Karl Westa
United States Navy Medal of Honor recipient
About Karl Westa
Lived 1875 – 1949 (aged 73).
Karl Westa (April 8, 1875 – March 3, 1949) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.
Biography
Karl Westa was born in Norway and immigrated to the United States. He departed on board the Danish vessel from the port of Kristiansand and arrived in New York City on September 5, 1905.
Westa joined the United States Navy from New York and by September 8, 1910, was serving as a chief machinist's mate on the .
For these actions, Westa and the five other men were awarded the Medal of Honor a month later, on October 4. The others were Chief Machinist's Mate Thomas Stanton, Chief Watertender August Holtz, Chief Watertender Patrick Reid, Machinist's Mate First Class Charles C. Roberts, and Watertender Harry Lipscomb.
Medal of Honor citation Westa's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
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Important facts
People in Karl Westa's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Karl Westa's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Karl Westa?
United States Navy Medal of Honor recipient (1875-1949)
When was Karl Westa born?
Karl Westa was born on 8 April 1875 in Norway.
When did Karl Westa die?
Karl Westa died on 3 March 1949.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Karl Westa. https://biography.guide/karl-westa/
MLA: "Karl Westa." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/karl-westa/.
Chicago: "Karl Westa." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/karl-westa/.
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