Ensign Henry Clay Drexler Memorial
Bethany Beach, Sussex County, Delaware
Marker Inscription
In honor of Ensign Henry Clay Drexler USN Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross For bravery in attempting to save his shipmates, at the cost of his own life, during an explosion aboard the U.S.S Trenton on October 24, 1924. Ensign Drexler-grew up in Bethany Beach and was the son of Delaware State Senator Louis Drexler
The Story
Ensign Henry Clay Drexler, who grew up in Bethany Beach as the son of a Delaware state senator, died aboard the USS Trenton on October 24, 1924, when he tried to save shipmates during a gun turret explosion. For his sacrifice he was awarded the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. This marker honors a local son's peacetime heroism.
Why it matters
It preserves the memory of an act of selfless courage in naval service, a reminder that valor is not confined to the battlefield.
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Related people
- · Henry Clay Drexler
- · Louis Drexler
Themes & tags
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