Abraham Desomer

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the

Medal of Honor

to Lieutenant Abraham Desomer, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession on board the U.S.S. Utah, during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21 and 22 April 1914.

Action Date: April 21 - 22, 1914

Service: Navy

Rank: Lieutenant

Division: U.S.S. Utah

Source: findagrave Vera Cruz Medal of Honor Recipient. He was issued the award on January 8, 1915 for his actions as a lieutenant with the Navy battleship USS Utah (BB-31) from 21-24 April 1914, during the early stages of the US occupation of Vera Cruz, Mexico. He joined the US Navy in the early 1900s and served on the gunboat USS Yorktown during the Philippine Insurrection. From 1907 to 1911, he was assigned to the battleship USS Nebraska and was promoted to the rank of chief petty officer in 1910. In 1911 he reported to the battleship USS Utah and while serving on that ship, he saw action with the intervention at Vera Cruz, Mexico after gong ashore to provide needed support, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. In February 1915 he was promoted to the the warrant officer rank of Gunner and during the next four years he served on the transport USS Hancock, the armored cruiser USS Montana, and the battleship USS 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, he transferred to Naval Training Center at Great Lakes, Illinois. He was made a permanent Lieutenant in August 1920 and, a year later, reported to the newly commissioned battleship USS California. In 1925 he began two more years of training duty at Great Lakes, then was assigned to the destroyer tender USS Dobbin and the aircraft carrier USS Lexington before transferring in November 1930 the Naval Air Station at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In January 1932 he retired after more than thirty years of continuous service as an enlisted man and an officer. He returned to active duty in the summer of 1940, after the fall of France prompted a massive expansion of America's defenses. and in February 1942 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander on the retired list. Among his other military awards and decorations include the Philippine Campaign Medal, the Mexican Service Medal, the World War I Victory Medal (with E.S.C.O.R.T. clasp), the American Defense and Campaign Medals, and the World War II Victory Medal. He died at the age of 89. His Medal of Honor citation reads: "On board the U.S.S. Utah, for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21-22 April 1914."

Bio by: William Bjornstad

Gravesite Details
He is not buried at Francisco National Cemetery, but has a cenotaph at the cemetery. VA records do not reflect his actual place of burial. Given his long naval career, he may have been buried at sea.

Family Members
Children
Robert Cameron DeSomer
1916–1998

Photo
Myles Edward DeSomer
1919–1989

Photo
Russell Howard DeSomer
1922–2009

Photo
Richard J. DeSomer
1923–1987