Niels Drustrup

Niels Drustrup
Grave at Arlington National Cemetery
Born	(1876-10-17)October 17, 1876 Denmark
Died	March 15, 1957(1957-03-15) (aged 80)
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service / branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1900 - 1930
Rank	Lieutenant Commander
Unit	USS Utah
Battles / wars	Mexican Revolution *Battle of Veracruz World War I
Awards	Medal of Honor

Niels Drustrup (October 17, 1876 – March 15, 1957) was an officer in the United States Navy and a Medal of Honor recipient for his role in the United States occupation of Veracruz.

Biography

Niels Drustrup was born in Denmark, emigrated to the United States and enlisted the United States Navy on February 6, 1900.

In 1914 Drustrup was attached to the U.S.S. Utah as a chief turret captain. On April 21 the Navy landed sailors and marines at Vera Cruz, Mexico to occupy the city. Drustrup was later (in 1924) awarded the Medal of Honor for meritorious service under fire for several hours when he was in charge of an advanced barricade under a heavy fire.

Drustrup was warranted to the rank of gunner on February 18, 1915, and received a temporary promotion to lieutenant on September 21, 1918.

He received a permanent promotion to lieutenant on August 3, 1920, and retired from the Navy on 6 February 1930.

Lieutenant Drustrup died on March 15, 1957, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. His grave can be found in section 3, lot 4378-RH.

Awards

• Medal of Honor
• Good Conduct Medal
• Mexican Service Medal
• World War I Victory Medal

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Born: 17 October 1876, Denmark. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 131, 17 July 1924.

Citation:

For meritorious service under fire on the occasion of landing of the naval forces at Vera Cruz, Mexico, on 21 April 1914. For several hours Lt. Drustrup was in charge of an advanced barricade under a heavy fire, and not only displayed utmost ability as a leader of men but also exerted a great steadying influence on the men around him. Lt. Drustrup was then attached to the U.S.S. Utah as a chief turret captain.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients (Veracruz)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

• ""NIELS DRUSTRUP" entry". Medal of Honor recipients: Mexican Campaign (Vera Cruz). United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-07-23. Retrieved 2008-05-21.