Henry Clay Drexler

Henry Clay Drexler was born in Braddock, Pa., on Aug. 7, 1901. He was appointed a midshipman, from Delaware, on May 29, 1920, was graduated from the Naval Academy on May 15, 1924, and after a short period of temporary duty was under instruction at the Navy Yard, New York, was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy. Ensign Drexler reported for duty to the USS Trenton on Oct. 4, 1924, and it was aboard this vessel that he heroically met his untimely death 16 days later. Ensign Drexler was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. His Medal of Honor citation read ...

Medal of Honor For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession on the occasion of a fire on board the USS Trenton. At 3:35 on the afternoon of 20 October 1924, while the Trenton was preparing to fire trial installation shots from the two six-inch guns in the forward twin mounts of that vessel, two charges of powder ignited. Twenty men were trapped in the twin mount. Four died almost immediately and two later from burns and inhalation of flame and gases. The six others were severely injured. Ensign Drexler, with out thought to his own safety, on seeing that the charge of powder for the left gun was ignited, jumped for the right charge and endeavored to put it in the immersion tank. The left charge burst into flame and ignited the right charge before Ensign Drexler could accomplish his purpose. He met his death while making a supreme effort to save his shipmates.