Austin J. Durney

Austin Joseph Durney (November 26, 1867 – November 17, 1926) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of America's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Austin Joseph Durney
Blacksmith Austin J. Durney
Born	(1867-11-26)November 26, 1867 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Died	November 17, 1926(1926-11-17) (aged 58) Ridgely, Maryland, US
Place of burial	Old Saint Joseph Cemetery, Cordova, Maryland
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1890–1900
Rank	Blacksmith
Unit	USS Nashville (PG-7)
Battles / wars	Spanish–American War
Awards	Medal of Honor

Biography

Austin Durney was born on November 26, 1867, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy from the state of Maryland in 1890, and served during the Spanish–American War on board the gunboat USS Nashville (PG-7). On May 11, 1898, Blacksmith Durney was one of several men who participated in a boat expedition that cut the underwater telegraph cable off Cienfuegos, Cuba. For his "extraordinary bravery and coolness" under enemy fire during this operation, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He was discharged from the Navy in 1900.

Austin J. Durney died on November 17, 1926, at Ridgely, Maryland, and was buried in Old Saint Joseph Cemetery, Cordova, Maryland.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Blacksmith, U.S. Navy. Born: November 26, 1867, Philadelphia, Pa. Entered service at: Woodland, Mo. G.O. No.: 521, July 7, 1899.

Citation:

On board the U.S.S. Nashville during the operation of cutting the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, May 11, 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Durney set an example of extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Spanish–American War

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

• Naval Historical Center (2006-03-23). "US People - Durney, Austin J." Online Library. Archived from the original on April 8, 2010. Retrieved 2006-08-09.