HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHT: Navy Lt. Thomas Eadie earns Medal of Honor
Navy Lt. Thomas Eadie spent a combined 30 years of service in the Navy from the early 20th century to after World War II. His work as an expert diver salvaging shipwrecks earned him several accolades, especially when it came to saving a fellow diver who had gotten tangled far below the water. For that rescue, he earned the Medal of Honor. Eadie was born on April 8, 1887, in Glasgow, Scotland. His parents, William and Rebecca, moved to the U.S. in 1890, settling the family in New Jersey. Eadie had a brother, George, and a sister, Margaret. Eadie enlisted in the Navy in July 1905 shortly after he'd turned 18. Trained as a gunner's mate and as a diver, he remained in the service until 1913, when he moved to Newport, Rhode Island. At some point, he married Margaret Gerrie, and they had a daughter named Marion. Eadie returned to the Navy during World War I, then worked as a civilian diver for a time before returning to the Navy yet again in 1926. By then, he had worked his way up ...