Mervyn S. Bennion

Bennion was born in Vernon, Utah Territory on May 5, 1887. The religion of the family, which he shared, was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His Welsh grandfather, John Bennion, had immigrated to Utah with the Mormon pioneers and established successful cattle operations near Taylorsville, Utah. Bennion was living near Preston, Idaho when he received his acceptance to the United States Naval Academy. Bennion graduated third in his 1910 class from the academy.^[1] His Naval Academy classmates included Marc Mitscher and Charles Alan Pownall.^[2] His younger brother Howard Bennion graduated first in his class of 1912 at the United States Military Academy.

Bennion's first assignment after graduation was on the USS California in the engineering division.^[3] Subsequently, he was an ordnance and gunnery specialist serving in the Ordnance Bureau at Washington Navy Yard during World War I. Bennion's first command was the destroyer USS Bernadou, followed by command of Destroyer Division One. He assumed command of the USS West Virginia on July 2, 1941.

Bennion was killed in action during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, while in command of the battleship USS West Virginia. He was mortally wounded by a shrapnel shard from the nearby USS Tennessee after she was hit by a bomb. Mess Attendant Second Class Doris Miller and several other sailors attempted to move Captain Bennion to a first aid station, but he refused to leave his post, eventually ordering his men to leave him and save themselves. Using one arm to hold his wounds closed, he died from loss of blood while still commanding his crew.^[4] Bennion was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Bennion is buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. On July 4, 1943, the destroyer USS Bennion (DD-662), named in his honor, was christened by his widow.

• List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II