After 160 Years, It's Time to Recognize the First Medal of Honor Recipient from Africa

Abstract

In the final days of the Civil War, Ordinary Seaman Joachim Pease vanished from the historical record. The Medal of Honor he earned remains unclaimed and stored in a museum drawer in Washington, D.C. Of Pease's valor during his time at sea, there is little doubt. The U.S. Navy has yet to fully acknowledge, however, the strong evidence of Pease's origins in the African archipelago of Cabo Verde, which would make him the first known African-born recipient of the nation's highest military honor.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 09, 2023
Accession Number
AD1210354

Entities

People

  • James Hagengruber

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Active Duty
  • Africa
  • African Americans
  • Blockades
  • Civil War
  • Commerce
  • Instructors
  • Minority Groups
  • Navy
  • New York
  • Recruiting
  • Ships
  • Students
  • United States
  • United States Africa Command
  • War
  • War Colleges

Fields of Study

  • History

Readers

  • International Relations, focusing on Korea-Africa and North Korea-South Korea relations, and Nigeria-Latin American Relations.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.