John F. De Swan Explained

John Francis De Swan
Birth Date:13 January 1876
Birth Place:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Allegiance:United States
Branch:United States Army
Rank:First Lieutenant
Unit:Company H, 21st U.S. Infantry
Battles:Spanish–American War
Awards:Medal of Honor

John Francis DeSwan (January 13, 1876 – December 1, 1956) was a private serving in the United States Army during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.

Biography

De Swan was born January 13, 1876, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and joined the army from his birth city in May 1893 (claiming to be 21 because he was underage). He was discharged in December of that year, and re-enlisted in January 1896.[1] He was sent to fight in the Spanish–American War with Company H, 21st U.S. Infantry as a private where he received the Medal of Honor for his actions.[2]

He died December 1, 1956.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Private, Company H, 21st U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Santiago, Cuba, 1 July 1898. Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. Date of issue: 22 June 1899

Citation:

Gallantly assisted in the rescue of the wounded from in front of the lines and under heavy fire from the enemy.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Register of Enlistments in the US Army, 1798-1914
  2. Web site: August 2, 2010 . War with Spain; De Swan, John F. . Medal of Honor recipients, War With Spain . . August 3, 2009 . April 23, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090423095635/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/warspain.html . dead.