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U.S. Navy

Jesse Whitfield Covington

ConflictWorld War I

RankChief Steward

Year of Action1918

Unit/CommandUSS Stewart (DD-13)

BirthplaceTennessee

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 USS 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.

Branch: U.S. Navy Conflict: World War I Year of Action: 1918