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Image of Oscar Upham courtesy of Marine Corps archives

Photo by Marine Corps Archival Image

Namesake: Upham Road

21 Sep 2015 | Marine Corps University, History Division Marine Corps Base Quantico

Upham Road is a cut-through road that connects Purvis and Adams Streets in Quantico Base Housing Area

Who was Upham?

Born: Dec. 14, 1871, Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio

Death: Feb. 18, 1949, Guthrie, Logan County, Oklahoma

Oscar Upham enlisted in the Marine Corps as a private in 1896. In 1898, he was stationed on the U.S.S. Oregon with the American fleet in the West Indies when the battleship U.S.S. Maine was blown up in Cuba. The Oregon was sent to Cuba and was on patrol just outside of the harbor when the Spanish fleet attempted to leave. The gun that Upham was stationed at on the Oregon had the honor of firing the first American shot in the Spanish-American war.

After the war, the USS Oregon was transferred to the Pacific. In 1900, it was stationed off Japan when a detachment of 25 Marines including Upham was called to Peking, China to help protect the U.S. Legation during what is now called the Boxer Rebellion. Shortly after their arrival in Peking, the Boxers attacked the Legation compound, trapping the Marines, along with elements of German and Japanese soldiers, and started a two-month siege.

In recognition of his service in protecting the legations by building and manning the barricades, Upham received the Congressional Medal of Honor on July 19, 1901.

Following his discharge, Upham returned to Guthrie where he built houses for a while and later served as a mail carrier with the post office. Upham died in 1949 and is buried in Summit View cemetery in Oklahoma.
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