| August Holtz | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 12, 1871 |
| Died | March 5, 1938 (aged 67) |
| Place of birth | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Place of burial | Long Island National Cemetery, Suffolk County, New York |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Rank | Chief Watertender |
| Unit | USS North Dakota (BB-29) |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
August Holtz (February 12, 1871 – March 5, 1938) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.
Biography[]
Holtz was born on February 12, 1871, in St. Louis, Missouri. He joined the Navy from that city and by September 8, 1910, was serving as a chief watertender on the USS North Dakota (BB-29).[1] On that day, while the North Dakota was conducting tests using oil as fuel, an explosion occurred, killing three sailors and endangering the ship. In the engine room, pieces of hot coal and coke floated in waist-high hot water, oil was aflame above one of the boilers, and the entire room was filled with smoke, steam, and fumes. Despite these dangers, Holtz and five other men of the ship's engineering department entered the engine room to haul the boiler fires and perform other tasks necessary to prevent a boiler explosion. After ensuring the safety of the ship, they then searched for and removed the bodies of the three sailors killed in the initial explosion.[2]
For these actions, Holtz and the five other men were awarded the Medal of Honor a month later, on October 4. The others were Chief Machinist's Mate Thomas Stanton, Chief Machinist's Mate Karl Westa, Chief Watertender Patrick Reid, Machinist's Mate First Class Charles C. Roberts, and Watertender Harry Lipscomb.[1]
Holtz left the Navy while still a chief watertender. He died at age 67 and was buried at Long Island National Cemetery in Suffolk County, New York.[3]
Medal of Honor citation[]
Holtz's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
On board the U.S.S. North Dakota, for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the fire on board that vessel, 8 September 1910.[1]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Medal of Honor recipients - Interim Awards, 1901-1911". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. August 3, 2009. Archived from the original on 14 January 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100114031841/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/inter1901-11.html. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
- ↑ Williams, Dion (April 1919). "War Decorations". pp. 511–512. ISSN 0041-798X. http://books.google.com/books?id=GoIDAAAAYAAJ. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
- ↑ "August Holtz". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. June 21, 2000. http://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10075. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
The original article can be found at August Holtz and the edit history here.