John Russell was a United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

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Biography

Born in 1852 in New York, New York, Russell joined the Navy from that state. By September 21, 1880, he was serving as a seaman

Seaman

Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....

 on the . On that day, while Trenton was at Genoa

Genoa

Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....

, Italy, he and Seaman Philip Moore

Philip Moore (Medal of Honor)

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 jumped overboard and rescued Ordinary Seaman Hans Paulsen from drowning. For this action, both Russell and Moore were awarded the Medal of Honor four years later, on October 18, 1884.

Russell's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

For jumping overboard from the U.S.S. Trenton, at Genoa, Italy, 21 September 1880, and rescuing from drowning Hans Paulsen, ordinary seaman.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients during peacetime

External links