Quick Facts
Biography
Robert Earl Bonney (November 23, 1882 – November 22, 1967) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.
Biography
A native of Tennessee, Bonney joined the Navy from Nashville. By February 14, 1910, he was serving as a chief watertender on the USS Hopkins (DD-6). On that day, the Hopkins experienced a boiler accident. For their actions during the incident, Bonney and another sailor, Watertender Edward Alvin Clary, were awarded the Medal of Honor.
Bonney's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
While serving on board the U.S.S. Hopkins, Bonney displayed extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession on the occasion of the accident to one of the boilers of that vessel, 14 February 1910.
Bonney reached the warrant officer rank of chief machinist before leaving the Navy. He died on November 22, 1967, one day before his 85th birthday, and was buried at Acacia Memorial Park near Seattle, Washington.