Oscar Frederick Nelson
Era: Miscellaneous
Military Branch: Navy
NELSON, Oscar Frederick *** Medal of Honor Recipient ***
Oscar Frederick Nelson was born November 5th 1881 in Denmark to Bendt Peter & Eliza [Glemusestad] Nielson before the family emmigrated to Minnesota in the mid-1890's.
Mr. Nelson enlisted for military service in 1899. He was enducted into the U.S. Navy on September 19th 1903. On July 21st 1905, he was a 23-year-old United States Navy Machinist Mate (CMM) serving aboard the USS Bennington, a gunboat in San Diego harbor when the ship’s boilers exploded,
CMM Nelson ignored the danger to his life and worked to rescue his shipmates. Despite burning steam and scalding water, he made repeated trips to the ship’s engine room and pulled several dead and wounded sailors up ladders to higher decks.
For his bravery, Nelson was given the nation’s highest military award: The Medal of Honor. President Theodore Roosevelt awarded the medal on January 5th 1906.
Citation:
Serving on board the U.S.S. Bennington, for extraordinary heroism displayed at the time of the explosion of a boiler of that vessel at San Diego, Calif., 21 July 1905
CMM Nelson was honorably discharged September 18th 1907 though he may have stayed in the Naval Reserves until 1911. He also registered for service in 1918 for WWI but no record that he was called for service.
After his Naval service, he married Anna Dahl, moved to Duluth, Minnesota where they raised a family in Duluth. He worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for 24 years.
Mr. Nelson died on September 26th 1951 at the age of 69 years. He is buried at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Nelson's Medal of Honor is on display at the Veterans Memorial Hall Gallery in the DEPOT in Duluth, Minnesota.
Nelson is one of 6 regional Medal of Honor recipients featured in the book Such Good Men by Alan M. Anderson. Follow the link below for additional information.
Nelson is one of the featured Medal of Honor heroes in artist Tim Cortes' painting 'Forged Under Fire'. Limited edition prints are available through the St. Louis County Historical Society. Forged Under Fire (REPRODUCTION) | slchs (thehistorypeople.org)
Source(s)
Albert J. Amatuzio Research Center | Veterans Memorial Hall (vets-hall.org)
Oscar Frederick Nelson - Wikipedia
Oscar Frederick Nelson (1881-1951) - Find A Grave Memorial
Oscar Frederick Nelson | Interim 1899 - 1910 | U.S. Navy | Medal of Honor Recipient (cmohs.org)
U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 - Ancestry.com
U.S., National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962 - Ancestry.com
