Robert Penn
Born: October 10, 1872 at City Point, Virginia
Home Town: City Point, Virginia
War Department, General Orders No. 501, December 14, 1898
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Fireman First Class Robert Penn, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in action on board the U.S.S. Iowa off Santiago de Cuba, 20 July 1898. Performing his duty at the risk of serious scalding at the time of the blowing out of the manhole gasket on board the vessel, Fireman First Class Penn hauled the fire while standing on a board thrown across a coal bucket one foot above the boiling water which was still blowing from the boiler.
