Medal of Honor: H. Breault

HENRY BREAULT

Torpedoman Second Class, US Navy; USS O-5 (SS 66)

Born: 14 October 1900, Putnam, Connecticut
Died: 5 December 1941, Newport, Rhode Island

Citation: For heroism and devotion to duty while serving on board the U.S. submarine O-5 at the time of the sinking of that vessel [in Limon Bay, Panama]. On the morning of 28 October 1923, the O-5 collided with the steamship Abangarez and sank in less than a minute. When the collision occurred, Breault was in the torpedo room. Upon reaching the hatch, he saw that the boat was rapidly sinking. Instead of jumping overboard to save his own life, he returned to the torpedo room to the rescue of a shipmate whom he knew was trapped in the boat, closing the torpedo room hatch on himself. Breault and Brown remained trapped in this compartment until rescued by the salvage party 31 hours later.


Note: Breault had served four years in the Royal Navy before enlisting in the US Navy.