Confused heap of Facts: Part ll

I left off last week reminding you that, while much of the John Otto Siegel story had been told in the past in this space, an update was needed. That aside,  the blog left off showing an image of the version of the Medal of Honor known as the Tiffany Medal.

I had believed that this was the version of the  medal Siegel was first awarded. But upon reflection and review of files I see that he was probably in possession of at least 3 medals, each being at a different time and all for the same event.

Here is the medal I showed in error, as being the version first awarded...

And the front would have looked like this...

But information coming to my attention days ago show that I was wrong. While he would get that version later, it was not his first.

The above Tiffany version was not authorized until February 1919. His first medal, was sent out by officialdom to get engraved on 21 Jan., 1919. Obviously before the Tiffany version was authorized and even actually created.


His first meal should have been the then current navy Medal of Honor, created in 1913, and looking like this...

It was probably this version of the medal that Siegel lost during the dreadful fire in  the labourers' camp whist employed in the building of the Hoover Dam, noted in past blogs.

When the Tiffany Medal was designed it was decided that it would be for the navy and marines and would have 2 different suspension ribbons. One would reflect action in the face of the enemy and one would be for non combatant heroism.

The non combatant medal is the one on the right. Note that it has two inverted stars at the bottom of the ribbon. The medal on the left has one star at the bottom, and all stars are not upside down. This version was supposed to be for combat related heroism.

Yet like so much involving the Siegel case, this is the ribbon that he apparently received. The reverse of this medal appears at top of this blog. 

It is a little hard to read, but is inscribed... John Otto Siegel, Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class, at Norfolk Virginia, November 1, 1918.

On a side note, some 36 years earlier Nova Scotia's Joseph Noil also received a Medal of Honor for saving a shipmate from drowning at the same naval yard. Remembrance also is due this very month for this coloured sailor and hero as well as Robert Sweeney MOH, thought to be from Canada, but later disproved,  Joachim Peace another coloured sailor and MOH recipient from Nfld, and William Hall from Nova Scotia, a Victoria Cross recipient, and also a sailor.

This of course being  Black history Month!

As noted in past blogs,  John Otto Siegel lived for a very short time in Winnipeg. He and parents then moved to Wisconsin and numerous other places during his terms in and out of the the US Navy. His later days was spent in the area of Gary Indiana as shown below.

When John Otto Siegel passed away in  August 1943, even his obit left many questions unanswered. His obit mentioned a wife, but no children, either from that union or the first one. Even his name had been curiously altered by dropping the 2nd given name's initial from "O" and adding an "R" instead.

Even formal government files contain  curious entries.

Whilst reflecting a Wisconsin birth, he was in fact born in Germany, put up for adoption, taken in by the Siegel family and then relocated either to the US or Canada pre 1901. This is evidenced with residence in Winnipeg in or before 1901, and soon moving to the US.

Note also the several spellings of his name shown above.

For the next 77 years his place of exact burial was  concealed by the fact that he was buried under the  assumed initial R instead of O.

It was thanks to the investigative talents of one of our fellow members in the United States Medal of Honor Historical Society that the riddle has come to a rest.

John Otto Siegel's files at the Gary Indiana cemetery will be corrected and a marker, where there in none at present, will be erected with not only his correct name but the honour he holds as being a recipient of the most prestigious Medal of Honor.

As this story develops I will bring you more news.

In the mean time Winnipeg is still very much on  my radar and many fascinating facts about that city and its military background will be further explored  next Sunday. And at that time I shall reveal some military connections that VERY FEW are doubtfully aware of.   Including its historians!

You will be surprised.

Hope you will again join me then,
Bart