English: Grave of Orlando Caruana in section three at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington, D.C., in the United States in 2014.

Orlando Emanuel Caruana was born on June 23, 1844, in Valletta, Malta. He emigrated to the United States in 1861, when he was 16 years old. He enlisted on August 11, 1861, having just turned 17 years old. He was accepted because he told the enlistment officer that he was 20 years old. He mustered into Company (Shepard's Rifles), 51st Regiment, New York Volunteers. His unit was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 9th Army Corps ("The Wandering Corps"). He fought at Roanoke, Virginia; New Bern, North Carolina; Kellys' Ford, Virginia; Second Bull Run, Virginia; South Mountain, Maryland (where he was wounded); Antietam, Maryland; and the Battle of the Wildnerness in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. At this last battle, he was severely wounded and honorably discharged in September 1864.

Caruana was awarded the Medal of Honor on November 14, 1890, for two actions. The first occurred on March 14, 1862, during the Battle of New Bern. The African American color bearer was shot and fell, and Caruana not only took the battle flag and planted it upright again but helped the wounded man off the field while under intense fire. The second incident occurred on September 14, 1864. During the Battle of South Mountain in Maryland, he and three other men volunteered to scout out the enemy position at Fox's Gap. The other three were killed, but Caruana escaped and rejoined his company.

Orlando Caruana died on September 14, 1917. His funeral was held at St. Martin's Church, and he was interred at the Mount Olivet Cemetery.