Though only 15 years old, Benjamin Kreiger, a Jewish American of Russian descent, ran away from his home in Brooklyn, N.Y. to join the U.S. Navy. He enlisted under a false name, George E. Miller, to avoid anti-Semitic harassment and easy identification by his family. Kreiger was assigned to the battleship Georgia, manning the aft turret of the 8" guns. July 15, 1907, an accident occurred during gunnery practice when an explosive flare back from the starboard gun threw fiery ash within the turret. The powder bag on the deck behind the starboard gun began smoldering. Before the powder could explode from the flare back, recognizing the extreme danger, Kreiger acted. He was stationed as the rammer on the port gun. On his own he rammed the exposed powder bag being prepared to fire the port gun into the port gun's open breech and slammed it shut. The smoldering powder bag behind the starboard gun exploded an instant later. Kreiger and nine other men were killed. Kreiger's quick action saved many men within the damaged turret from certain fiery, horrific deaths. Kreiger, along with Boatswain Murray, who closed the access doors to the powder room below the guns, may have averted an even greater tragedy with the possible loss of the Georgia and its entire crew.
His tombstone epitaph reads:
Benjamin Kreiger, died July 31, 1907 (date incorrect)
Hero of "Georgia Accident, U.S.N."
His Death Saved Many Lives.∼Son of Nathan Krieger, Seaman Krieger serving under the name George Miller was killed when the powder in one of the eight inch guns aboard the U.S.S. Georgia ignited during target practice off Cape Cod.
He is credited with saving the ship. After the first flash he with the aid of another sailor, rather than evacuating shut the breach on a second gun before the second flash, which took his life, could ignite the powder. Had he not closed the breach the death toll would have been much higher.
His tombstone epitaph reads:
Benjamin Kreiger, died July 31, 1907 (date incorrect)
Hero of "Georgia Accident, U.S.N."
His Death Saved Many Lives.∼Son of Nathan Krieger, Seaman Krieger serving under the name George Miller was killed when the powder in one of the eight inch guns aboard the U.S.S. Georgia ignited during target practice off Cape Cod.
He is credited with saving the ship. After the first flash he with the aid of another sailor, rather than evacuating shut the breach on a second gun before the second flash, which took his life, could ignite the powder. Had he not closed the breach the death toll would have been much higher.
Though only 15 years old, Benjamin Kreiger, a Jewish American of Russian descent, ran away from his home in Brooklyn, N.Y. to join the U.S. Navy. He enlisted under a false name, George E. Miller, to avoid anti-Semitic harassment and easy identification by his family. Kreiger was assigned to the battleship Georgia, manning the aft turret of the 8" guns. July 15, 1907, an accident occurred during gunnery practice when an explosive flare back from the starboard gun threw fiery ash within the turret. The powder bag on the deck behind the starboard gun began smoldering. Before the powder could explode from the flare back, recognizing the extreme danger, Kreiger acted. He was stationed as the rammer on the port gun. On his own he rammed the exposed powder bag being prepared to fire the port gun into the port gun's open breech and slammed it shut. The smoldering powder bag behind the starboard gun exploded an instant later. Kreiger and nine other men were killed. Kreiger's quick action saved many men within the damaged turret from certain fiery, horrific deaths. Kreiger, along with Boatswain Murray, who closed the access doors to the powder room below the guns, may have averted an even greater tragedy with the possible loss of the Georgia and its entire crew.
His tombstone epitaph reads:
Benjamin Kreiger, died July 31, 1907 (date incorrect)
Hero of "Georgia Accident, U.S.N."
His Death Saved Many Lives.∼Son of Nathan Krieger, Seaman Krieger serving under the name George Miller was killed when the powder in one of the eight inch guns aboard the U.S.S. Georgia ignited during target practice off Cape Cod.
He is credited with saving the ship. After the first flash he with the aid of another sailor, rather than evacuating shut the breach on a second gun before the second flash, which took his life, could ignite the powder. Had he not closed the breach the death toll would have been much higher.
His tombstone epitaph reads:
Benjamin Kreiger, died July 31, 1907 (date incorrect)
Hero of "Georgia Accident, U.S.N."
His Death Saved Many Lives.∼Son of Nathan Krieger, Seaman Krieger serving under the name George Miller was killed when the powder in one of the eight inch guns aboard the U.S.S. Georgia ignited during target practice off Cape Cod.
He is credited with saving the ship. After the first flash he with the aid of another sailor, rather than evacuating shut the breach on a second gun before the second flash, which took his life, could ignite the powder. Had he not closed the breach the death toll would have been much higher.
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