Floyd Bennett
Floyd Bennett | |
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Warrant Officer | |
Awards | Medal of Honor |
Floyd Bennett (October 25, 1890 – April 25, 1928) was a
Biography
Bennett was born in
North Pole flight
Byrd named Bennett as his pilot for an attempt to reach the North Pole by air in 1926. The expedition was financed by John D. Rockefeller Jr., Edsel Ford, Vincent Astor, Rodman Wanamaker and T.F. Ryan.[2]
Bennett was at the controls on May 9 as the two men made their attempt, in a
Both Bennett and Byrd received the Medal of Honor, as well as the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for this feat. Upon their arrival in the United States, Byrd was awarded the Hubbard Medal of the National Geographic Society and Bennett was awarded a gold medal from the society in recognition of their achievement. The subsequent discovery of Byrd's diary of the flight, with erased (but still legible) sextant readings, has been considered as evidence they might not have reached the North Pole.
Post North Pole flight
After returning to the United States, Bennett flew the Josephine Ford on a goodwill tour of America, with Bernt Balchen as his co-pilot. Later in his life Balchen claimed that Bennett confessed to him that he and Byrd did not reach the North Pole but, instead, flew around in circles. Balchen would go on to pilot Byrd to the South Pole in 1929, became a highly decorated Army Air Forces officer during the Second World War and retired from the United States Air Force as a colonel.
Byrd and his team had been leading candidates to win the large
Bremen Flyers
The
Honors
Bennett and Byrd became national heroes upon their return from the Arctic when they arrived in New York on June 22, 1926. They received numerous honors from both governments and private organizations. Congress voted to award both men the Medal of Honor by a special act passed on December 21, 1926.[8] The medals were presented to Byrd and Bennett at the White House by President Coolidge on February 25, 1927.[9] Shortly after his return to the United States, Bennett was promoted from Chief Aviation Pilot to the warrant officer rank of Machinist. Bennett's date of rank as a warrant officer was May 9, 1926 – the date of his historic flight.[10]
Bennett received the following awards during his career in the Navy:
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Machinist, U.S. Navy. Born: October 25, 1890, Warrensburg, N.Y. Accredited to: New York. Other Navy award: Distinguished Service Medal.
Citation:
For distinguishing himself conspicuously by courage and intrepidity at the risk of his life as a member of the Byrd Arctic Expedition and thus contributing largely to the success of the first heavier-than-air flight to the North Pole and return.
Distinguished Service Medal citation
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Aviation Pilot Floyd Bennett, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States. His courage and ability contributed largely to the success of the first heavier-than-air craft flight to the North Pole and return.
Legacy
- Two airports in New York state are named in honor of Floyd Bennett: Floyd Bennett Field, New York City's first municipal airport, and Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport in Queensbury, New York, near his birthplace. Floyd Bennett Field is now part of the Gateway National Recreation Area.
- The destroyer USS Bennett (DD-473) was also named in his honor.
- On his flight to the South Pole in 1929, Commander Byrd named his Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
- In his hometown of Warrensburg is the Floyd Bennett Park and Bandstand.
- PS 203 in New York City is named Floyd Bennett School.
- The Bennett Platform, an Antarctic mesa, was named in Bennett's honor.
See also
Notes
- ^ Richard Sale and Madeleine Lewis, Explorers, Smithsonian, 2005, p. 34
- ^ New York Times. March 1, 1926.
- ^ New York Times. May 10, 1926.
- ^ "Charles Lindbergh Flies Virus Serum To Quebec". 22 October 2020.
- ^ "Floyd Bennett: A Local Aviation Legend". 12 July 2010.
- ^ Jack Richmond. Immigrants all Americans.
- ^ "Burial Detail: Bennett, Floyd (Section 3, Grave 1852-B)". ANC Explorer. Arlington National Cemetery. (Official website). Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ New York Times. December 22, 1926.
- ^ New York Times. February 25, 1927.
- ^ Navy Register. 1928. p. 286.
External links
- "Floyd Bennett". at ArlingtonCemetery.net. 4 November 2022. (Unofficial website).
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.