George Breeman George Breeman ( September 15 , 1880 – April 10 , 1937 ) was a United States Navy sailor who received the Medal of Honor for his heroism following a turret explosion in 1906 on board the battleship . Biography . Born in Passaic , New Jersey , Breeman enlisted in the United States Navy on June 2 , 1902 , and was rated as a landsman for training . He served briefly in the receiving ships and USS before being assigned to the gunboat on September 19 , 1902 . On March 23 , 1903 while still in " Topeka " , he was rated an ordinary seaman . In May 1903 , Breeman was reassigned to . On April 13 , 1906 , a flash fire occurred in " Kearsarge " ’ s forward 13 - inch turret where Breeman was serving , killing several officers and men . Burning powder fell into the 13 - inch handling room below . Breeman rushed from his battle station in the adjacent powder magazine into the handling room and stamped out the fires . He then returned to the magazine , closed the hatch to the handling room , and began replacing the covers on open powder tanks . Breeman received the Medal of Honor on May 5 , 1906 for his actions on board " Kearsarge " the previous month and received $ 100 as a gratuity . Not long thereafter , his term of enlistment expired , and Breeman received an honorable discharge from the Navy . On September 16 , 1912 , he reenlisted at New York City . After a brief period of service in USS , he transferred to the battleship on December 23 , 1912 , where he served for a little more than eight years . During most of that time , his ship operated in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico . During America ’ s participation in World War I , however , he and his ship helped to train gunners in northern waters . At the end of the war , Breeman made four voyages to Europe and back in bringing veterans home . During his long tour of duty in " New Hampshire " , he advanced to the rank of chief turret captain . On May 20 , 1921 , Chief Turret Captain transferred to the receiving ship at Hampton Roads , Va . , before moving on to a tour of duty at the Naval Air Station Anacostia , in Washington , D . C . In March 1922 , Breeman returned to sea in the new battleship . That final sea duty assignment lasted for almost three years . On May 31 , 1927 , he went ashore for the last time . After successive tours at the Naval Training Station , Hampton Roads , and the Navy Recruiting Station , Newark , New Jersey , Breeman was transferred to the Fleet Reserve on January 3 , 1929 . Chief Turret Captain Breeman died of a heart attack on April 10 , 1937 , in Passaic . On April 14 , 1947 , he was buried in Section 6 of Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington , Virginia . USS " Breeman " . The destroyer escort was launched on September 4 , 1943 , by the Dravo Corporation of Wilmington , Delaware . The launching ceremony was sponsored by his niece , Mrs . Marie Breeman Schellgell . The vessel was commissioned by the United States Navy on December 12 , 1943 , with Lt . Comdr . Edward N . W . Hunter commanding . The boat saw service throughout the Atlantic Ocean during World War II , before being decommissioned on April 26 , 1946 . The " Breeman " was later transferred to the Nationalist government of China on October 29 , 1948 . Medal of Honor citation . Rank and organization : Seaman , U . S . Navy . Born : September 15 , 1880 , Passaic , N . J . Accredited to : New Jersey . G . O . No . : 21 , May 5 , 1906 . Citation : Breeman displayed heroism in the line of his profession while serving on board the U . S . S . Kearsarge at the time of the accidental ignition of powder charges in the forward 13 - inch turret . Legacy . A memorial to Breeman ' s heroism stands in Veteran ' s Memorial Park in Passaic , New Jersey .