Martin Schwenk
{{Infobox military person
| name = Martin Schwenk (George Martin)
| image = Medal of Honor Recipient United States Army Sergeant George Martin gravestone in Section 17 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia on February 7, 2024.jpg
|caption = Grave of George Martin at Arlington National Cemetery
| birth_date = April 28, 1839
| death_date = June 20, 1924
| birth_place = Kingdom of Württemberg
| death_place = Washington, D.C.{{sfnref|Washington Star, George Martin Dead|June 21, 1924}}
| placeofburial = Arlington National Cemetery
| allegiance = {{flag|United States of America|1861}}
| branch = {{army|USA}}
| serviceyears =
| rank = Sergeant
| unit = {{flagicon|United States|1863}} Company B, 6th U.S. Cavalry Regiment
| battles = American Civil War
| awards = {{Flagicon image|Medal of Honor ribbon.svg}} Medal of Honor
}}
Martin Schwenk (also known as George Martin, April 28, 1839 – June 20, 1924) was a German-American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. He received his country's highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor.{{sfnp|HoV, Martin Schwenk|2016}} The medal was awarded for bravery during the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania on 3 July 1863,{{sfnp|HoV, Martin Schwenk|2016}} in the Battle of Fairfield.{{sfnp|Wittenberg|2011|p=135}} He was honored with the award on April 23, 1889.{{sfnp|CMoHS, Martin Schwenk|2016}}
Schwenk was born in Baden in Germany. After emigrating to the United States, he entered service in Boston. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.{{sfnp|HoV, Martin Schwenk|2016}}{{sfnp|CMoHS, Martin Schwenk|2016}}
Medal of Honor citation
{{quote|The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant Martin Schwenk, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 3 July 1863, while serving with Company B, 6th U.S. Cavalry, in action at Millerstown (Gettysburg Battle), Pennsylvania, for bravery in an attempt to carry a communication through the enemy's lines. Sergeant Schwenk also rescued an officer from the hands of the enemy.{{sfnp|HoV, Martin Schwenk|2016}}}}
Personal life
The Medal of Honor was presented to Martin Schwenk more than 25 years after his actions in the Battle of Fairfield under the command of Nicholas M. Nolan. His Medal of Honor file at the National Archives and Records Administration documents his efforts to credit the award to George Martin, his real name. His efforts were unsuccessful; War Department policy required that the citation be issued in the soldier's name as it appeared in department records at the time of service.{{sfnp|Wittenberg|2011|p=135}}
Martin had lived in Washington, D.C., for more than 50 years at the time of his death at Providence Hospital on June 20, 1924.{{sfnp|Washington Star, George Martin Dead|June 21, 1924}} His Medal of Honor recipient gravestone in Section 17 of Arlington National Cemetery reads George Martin.
See also
References
=Citations=
{{Reflist |40em}}
=Sources=
{{refbegin |50em}}
- {{cite news |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Martin_Evening_Star_1924-06-21.jpg |title=George Martin Dead |date=June 21, 1924 |work=The Evening Star |page=2 |access-date=July 11, 2024 |ref={{sfnref|Washington Star, George Martin Dead|June 21, 1924}} }}
- {{cite web |url=http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=2308|title=Martin Schwenk|date=2016|accessdate=January 10, 2016|ref={{sfnref|HoV, Martin Schwenk|2016}} }}
- {{cite web|url=https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/martin-schwenk|title=Martin Schwenk |publisher=Congressional Medal of Honor Society|date=2016|accessdate=July 11, 2024|ref={{sfnref|CMoHS, Martin Schwenk|2016}} }}
- {{cite book |last=Wittenberg |first=Eric J. |author-link=Eric J. Wittenberg |date=2011 |title=Gettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Gettysburg_s_Forgotten_Cavalry_Actions/N3cauwAACAAJ?hl=en |location=El Dorado Hills, CA |publisher=Savas Beatie |page=135 |isbn=978-1611211085 |access-date=July 11, 2024 }}
{{refend}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwenk, Martin}}
Category:American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor
Category:People from the Grand Duchy of Baden
Category:People of Massachusetts in the American Civil War
Category:Württemberger emigrants to the United States
Category:German-born Medal of Honor recipients