He died on February 12, 1945 and was buried in Section 10 of Arlington National Cemetery.

United States Navy Photo

Barracks Named for Medal of Honor Recipient

NMC Portsmouth, Virginia (NMSN)--Naval Medical Center Portsmouth dedicated its newest barracks last week to honor a corpsman whose heroic actions earned him the Medal of Honor.

Shacklette Hall is named after William Sidney Shacklette, who as a hospital steward (the precursor to day's hospital corpsman) risked his life repeatedly while treating shipmates injured in a boiler explosion onboard his ship, USS BENNINGTON, in 1905.

Shacklette incurred third degree burns over a large part of his body, and was discharged from the Navy as a result of his injuries.  Subsequently, Shacklette completed seminary studies and returned to active duty as an Army chaplain, serving during World War I. Shacklette left the Army after the war and continued
his ministry, which culminated in his nomination as Chaplain of the U.S. Senate.

By Lieutenant Merritt Allen, United States Navy
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Virginia.

Rank and organization: Hospital Steward, U.S. Navy. Born: 17 May 1880, Delaplane, Virginia. Accredited to: Virginia. G.O. No.: 13, 5 January 1906.

Citation:

For extraordinary heroism while serving on the U.S.S. Bennington at the time of the explosion of a boiler of that vessel at San Diego, Calif., 21 July 1905.

SHACKLETTE, WILLIAM SIDNEY 
PHARMACIST U S NAVY RET
AWARDED CONGRESSIONAL MEDIAL OF HONOR
VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
DATE OF DEATH: 02/12/1945
DATE OF INTERMENT: 02/19/1945
BURIED AT: SECTION 10  SITE 10688
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Photo courtesy of Raymond L. Collins