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William Halford
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| William Halford | |
|---|---|
| 18 August 1841 – 7 February 1919 | |
 Coxswain William Halford, circa 1870 |
|
| Place of birth | England |
| Place of death | Oakland, California |
| Allegiance | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1869 – 1910 1917 – 1919 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | USS Saginaw |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
William Halford (18 August 1841 – 7 February 1919) was a sailor, and later an officer, in the United States Navy.
Born in England, Halford enlisted in the United States Navy in 1869. He was serving on board Saginaw, when she ran aground near Midway Atoll on 29 October 1870. Halford was one of four sailors who volunteered to sail the ship's boat 1,500 miles to Honolulu for help, along with Lieutenant John G. Talbot. After great suffering, and 31 days at sea, the party reached Kauai Island 19 December. In attempting to land through the heavy surf, all but Halford were drowned, but he managed to reach shore and bring help to his shipmates. Halford received the Medal of Honor for his bravery and served until 1910, when he retired.
Promoted to Lieutenant on the retired list, he returned to the Navy in 1917. He died on 7 February 1919 at Oakland, Calif.
USS Halford (DD-480) was named for him.
- This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.