JONES, CLAUD ASHTON
Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy. Born: 7 October 1885,
Fire Creek, W.Va. Accredited to: West Virginia. (1 August 1932.)
Citation:
For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession as a senior engineer officer on
board the U.S.S. Memphis, at a time when the vessel was suffering total destruction from a
hurricane while anchored off Santo Domingo City, 29 August 1916. Lt. Jones did everything
possible to get the engines and boilers ready, and if the elements that burst upon the
vessel had delayed for a few minutes, the engines would have saved the vessel. With
boilers and steampipes bursting about him in clouds of scalding steam, with thousands of
tons of water coming down upon him and in almost complete darkness, Lt. Jones nobly
remained at his post as long as the engines would turn over, exhibiting the most supreme
unselfish heroism which inspired the officers and men who were with him. When the boilers
exploded, Lt. Jones, accompanied by 2 of his shipmates, rushed into the firerooms and
drove the men there out, dragging some, carrying others to the engineroom, where there was
air to be breathed instead of steam. Lt. Jones' action on this occasion was above and
beyond the call of duty.
