Abraham DeSomer

Infobox Military Person
name=Abraham DeSomer
born= birth date|1884|12|29
died= death date and age|1974|8|31|1884|12|29
placeofbirth=Milwaukee, Wisconsin
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=


caption=Gunner Abraham DeSomer, October 1, 1916
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Navy
serviceyears=
rank= Lieutenant Commander
commands=
unit=
battles=United States occupation of Veracruz, 1914
awards=Medal of Honor
laterwork=

Abraham DeSomer (December 29, 1884 – August 31, 1974) was an enlisted man and later an officer in the United States Navy. He received America's highest military decoration - the Medal of Honor - for actions during the American intervention at Veracruz, Mexico.

Biography

Abraham DeSomer was born on December 29, 1884 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In the early 1900s, he enlisted in the United States Navy from that state. Following his initial sea duty on board the gunboat "Yorktown", DeSomer transferred to the monitor "Monadnock", which served on the Asiatic Station, and became a Gunner's Mate. From 1907 to 1911, he was assigned to the battleship "Nebraska". DeSomer was promoted to Chief Petty Officer in 1910. A year later, he reported to the battleship "Utah". While serving in that ship on 21-April 22, 1914, during the intervention at Veracruz, Mexico, his "extraordinary herosim in the line of his profession" was recognized by the award of the Medal of Honor.

In February 1915 DeSomer was promoted to the Warrant Officer rank of Gunner. During the next four years he served in the transport "Hancock", armored cruiser "Montana" and battleship "Minnesota". He was temporarily commissioned as an Ensign in August 1917 and attained the rank of Lieutenant in September 1918. In the Spring of 1919, DeSomer transferred to Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois. He was made a permanent Lieutenant in August 1920 and, a year later, reported to the newly commissioned battleship "California". DeSomer began two more years of training duty at Great Lakes in the summer of 1925, then was assigned to the destroyer tender "Dobbin" and the aircraft carrier "Lexington" before transferring in November 1930 to Naval Air Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Following more than thirty years of continuous service as an enlisted man and an officer, Lieutenant DeSomer retired in January 1932. He returned to active duty in the summer of 1940, after the fall of France prompted a massive expansion of America's defenses. Promoted to Lieutenant Commander on the retired list in February 1942, he remained in active status through the war years. Abraham DeSomer died on August 31, 1974 and is buried at the San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, California.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Lieutenant, United States Navy, U.S.S. Utah. Place and date: Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21 and April 22, 1914. Entered service at: Wisconsin. Birth: Milwaukee, Wis. Citation::On board the U.S.S. Utah, for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21 and April 22, 1914.

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients

References

:NHC
*findagrave|7416106 Retrieved on 2008-02-01
*cite web
last = Naval Historical Center
title = US People - DeSomer, Abraham
work = Online Library
date = 2006-06-13
url = http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-d/a-dsomr.htm
accessdate = 2006-08-08
*cite web
last = Army Medal of Honor Website
title = Medal of Honor
work =
date =
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/moh.html
accessdate = 2007-08-23