Michael Joseph McNally (June 29, 1860 – November 2, 1916) was a

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

Sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

who received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for actions during the

Second Samoan Civil War The Second Samoan Civil War. Samoan Taua Lona Lua a Samoa was a conflict that reached a head in 1898 when Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States were locked in dispute over who should have control over the Samoan island chain, loc ...

. McNally was part of a joint British, American and Samoan expedition against Samoan rebels on

Upolu Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long and in area, making it the second largest of the Samoan Islands by area. With approximate ...

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

in mid-1899. He fought at the

First Battle of Vailele The First Battle of Vailele occurred on 18 December 1888 at the German plantation of Vailele as part of the First Samoan Civil War. Sixteen German marines were ambushed and killed by forces loyal to Mata'afa Iosefo. A memorial for the Germans k ...

on April 1, 1899, and was subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor along with Private

Henry L. Hulbert Henry Lewis Hulbert (12 January 1867 – 4 October 1918) was a United States Marine who served during the Second Samoan Civil War and World War I. As a private, he received the Medal of Honor for distinguished service in Samoa on 1 April 1899. ...

. Both McNally's and Hulbert's citations incorrectly list them as serving in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

during the time of their distinguished service though they served on , which was never dispatched to fight in the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

. McNally joined the Marine Corps from

Mare Island Mare Island (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Isla de la Yegua'') is a peninsula in the United States in the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait junc ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in December 1897, and retired in January 1915.USMC History Division On the night of 1 and 2 November 1916, he disappeared from a

Baltimore Steam Packet Company The Baltimore Steam Packet Company, nicknamed the , was an American steamship line from 1840 to 1962 that provided overnight steamboat service on Chesapeake Bay, primarily between Baltimore, Maryland, and Norfolk, Virginia. Called a "Packet (sea t ...

steamer; his body was recovered some three weeks later, and he was buried in

Portsmouth, Virginia Portsmouth is an Independent city (United States), independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. It lies across the Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth River from Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: June 29, 1860, New York, N.Y. Accredited to:

. G.O. No.: 55, July 19, 1901.
Citation:

For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy at Samoa, Philippine Islands, 1 April 1899.

References

Awards

Note

McNally is sometimes erroneously referred to as Michael L. McNally. 1860 births 1910s missing person cases 1916 deaths Formerly missing American people Military personnel from New York City Missing person cases in the United States People who died at sea Samoan Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients United States Marines {{USMC-bio-stub

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References

Awards

Note