain Christy wrote in his final log that they had been hit by a torpedo. The Navy, however, found and destroyed five or six German surface mines in the vicinity, so it is generally accepted that a mine laid by the U-156 did the job. Ironically, the U-156 was sunk on its homeward journey possibly by a U.S. mine.
From: http://njscuba.net/sites/site_uss_san_diego.html
Later served on the USS Idaho, 24 March 1919 to 6 October 1919
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