George M . Lowry George Maus Lowry ( October 27 , 1889 – 1981 ) served as a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy . He received the Medal of Honor for actions during the United States occupation of Veracruz , 1914 . Life . Lowry was born in Erie , Pennsylvania on October 27 , 1889 , the son of Ricardo St . Phillip Lowry . After appointment to the United States Naval Academy , Lowry graduated on June 2 , 1911 . In 1913 , he commanded the " " on a tour of the Great Lakes after the sunken ship was raised and reconstructed . He was married to Caroline Coleman , who died in 1979 . Service during United States occupation of Veracruz . In 1914 , Ensign Lowry took part in the United States occupation of Veracruz , 1914 , where he led the First Company of armed Navy sailors ( known as " Bluejackets " ) from the " . " Tasked with capturing the city ' s Customs House , Lowry ' s company became pinned down by " murderous rifle and machine - gun fire . " Deciding not to risk his entire company in a frontal attack , Lowry instead asked for volunteers to approach the Customs House from the side . Five men volunteered : Joseph G . Harner , Coxswain J . F . Schumaker , Boatswain ' s Mate Second Class George Cregan , and Seamen Harry C . Beasley and Lawrence C . Sinnett . Lowry led the volunteers into a narrow alley , where they came under a cross fire from riflemen in the Customs Building and machine gunners in a nearby hotel . During this fighting , " A bullet clipped one of the buttons off Lowry ' s cap and another tore through his right legging , creasing the flesh . Beasley was slightly wounded , and Schumaker was shot through the head . " After his men were able to silence the machine gunners with return rifle fire , Lowry called for a corpsman to help Schumaker . Hospital Apprentice First Class William Zuiderveld ran down the alley and tried to stop the flow of blood from Schumaker ' s head , but was unable to do so . Schumaker soon died . Once Zuiderveld carried Schumaker to the rear , Lowry and his surviving men worked their way up the alley and scaled the wall around the Custom ' s House . After Lowry and his men smashed through a window of the Customs House , the personnel inside surrendered . Several days later , Lowry returned to the scene and counted twelve bullet impacts on the wall where his men had climbed it . Lowry , along with almost all of the men who volunteered for the attack , received the Medal of Honor for his actions . Medal of Honor citation . " Rank and organization : " Ensign , U . S . Navy . " Place and date : " Vera Cruz , Mexico , 21 - April 22 , 1914 . " Entered service at : " Pennsylvania . " Birth : " Erie , Pa . G . O . No . : 177 , December 4 , 1915 . Citation : For distinguished conduct in battle , engagements of Vera Cruz , 21 – 22 April 1914 ; Ens . Lowry was in both days ' fighting at the head of his company , and was eminent and conspicuous in his conduct , leading his men with skill and courage . Later career . During Lowry ' s later career , he commanded the , and . Prior to leaving the Navy in 1927 , he also served in the Bureau of Navigation . In 1940 Lowry rejoined the Navy and served as assistant operations officer in the 12th Naval District . After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , Lowry served as " operations officer and as convoy and routing officer of the Western Sea Frontier during World War II . " In 1942 he was promoted to Captain , and to Rear Admiral in 1947 . Later life . After the war , Lowry wrote several articles which were printed in the United States Naval Institute magazine " Proceedings " , including " Exploits of the U - 53 , " " The Clipperton Operations " and " L - 16 : Mystery No Longer . " After his death in 1981 , he was buried at sea per his previous request . There is currently a professorship in his honor at the Navy War College in Newport , Rhode Island .