Born in 1848 in Ireland, Cremen immigrated to the United States and joined the Navy from Massachusetts.

By February 7, 1882, he was serving as a boatswain's mate on the training ship USS Portsmouth.

On that day, while Portsmouth was at the Washington Navy Yard, he and another sailor, Seaman Henry C. Courtney, jumped overboard and rescued Jack-of-the-Dust Charles Taliaferro from drowning.

For this action, both Cremen and Courtney were awarded the Medal of Honor two and a half years later, on October 18, 1884.

Jumping overboard from that vessel, Cramen rescued Charles Taliaferro, jack-of-the-dust, from drowning.