Medal of Honor: Robert W. Cary – U.S. Navy – Aboard USS San Diego – January 1915

Name: Robert W. Cary
Rank: Lieutenant Commander (then Ensign)
Organization: U.S. Navy
Assignment: U.S.S. San Diego
Place: Aboard U.S.S. San Diego
Entered Service At: Bunston, Missouri
Born: Kansas City, Missouri

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Summary of Action

On 21 January 1915, Ensign Robert W. Cary was serving as an observer on duty in the firerooms aboard the U.S.S. San Diego when a catastrophic boiler explosion erupted in No. 2 fireroom.

While taking routine half-hour steam pressure readings, Ensign Cary had just completed checks on No. 2 boiler and was stepping through the electrically controlled watertight door into No. 1 fireroom when the boilers behind him violently exploded. Instantly recognizing the danger, he stopped and physically held open the doors as they began closing automatically from the bridge.

Surrounded by escaping superheated steam and debris, Ensign Cary shouted to the trapped men in No. 2 fireroom, guiding them through the doorway to safety. Three sailors escaped because of his actions. For approximately a full minute, he held the doors open against tremendous force and lethal steam—an act that unquestionably saved lives.

Despite the explosions of five boilers nearby and the imminent threat that additional boilers without water might detonate at any moment, Ensign Cary remained calm and resolute. His composure steadied the men in No. 1 fireroom, keeping them at their posts as they hauled fires under boilers that were in immediate danger of exploding. Once this critical task was completed, he ordered the men into the bunker to protect them from further harm.

Throughout the crisis, Ensign Cary displayed extraordinary nerve, leadership, and coolness under conditions where hesitation would have meant certain death. His actions went far beyond the expectations of duty and stood as a defining example of courage under extreme industrial combat conditions at sea.

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Medal of Honor Citation

For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession on the occasion of an explosion on board the U.S.S. San Diego, 21 January 1915. Lt. Comdr. Cary (then Ensign), U.S. Navy, an observer on duty in the firerooms of the U.S.S. San Diego, commenced to take the half-hourly readings of the steam pressure at every boiler. He had read the steam and air pressure on No. 2 boiler and was just stepping through the electric watertight door into No. 1 fireroom when the boilers in No. 2 fireroom exploded. Ens. Cary stopped and held open the doors which were being closed electrically from the bridge, and yelled to the men in No. 2 fireroom to escape through these doors, which 3 of them did. Ens. Cary’s action undoubtedly saved the lives of these men. He held the doors probably a minute with the escaping steam from the ruptured boilers around him. His example of coolness did much to keep the men in No. 1 fireroom at their posts hauling fires, although 5 boilers in their immediate vicinity had exploded and boilers Nos. 1 and 3 apparently had no water in them and were likely to explode any instant. When these fires were hauled under Nos. 1 and 3 boilers, Ens. Cary directed the men in this fireroom into the bunker, for they well knew the danger of these 2 boilers exploding. During the entire time Ens. Cary was cool and collected and showed an abundance of nerve under the most trying circumstances. His action on this occasion was above and beyond the call of duty.