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First Name: Robert

Last Name: Blume

Birthplace: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Gender: Male

Branch: Navy (present)

Rating:

Home of Record: NJ




Date of Birth: 19 November 1868

Date of Death: 16 September 1937

Rank or Rate: Chief Petty Officer

Years Served:
Robert Blume

   
Engagements:
•  Spanish-American War (1898)

Biography:

Robert Blume

Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy

Medal of Honor Recipient

Spanish-American War

Chief Petty Officer Robert Blume (19 November 1868 - 16 September 1937) was a U.S. Navy sailor who received the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during the Spanish-American War.

Biography

Robert Blume was born 19 November 1868 in Pittsburgh, PA, and after entering the Navy, he was sent to fight in the Spanish-American War aboard the USS Nashville.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy

Citation: On board the USS Nashville during the cutting of the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Blume set an example of extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.

Stolen Medal of Honor

In 2003, an agent working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation was posing as a buyer when two people attempted to sell two Medals of Honor to him. One medal belonged to Blume and the other to U.S. Army First Sergeant George Washington Roosevelt, who received his in actions during the American Civil War. Edward Fedora and his wife were charged with violating 18 U.S.C. § 704(b), Unlawful Sale of a Medal of Honor. Edward Fedora, a Canadian businessman, pled guilty and was sentenced to prison, but there is no record of what happened to his wife Gisela.

Death and Burial

Seaman Robert Blume died 16 September 1937. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. His grave can be found in Section 6, Grave 9752-SS, Map Grid V/W 19.5.



Honoree ID: 1856   Created by: MHOH

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