Gustav Adolf Sundquist

Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy

Medal of Honor Recipient

Spanish-American War

Ordinary Seaman Gustav Adolf Sundquist (4 June 1879 - 25 August 1918) was a U.S. Navy sailor who received the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during the Spanish-American War.

Gustav Adolf Sundquist was born on 4 June 1879 in Sweden. After immigrating to the United States he entered the U.S. Navy. He was sent to fight in the Spanish-American War aboard the USS Nashville.

After receiving the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Spanish-American War, he continued serving in the Navy and participated in World War I.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy

Citation: On board the USS Nashville during the operation of cutting the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Sundquist displayed extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.

Death and Memorials

Ordinary Seaman Gustav Adolf Sundquist died on 25 August 1918. While he was assigned to the Lafayette Radio Air Station in France, he drowned while swimming in the ocean.

His name is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at Brookwood American Cemetery and Memorial in Brookwood, Surrey, England.

An "In Memory of" marker for him is located at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, in Section MK, Site 192.