Henry Breault

Infobox Military Person
name= Henry Breault
born= birth date|1900|10|14
died= death date and age|1941|12|5|1900|10|14
placeofbirth=Putnam, Connecticut
placeofdeath=Newport, Rhode Island
placeofburial= Saint Mary Cemetery Putnam, Connecticut


caption=Henry Breault, just after receiving his Medal of Honor, March 1924
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch= Royal Navy United States Navy
serviceyears= ca. 1916 - ca. 1920 (Royal Navy) ca. 1921 - 1941 (U.S. Navy)
rank= Torpedoman Second Class (U.S. Navy)
commands=
unit= USS "O-5"
battles=
awards= Medal of Honor
laterwork=

Henry Breault (October 14, 1900 – December 5, 1941), was a United States Navy sailor who received the Medal of Honor for his actions while serving aboard the US Submarine 0-5..

Biography

Henry Breault was born in Putnam, Connecticut, on October 14, 1900. He enlisted in the British Royal Navy at sixteen years of age and, after serving under the White Ensign for four years, joined the U.S. Navy.On October 28, 1923 Torpedoman Second Class Breault was a member of the crew of USS "O-5" when that submarine was sunk in a collision in the Panama Canal. Though he could have escaped, Breault chose to assist a shipmate, and remained inside the sunken submarine until both were rescued more than a day later. For his "heroism and devotion to duty" on this occasion, Henry Breault was awarded the Medal of Honor. He received his Medal of Honor from President Calvin Coolidge, in ceremonies at the White House, Washington, D.C., on March 8, 1924. Following twenty years of U.S. Navy service, Henry Breault became ill with a heart condition.

He died at the Naval Hospital at Newport, Rhode Island, on December 4, 1941. He was buried in Saint Mary Cemetery in Putnam, Connecticut.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Torpedoman Second Class, U.S. Navy. Born: October 14, 1900, Putnam, Conn. Accredited to: Vermont. G.O. No.: 125, February 20, 1924. Citation:

:For heroism and devotion to duty while serving on board the U.S. submarine 0-5 at the time of the sinking of that vessel. On the morning of 28 October 1923, the 0-5 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. (Medal presented by President Coolidge at the White House on 8 March 1924.)

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*List of Medal of Honor recipients during Peacetime

References

*cite web
last = Naval Historical Center
title = US People - Breault, Henry
work = Online Library
date = 2002-10-02
url = http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-b/h-breaul.htm
accessdate = 2006-08-05
*findagrave|7836770 Retrieved on 2008-02-01

Persondata
NAME= Breault, Henry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Navy Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH= October 14, 1900
PLACE OF BIRTH= Putnam, Connecticut
DATE OF DEATH= December 5, 1941
PLACE OF DEATH= Newport, Rhode Island