John Osborne

John Osborne was born in New Orleans around 1844 and joined the Navy from Louisiana. His medal came in peacetime, for a rescue made in port. On August 21, 1876, with USS Juniata at Philadelphia, he went into the water after a shipmate, Boy Second Class Jesse Lippey, who was drowning. The award was dated August 24, three days later. Osborne died in 1920, aged 75 or 76, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Another sailor on the same fountain, Albert Weisbogel, won his two medals for rescues in the same decade.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu — 1.1 mi
  A 6,000-square-foot museum of southwest Louisiana Carnival with about 275 costume mannequins and 14 animated figures, opened in April 2026.
• Imperial Calcasieu Museum — 1.4 mi
  Lake Charles's history museum, founded by the Junior League in 1963, with parish artifacts, Claire Chennault's uniform and the Sallier Oak.
• Sam Houston Jones State Park — 5.0 mi
  A 1,087-acre park on the West Fork of the Calcasieu with longleaf pine, cypress-tupelo swamp, five trails, cabins and kayak rentals.
• Creole Nature Trail Adventure Point — 9.4 mi
  A free visitor center at the western gateway of Louisiana's only All-American Road, with exhibits on alligators, migrating songbirds and the estuary.

More markers nearby

• Martin Freeman — steps away
• Hampton M. Roach — steps away
• Albert Weisbogel — steps away
• Emanual Stance — steps away