Jesse Whitfield Covington, Portsmouth VA
Posted by: 
Don.Morfe
N 36° 50.250 W 076° 19.056
18S E 382513 N 4077655
World War I Medal of Honor Recipient for action while on board the USS Stewart at sea on April 17, 1918. He attained the rank of Chief Steward. He is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Portsmouth VA in Section Ave G, Lot 789.
Waymark Code: WMWNQ5
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 09/23/2017
Views: 0
He was born on September 16, 1889 in Egypt, TN and died on November 21, 1966 in Richmond VA. His Medal of Honor information and citation is: COVINGTON, JESSE WHITFIELD
• Rank and organization: Ship's Cook Third Class, U.S. Navy
• Place and date: At sea aboard the U.S.S. Stewart, 17 April 1918
• Entered service at: California
• G.O. No.: 403, 1918
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.
Armed Service: Navy
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