Martin Schwenk

Martin Schwenk (also known as George Martin, April 28, 1839 – June 20, 1924) was a German-American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. He received his country's highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor. The medal was awarded for bravery during the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania on 3 July 1863, in the Battle of Fairfield. He was honored with the award on April 23, 1889.

Schwenk was born in Baden in Germany. After emigrating to the United States, he entered service in Boston. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Medal of Honor citation

Personal life

The Medal of Honor was presented to Martin Schwenk more than 25 years after his actions in the Battle of Fairfield under the command of Nicholas M. Nolan. His Medal of Honor file at the National Archives and Records Administration documents his efforts to credit the award to George Martin, his real name. His efforts were unsuccessful; War Department policy required that the citation be issued in the soldier's name as it appeared in department records at the time of service.

Martin had lived in Washington, D.C., for more than 50 years at the time of his death at Providence Hospital on June 20, 1924. His Medal of Honor recipient gravestone in Section 17 of Arlington National Cemetery reads George Martin.