John Greene

John Greene was a Union Navy sailor in the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip.

Biography Greene joined the Navy from New York and served during the Civil War as a captain of the forecastle on the . At the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip near New Orleans on April 24, 1862, Varuna was rammed twice by the Confederate steamer (formerly known as the Charles Morgan) and eventually sunk. Greene acted as a gun captain and "remained steadfast at his gun throughout the thickest of the fight and was instrumental in inflicting damage on the enemy". For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor a year later, on April 3, 1863.