Henry Breault, born in Putnam, Connecticut, on October 14, 1900, dedicated his life to the service of his country. At the age of sixteen, he enlisted in the British Royal Navy, where he served for four years before transitioning to the U.S. Navy. His courageous spirit and commitment to his fellow sailors would later define his legacy as one of the Submarine Force’s greatest heroes.
On October 28, 1923, Breault was serving as Torpedoman 2nd Class aboard the USS O-5 (SS-66) when disaster struck. The submarine, under the command of Lt. Harrison Avery, was navigating Limon Bay near the entrance to the Panama Canal alongside other submarines of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. At approximately 6:30 a.m., the steamship SS Abangarez, through a series of unfortunate miscommunications, collided with the O-5, tearing a gaping hole in its side. The submarine sank in less than a minute, its bow plunging into 42 feet of water.
As chaos unfolded, eight crew members, including the commanding officer, managed to escape. However, five men, including Breault, remained trapped within the rapidly sinking vessel. Breault had been in the torpedo room when the collision occurred and was climbing topside when he realized that Chief Electrician’s Mate Lawrence Brown was still below, asleep and unaware of the order to abandon ship. Rather than save himself, Breault made the brave decision to return below to save his shipmate. Together, they secured the torpedo room, sealing themselves inside as water flooded the submarine.
For 31 harrowing hours, Breault and Brown were trapped, the pressure mounting as rescue efforts took shape above them. Salvage operations began immediately, with divers from the salvage tug working tirelessly to locate and free the trapped crew. Supervisor Sheppard J. Shreaves, a diver with the Panama Canal’s salvage crew, led the monumental effort, determined to raise the submarine from the ocean floor. Despite several setbacks, Shreaves and his team persevered. In the early hours of October 29, after multiple failed attempts, the crane barge Ajax successfully lifted the O-5’s bow from the mud. Moments later, Breault and Brown emerged from the torpedo room, exhausted but alive.
Breault’s actions during the sinking of the USS O-5 were nothing short of heroic. For his selfless decision to risk his life to save a fellow sailor, he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Calvin Coolidge on April 4, 1924. This recognition marked him as the only enlisted submariner to receive the Medal of Honor for actions aboard a U.S. submarine. His bravery and devotion to duty would later serve as an inspiration to the generations of submariners that followed.
Sadly, after twenty years of honorable service in the U.S. Navy, Breault fell ill due to a heart condition. He passed away on December 5, 1941, at the Naval Hospital in Newport, Rhode Island, just days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Though he did not live to see the Second World War, his legacy endures, standing as a testament to the valor and sacrifice of those who serve beneath the waves.
Henry Breault’s story is one of extraordinary heroism, a reminder of the profound sense of duty that binds sailors to one another in even the most perilous of circumstances. His name is etched in the annals of submarine history, a shining example of courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
