Citation for Eduard (Edouard) Isaacs' (Izac) Medal of Honor
5/21/1919
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This is the citation for the Medal of Honor granted to Eduard Isaac during his service in World War I. The full citation reads: "When the U.S.S. President Lincoln was attacked and sunk by the German submarine U-90, on 21 May 1918, Lt. Izac was captured and held as a prisoner on board the U-90 until the return of the submarine to Germany, when he was confined in the prison camp. During his stay on the U-90 he obtained information of the movements of German submarines which was so important that he determined to escape, with a view to making this information available to the U.S. and Allied Naval authorities. In attempting to carry out this plan, he jumped through the window of a rapidly moving train at the imminent risk of death, not only from the nature of the act itself but from the fire of the armed German soldiers who were guarding him. Having been recaptured and reconfined, Lt. Izac made a second and successful attempt to escape, breaking his way through barbed-wire fences and deliberately drawing the fire of the armed guards in the hope of permitting others to escape during the confusion. He made his way through the mountains of southwestern Germany, having only raw vegetables for food, and at the end, swam the River Rhine during the night in the immediate vicinity of German sentries."
Additional details from our exhibits and publications
In May 1918, the German submarine U-90 attacked and sank the U.S.S. President Lincoln. Lieutenant Edouard V.M. Isaacs was captured and taken prisoner. While a prisoner on board the submarine, Isaacs managed to gather information about German submarine movements for the United States. Lt. Isaacs eventually escaped from a prison camp in Germany and brought Germany's submarine secrets back to the Allies. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism. This is the citation that accompanied his award.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel.
National Archives Identifier: 597154
Full Citation: Citation for Eduard (Edouard) Isaacs' (Izac) Medal of Honor; 5/21/1919; Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Record Group 24. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/citation-for-eduard-edouard-isaacs-izac-medal-of-honor, October 2, 2023]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.