William Anderson | |
Birth Date: | c. 1852 |
Birth Place: | Sweden |
Death Date: | [1] |
Death Place: | Brooklyn, New York |
Placeofburial: | Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn |
Placeofburial Label: | Place of burial |
Allegiance: | United States of America |
Branch: | United States Navy |
Rank: | Coxswain |
Awards: | Medal of Honor |
William Anderson (c. 1852–1908) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.
Born in about 1852 in Sweden, Anderson migrated to the United States and joined the Navy from New York. By June 28, 1878, he was serving as a coxswain on the . On that day, he rescued First Class Boy W. H. Moffatt from drowning, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Anderson's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
On board the U.S.S. Powhatan, 28 June 1878. Acting courageously, Anderson rescued from drowning W. H. Moffatt, first class boy.