Philip B. Keefer

Philip Bogan Keefer (September 4, 1875 – January 1, 1949) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions during the Spanish–American War.

Philip Bogan Keefer
Grave at Arlington National Cemetery
Born	(1875-09-04)September 4, 1875 Washington, D.C., US
Died	January 1, 1949(1949-01-01) (aged 73) Washington, D.C., US
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Navy
Rank	Coopersmith
Unit	USS Iowa (BB-4)
Battles / wars	Spanish–American War
Awards	Medal of Honor

On July 20, 1898, Keefer was serving as a Coopersmith on the USS Iowa (BB-4) off the coast of Santiago de Cuba when a boiler accident occurred. For his actions during the incident, Keefer was issued the Medal of Honor five months later, on December 14, 1898.

Medal of Honor citation

Coopersmith Keefer's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

On board the U.S.S. Iowa off Santiago de Cuba, 20 July 1898. Following the blow-out of a manhole gasket of that vessel which caused the fireroom to be filled with live steam and the floor plates to be covered with boiling water, Keefer showed courageous and zealous conduct in hauling fires from 2 furnaces of boiler B.

See also

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

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

• "War with Spain Medal of Honor recipients". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. 2004-09-01. Archived from the original on 2010-06-12. Retrieved 2007-12-20.