William Ahern

Find a Grave

Birth: 1861, Ireland

Death: unknown

Peacetime Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He entered the US Navy at New York. He served as a Watertender. His citation reads "On board the USS Puritan at the time of the collapse of one of the crown sheets of boiler E of that vessel, 1 July 1897. Wrapped in wet cloths to protect his face and arms, Ahern entered the fireroom, crawled over the tops of the boilers and closed the auxiliary stop valve, disconnecting boiler E and removing the danger of disabling the other boilers". (bio by: Don Morfe)

Burial: Unknown