David John Scannell

David John Scannell
Born	March 30, 1875(1875-03-30) Boston, Massachusetts
Died	May 7, 1923(1923-05-07) (aged 48)
Place of burial	Togus National Cemetery, Chelsea, Maine
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	Marine Corps
Years of service	1898–1903
Rank	Private
Battles/wars	Boxer Rebellion
Awards	Medal of Honor

David John Scannell (March 30, 1875 – May 7, 1923) was a United States Marine and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Boxer Rebellion.

Biography

A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Scannell enlisted in the Marine Corps from that city on February 1, 1898, and served as a private. In Beijing (then known to Americans as Peking), China, from July 21 to August 17, 1900, he helped erect barricades despite heavy hostile fire. One year later, on July 19, 1901, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for this action.^[1][2]

Scannell was discharged from the Marine Corps on March 6, 1903, after five years of service.^[1] He died two decades later, at age 48, and was buried at Togus National Cemetery in Chelsea, Maine. The only Medal of Honor recipient in the cemetery, Scannell's grave is distinguished by a special marker with gold engraving.^[3][4]

Medal of Honor citation

His official citation reads:

In the presence of the enemy during the action at Peking, China, 21 July to 17 August 1900. Throughout this period, Scannell distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.^[2]

See also

	Biography portal
	United States Navy portal

• List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Boxer Rebellion

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Schuon, Karl (1963). U.S. Marine Corps Biographical Dictionary. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc.. p. 191. http://books.google.com/books?id=WMY6AAAAIAAJ. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Medal of Honor recipients - China Relief Expedition". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. August 3, 2009. http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/chinare.html. Retrieved January 13, 2009. 
3. ^ "David John Scannell". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7257291. Retrieved January 16, 2010. 
4. ^ "Togus National Cemetery - VAMC Togus, Maine". U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. November 10, 2009. http://www.togus.va.gov/about/Cemetery2.asp. Retrieved January 13, 2009. 

Persondata
Name	Scannell, David J.
Alternative names	Scannell, David John
Short description	United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient
Date of birth	March 30, 1875
Place of birth	Boston, Massachusetts
Date of death	May 7, 1923
Place of death