It was great to be in Hingham to honor Herbert L. Foss on his 150th Birthday at the Foss Hingham Ferry Terminal. Foss joined the Navy in 1897, served as a seaman on the USS Marblehead, and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the Spanish American War.
On May 11, 1898, Foss and his shipmates, while engaging the enemy off the coast of Cuba, snared the main communications cable; pulled it over the bow of their boat, and severed the cable while under enemy fire. Many of Foss’ shipmates were killed or wounded during this action, but they had successfully disrupted communications between Cuba and Spain.
After the war, Foss settled in Hingham and worked at the ammunition depot before taking a job with the town where he eventually became the superintendent of the Fort Hill Cemetery.
Herbert Foss gave so much for our country and community and it is fitting that we remember and honor him.
