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| Name | Narrative | Branch and Rank | Unit and Specialty | Conflict/Arena | Born/Died |
| Pierre Leon | Pierre Leon was an important resident of Delanco. He was born on August 23, 1838 in Nice, Departement des Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. He arrived in Philadelphia as an 11-year old stowaway aboard the Juniette in 1849, then signed on as crew and remained aboard to work for the next three years on the Juniette, as well as other ships that worked out of Philadelphia’s port. in 1859, Pierre was enlisted by inventor, Brutus de Villeroi to work as a civilian crew member aboard his salvage submarine "Alligator", the crew staying at the Delaranco Hotel while they were training. When the Civil War began, Pierre enlisted in the US Navy August 19, 1861 in Philadelphia and served for four years. During his service he listed his residence as Delanco. He would eventually serve on seven different warships during his tenure. Pierre served as a seaman aboard the river ironclad "USS St. Louis", which had its name changed in September 1862 to the “USS Baron De Kalb”, and rose to Captain of the Forecastle, with responsibilities overseeing the ship’s crew quarters, anchors and sails. While serving aboard the "Baron De Kalb", he was wounded by a bursting gun during the ship’s participation in the operations against the Confederate stronghold on Island No. 10, in the Mississippi River on March 17, 1862. He was awarded with a Congressional Medal of Honor April 3, 1862 for his bravery in action during the Union’s December 1862 Yazoo River Expedition. His citation reading, “Proceeding under orders up the Yazoo River, the "USS Baron De Kalb", with the object of capturing or destroying the enemy's transports, came upon the steamers "John Walsh", "R.J. Locklan", "Golden Age", and the "Scotland" sunk on a bar where they were ordered fired. Continuing up the river, she was fired on, but upon returning the fire, caused the enemy's retreat. Returning down the Yazoo, she destroyed and captured larger quantities of enemy equipment and several prisoners. Serving bravely throughout this action, Leon, as captain of the forecastle, distinguished himself in the various actions." His Medal was issued to him on April 3, 1862, and was one of four “Baron De Kalb” crewmembers to be awarded as such. He lost his Medal, however, on July 13, 1863 when the “Baron De Kalb” struck an underwater Confederate mine and sunk on the Yazoo River just below Yazoo City, Mississippi (in 1940 one of his children would request from the government a replacement for it). He also served aboard the "USS Black Hawk", gunboat "USS Romeo", "USS New Hampshire", "USS Princeton", "USS Nantucket: and the “Passaic”-class ironclad monitor “USS Nahant”. He was honorably discharged August 27, 1865. He resided in Delanco, New Jersey after the war and married Anna M. Mayer in 1866. He served for a time as Watchman for the Philadelphia Watch Case Company. He died December 7, 1915 and is buried with his wife, Anna in St. Peter's Cemetery in Riverside. | US Navy, Capt of the F'castle | USS Alligator, USS St. Louis, USS Baron de Kalb, USS Black Hawk, USS Romeo, USS New Hampshire, USS Princeton, USS Nantucket, USS Nahant. | Civil War Missippi River | 1838 – 1915 |
Updated October 30, 2023