June 25, 1916
Paul H. Kreibohm, who had been captain of the Red Star ocean liner SS Kroonland, received the American Cross of Honor for the heroism that he and that vessel’s crew and officers demonstrated at sea more than two-and-half years earlier. The now-defunct medal was awarded by the American Cross of Honor Society, which had been established in 1898 and chartered by an act of Congress in 1906, for bravery in the performance of lifesaving actions.
Kreibohm was given the medal because of what he and those under his command did to help rescue passengers from the burning ocean liner SS Volturno. On October 9, 1913, Volturno caught on fire in a gale while sailing in the North Atlantic. Distress calls were sent out and a total of 10 ships — including Kroonland — made their way to Volturno to take part in urgently needed rescue efforts.
While approximately 130 individuals lost their lives in that shipping disaster, another 520 people on board Volturno were saved by those other vessels; Kroonland alone rescued 89 of the survivors. As with the crews of the other ships involved in the large-scale lifesaving operation, Kreibohm and those likewise serving on Kroonland were widely lauded and recognized for their actions.
King Albert of Belgium made Kreibohm a Chevalier (Knight) of the Order of the Crown, for example, while King George V of the United Kingdom awarded 39 members of that steamer’s crew with the Silver Sea Gallantry Medal. (While crewmen of all 10 of the rescue ships were given that British medal, Kroonland had the highest number of recipients.)
In addition, a joint resolution of Congress commended those serving on Kroonland “for the prompt and heroic service rendered by them in rescuing eighty-line lives” from Volturno. This resolution also stated that Kreibohm would be awarded both a gold watch and a gold medal. Kroonland’s officers and crew, for their part, would receive various gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Kreibohm’s American Cross of Honor was presented to him by Henry Bruckner, who served as a U.S. representative from New York from 1913 to 1917. This event took place at Bruckner’s office at 410 161st Street in New York City’s borough of the Bronx.
(The accompanying image of Kroonland is a painting created in 1903 by maritime artist Antonio Jacobsen.)
Image Credit: Public Domain
For more information on the presentation of the American Cross of Honor to Paul H. Kreibohm, please check out https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/06/26/104679113.pdf
Additional information on SS Kroonland is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Kroonland
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