John F. Chase

Who was John F. Chase?

John F. Chase was a Union Army soldier in the American Civil War and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. An artilleryman, Chase earned the medal by continuing to work his cannon despite intense Confederate fire at the Battle of Chancellorsville. He later participated in the Battle of Gettysburg and was severely wounded, losing his right arm, by a Confederate artillery shell. After the war, Chase worked as an inventor before moving to the St. Petersburg, Florida, area. In Florida, he was involved in various business pursuits, including an attempt to form a retirement community for former soldiers in Veteran City, today known as Gulfport.