Jesse Covington

MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION

For extraordinary heroism following internal explosion of the Florence H. The sea in the vicinity of wreckage was covered by a mass of boxes of smokeless powder, which were repeatedly exploding. Jesse W. Covington, of the U.S.S. Stewart, plunged overboard to rescue a survivor who was surrounded by powder boxes and too exhausted to help himself, fully realizing that similar powder boxes in the vicinity were continually exploding and that he was thereby risking his life in saving the life of this man.

Rank: Ship's Cook Third Class
Conflicts: World War I
Organization: U.S. Navy

Through education, leadership, and inspiring spaces for learning and reflection, the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation preserves and expands the impact of the 3,517 awarded Medal of Honor recipients and the more than 40 million Americans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since the Civil War.