Isadore Nordstrom

Isadore Nordstrom (May 24, 1876 – March 6, 1930) (his first name is spelled as "Isidore" in official records) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

Biography Early career Born on May 24, 1876, in Gothenburg, Sweden, Nordstrom immigrated to the United States and on August 17, 1897, enlisted in the Navy as an ordinary seaman from the state of New York. He served on the armored cruiser during the Spanish–American War as part of the West Indies Naval Campaign, including the climactic Battle of Santiago de Cuba.

Medal of Honor action By April 13, 1906, he was serving as a chief boatswain's mate on the . On that day, while the Kearsarge was conducting target practice, powder charges were accidentally ignited in the ship's forward turret, and Nordstrom helped carry out wounded sailors. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor eighteen years later, on December 4, 1924. His first name was spelled "Isidor" on the citation, this being the correct spelling in Swedish.

Nordstrom's official Medal of Honor citation reads: For gallant conduct upon the occasion of the disastrous fire of accidentally ignited powder charges, which occurred in the forward turret of USS Kearsarge during target practice on 13 April 1906. Chief Boatswain Nordstrom, then chief boatswain's mate, was among the first to enter the turret in order to assist in bringing out the injured.

After the war, Nordstrom reverted to his permanent rank of chief boatswain on October 28, 1919. At about the same time, he was assigned to Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island.