Frederick J. Mcdonald

The Navy Cross is awarded to Gunner’s Mate Third Class Frederick J. McDonald, U.S. Navy, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving on the U.S.S. Downes. While that vessel was scouting off the West Coast of Ireland in a heavy gale on October 7, 1918, a sea broke on the stern spreading the depth charge tracks and dislodged a number of depth charges which became a menace to the ship. Gunner’s Mate McDonald, with an officer and other enlisted men, at once undertook to secure the bombs, at great personal risk to themselves as the seas were breaking over the stern, and finally succeeded.