Draft:Paul A Bennett

Silver Star Winner Paul A. Bennet aboard the USS Gambier Bay in his TBM Avenger

Paul A. Bennett was a decorated World War II U.S. Navy aviator, Silver Star recipient, and pioneering automotive and medical device inventor. Born in Milnor, North Dakota, on January 8, 1922, he began his aviation career following high school graduation by working for North American Aviation in California. There, he contributed to the final assembly of the Army's initial ninety-five B-25 bombers.

Military Service

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Bennett enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served two operational tours in the Pacific as a carrier-based pilot with Composite Squadron 10 (VC 10), flying TBM Avenger torpedo bombers. During his first tour aboard the USS Gambier Bay, his ship was sunk by enemy battleships during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. For his heroic aerial attacks against enemy vessels during the engagement, he was awarded the Silver Star and the Air Medal, while his squadron was subsequently honored with a Presidential Unit Citation.

Silver Star

Commander 7th Fleet: Serial 01375 (April 5, 1945)

"The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Paul A. Bennett (NSN: 0-354430), United States Naval Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in operations against the enemy as Pilot of a Torpedo Plane in Composite Squadron TEN (VC-10), aboard the U.S.S. GAMBIER BAY (CVE-73). On the morning of 25 October 1944, Ensign Bennett took off from his carrier which was under attack by enemy heavy surface forces in the Battle of Samar Island. Having no bombs he made two strafing attacks on the attacking fleet, one on a cruiser and one on a battleship, in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire. Later that same morning he landed on another carrier from which he was launched with four five hundred pound bombs. As a part of a striking group from that ship during a subsequent attack on the retiring enemy force he scored three direct hits with five hundred pound bombs on an enemy cruiser despite intense anti-aircraft fire. His daring, skill and achievement were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."

The heavy cruiser Chikuma was almost certainly the principal target of Bennett's engagement. Under sustained attack from VC-10 aircraft and American destroyers, the severely compromised Chikuma broke formation around 9AM to retreat, ultimately sinking. Bennett's strike group concentrated its efforts on this specific vessel. Although official wartime documentation from the fluid battle at Leyte Gulf frequently recorded non-specific "hits on an enemy cruiser" as a result of aircrews navigating dense anti-aircraft fire and heavy smoke screen cover. Naval historians attribute VC-10's coordinated strikes directly to Cruiser Division 7, identifying the Chikuma as the primary target of the avenging aviators' air strikes.

Education & Personal Life

Following the war, Bennett pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) from North Dakota State. On December 28, 1946, he married his wife, Ruth. He was later appointed as a Graduate Research Assistant at Purdue University, where he received a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) in 1952.

Engineering Career & Legacy

Bennett spent 45 years as an automotive engineer focused on optimizing the performance of petroleum products in internal combustion engines. His research led to numerous design advancements, most notably his patented development of the PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) valve, which became standard emissions control equipment on automobiles worldwide.

His professional accomplishments earned him international acclaim and recognition as an SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Fellow. In addition to his primary career, Bennett served as a consultant to the U.S. Army, engine manufacturers, and the petroleum industry, and acted as an expert witness in legal proceedings. He passed away on February 28, 2012, at the age of 90.

Paul held several automotive and medical device patents. His significant contributions to the industry earned him recognition as a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Most notably, he helped invent the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valve. During the late 1950s, Paul Bennett and his fellow General Motors researchers—Marvin W. Jackson, Chester J. Murphy, and Richard A. Randall—made a landmark discovery: unburned hydrocarbons leaking past pistons into the crankcase, which were traditionally vented into the atmosphere through a simple "road draft tube," comprised up to 40% of total automotive hydrocarbon emissions. They shared these findings at a seminal SAE meeting in early 1960, fundamentally altering the trajectory of global vehicle emissions policy toward capturing crankcase gases. To accelerate smog mitigation, General Motors made its PCV technology available to the broader auto industry royalty-free via the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA).

References

See Also

• VC-10 Challengers
• USS Gambier Bay
• Battle off Samar
• Battle of Leyte Gulf

Paul personal account of Silver Star Actions

USS Gambier Bay VC-10 Association