Robert Augustus Sweeney
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| Robert Augustus Sweeney | |
|---|---|
| 20 February 1853 - 19 December 1890 | |
| Place of birth | Montreal, Canada |
| Allegiance | United States Navy |
| Rank | Ordinary Seaman |
| Awards | Medal of Honor (2), |
Robert Augustus Sweeney is one of only nineteen servicemen, and the only African American, to receive the Medal of Honor twice.
His first citation reads: Serving on board the USS Kearsarge, at Hampton Roads, Va., 26 October 1881, Sweeney jumped overboard and assisted in saving from drowning a shipmate who had fallen overboard into a strongly running tide. His second citation: Serving on board the USS Jamestown, at the Navy Yard New York, 20 December 1883, Sweeney rescued from drowning A. A. George, who had fallen overboard from that vessel.
