Robert Blume

Robert E Blume
Grave at Arlington National Cemetery
Born	(1868-11-19)November 19, 1868 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
Died	September 16, 1937(1937-09-16) (aged 68) Washington, District of Columbia, US
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service / branch	United States Navy
Rank	Chief Petty Officer
Unit	USS Nashville
Battles / wars	Spanish–American War World War I
Awards	Medal of Honor

Robert E Blume (November 19, 1868 – September 16, 1937) was an American sailor serving in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for his actions.

Biography

Blume was born November 19, 1868, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and after entering the navy in 1897 he was sent as a seaman to fight in the Spanish–American War aboard the USS Nashville.[1]

He died September 16, 1937, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.[2]

Stolen Medal of Honor

In 2003 an agent working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation was posing as a buyer when two people attempted to sell two Medals of Honor to him. One medal belonged to Blume and the other to United States Army First Sergeant George Washington Roosevelt who received his in actions during the American Civil War. Edward Fedora, a Canadian businessman, and his wife, Gisela, were charged with violating 18 U.S.C. § 704(b), Unlawful Sale of a Medal of Honor.[3] Edward Fedora pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison, but there is no record of what happened to Gisela.[4][5]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 19 November 1868, Pittsburgh, Pa. Accredited to: New Jersey. G.O. No.: 521, 7 July 1899.

Citation:

On board the U.S.S. Nashville during the cutting of the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Blume set an example of extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.[1]

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Spanish–American War

References

1. "Blume, Robert". Medal of Honor recipients, War With Spain. United States Army Center of Military History. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
2. Burial Detail: Blume, Robert (Section 6, Grave 9752-SS) – ANC Explorer
3. "Defendants Charged With Conspiracy to Sell Several Congressional Medals of Honor". Press release. Federal Bureau of Investigation. July 9, 2003. Archived from the original on August 6, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
4. "Man Charged With Selling Medals of Honor". WHEC-TV 10 Rochester, NY. Associated Press. 2003-07-09. Archived from the original on 2015-06-20. Retrieved 2006-07-23.
5. "Honoring Our Veterans". Federal Bureau of Investigation. May 28, 2004. Archived from the original on July 19, 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-23.

External links

• "Robert Blume". Hall of Valor. Military Times. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
• Robert Blume at ArlingtonCemetery.net, an unofficial website