Henry Clay Drexler

He tried to save trapped shipmates by moving burning powder.

Henry Clay Drexler was born on August 7, 1901, in Braddock, Pennsylvania. He served as an ensign in the United States Navy aboard USS Trenton.

On October 20, 1924, off Virginia, powder charges ignited in the ship's forward twin gun mount during preparations for trial firing. Twenty men were trapped. Drexler tried to move a threatened powder charge into an immersion tank before flames reached it.

The fire spread before he could complete the attempt, and he died while trying to save his shipmates. His posthumous Medal of Honor recognized extraordinary courage during the emergency, with its presentation recorded on February 3, 1933.

Drexler is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His award commemorates an attempt to prevent further catastrophe during a fatal naval accident.

Medal of Honor Citation

For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession on the occasion of a fire on board the U.S.S. Trenton. At 3:35 on the afternoon of 20 October 1924, while the Trenton was preparing to fire trial installation shots from the two 6-inch guns in the forward twin mount of that vessel, two charges of powder ignited. Twenty men were trapped in the twin mount. Four died almost immediately and 10 later from burns and inhalation of flames and gases. The six others were severely injured. Ens.

Drexler, without thought of his own safety, on seeing that the charge of powder from 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 Ens. Drexler could accomplish his purpose. He met his death while making a supreme effort to save his shipmates.