Zuiderveld, William, LT

Vera Cruz Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient.  He enlisted in the United States Navy and had earned the rating of Hospital Apprentice First Class. On August 19, 1914, he was awarded the CMOH for his actions during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico on April 21, 1914.  He retired in September 1938 but was recalled to active duty during World War II. At the end of the war, he was placed on the retired list with the rank of Lieutenant.

In 1914, Zuiderveld took part in the United States occupation of Veracruz, serving as a hospital corpsman with a company of armed sailors (known as "Bluejackets") who were tasked with capturing the city's Customs House.

The company, led by Ensign George M. Lowry, became pinned down by "murderous rifle and machine-gun fire" as they approached the Custom's house. Not wanting to risk his entire company, Lowry asked for volunteers to approach the Custom's House from the side. Five men volunteered: Joseph G. Harner, Coxswain J. F. Schumaker, Boatswain's Mate Second Class George Cregan, and Seamen Harry C. Beasley and Lawrence C. Sinnett.

Lowry lead the volunteers into a narrow alley, where they came under crossfire from riflemen in the Custom's Building and machine gunners in a nearby hotel. During this fighting, "A bullet clipped one of the buttons off Lowry's cap and another tore through his right legging, creasing the flesh. Beasley was slightly wounded, and Schumaker was shot through the head."

After his men were able to silence the machine gunners with return rifle fire, Lowry called for a corpsman to help Schumaker. Zuiderveld ran down the alley while under fire and tried to stop the flow of blood from Schumaker's head.

Once Zuiderveld carried Schumakerâ??who would soon dieâ??to the rear, Lowry and his surviving men worked their way up the alley and scaled the wall around the Custom's House. Several days later, Lowry returned to the scene and counted twelve bullet impacts on the wall where his men had climbed it. After Lowry and his men smashed through a window of the Customs House, the personnel inside surrendered.

Medal of Honor Citation:
"On board the U.S.S. Florida, Zuiderveld showed extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21 April 1914."

Rank and organization: Hospital Apprentice First Class, U.S. Navy. Place and date: Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21 April 1914. Entered service at: Michigan. Birth: Michigan. G.O. No.: 116, 9 August 1914.

In an effort to force out General Victoriano Huerta, who had seized the presidency of Mexico in a bloody coup d' etat, President Woodrow Wilson sent three Navy vessels to Vera Cruz under the command of Rear Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher. On the morning of April 21 nearly 1,500 American combat troops were put ashore, and that night another 1,500 reinforcements landed. By noon on April 22nd the American forces had taken control of the city. In the two day action Fletcher lost 17 men killed, 63 wounded. The Mexicans had nearly 800 dead or wounded. Hospital Apprentice First Class William Zuiderveld of the U.S.S. Florida was one of 55 men awarded the Medal of Honor for "extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the seizure of Vera Cruz." Though the United States occupied Vera Cruz for seven months following the initial landing, the men who landed at Vera Cruz on April 21 - 22 accomplished their mission in two days, and returned to their vessels within the same week.