George Charrette (June 6, 1867 – February 7, 1938) was an enlisted man and later officer in the United States Navy who received the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the Spanish–American War.
George Charrette | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | June 6, 1867 Lowell, Massachusetts |
| Died | February 7, 1938 (aged 70) Lowell, Massachusetts |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1884–1925 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Battles / wars | Spanish–American War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Biography
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Charrette was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, on June 6, 1867. He enlisted in the United States Navy September 24, 1884. As a Gunner's Mate third class, on June 2, 1898, he volunteered with seven others to sink USS Merrimac under heavy Spanish fire across the entrance to the harbor of Santiago, Cuba, thus bottling up the enemy fleet. Taken prisoner by the Spanish, Charrette was exchanged July 6, 1898. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism, although his name was misspelled as "George Charette" on the citation.
Charrette was warranted as a gunner on June 15, 1898, and was promoted to chief gunner on June 15, 1904. During World War I, he was commissioned lieutenant on July 1, 1918, and retired from the Navy in 1925.
He died February 7, 1938, in Lowell, Massachusetts, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia.
Awards
editNamesake
editIn 1943, the destroyer USS Charrette (DD-581) was named in his honor.
See also
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References
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This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- Naval Historical Center (2006-05-10). "US People - Charette, George". Online Library. Archived from the original on 2006-08-14. Retrieved 2006-08-07.