Background
Petersen was born August 24, 1875 in Hamburg, Germany, and after entering the navy in 1898 he was sent as a Chief Machinist to China to fight in the Boxer Rebellion.
Petersen was born August 24, 1875 in Hamburg, Germany, and after entering the navy in 1898 he was sent as a Chief Machinist to China to fight in the Boxer Rebellion.
He left the navy in 1902. He died November 17, 1971, and is buried in Clover Leaf Memorial Park Woodbridge, New Jersey. His grave can be found in the clover section, plot 285, grave 1.