Clifford F. Bennett

The Navy Cross is presented to Clifford F. Bennett, Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Coast Guard, for extraordinary heroism on the occasion of the explosion of the Gillespie shell-loading plant on Oct. 4 and 5, 1918. While the explosions were still continuing, Bennett drove a motor car on trip after trip through a barrage of flying shell splinters, carrying out the wounded and dead and carrying in guards. Although the door of his car was blown off and the car riddled, he persisted in his work throughout the night.