St. Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial, Thiaucourt, France
The son of Gaston and Adah F. (Price) Vernam, Remington Vernam served with the French Air Service before reassignment to the United States Air Service. On 30 October 1918 he was badly wounded when he was shot down behind German lines. Abandoned by his captors as they withdrew from France, he died from his wounds.
Arverne, New York and Vernam Basin in Jamaica Bay were named in honor of Remington Vernam's grandfather, a lawyer with the same name, who actively promoted the construction of beachfront cottages in the 1880s.
Listed as "Remington Vernam" on his birth certificate and in the 1901 census; listed as "Remington DeB. Vernam" by his mother in a memorial she wrote in 1930; listed as "R. DeB. Vernam" in the cemetery index; listed as "Remington D.B. Vernam" in his DSC citation.
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Remington D. B. Vernam, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Buzancy, France, October 10, 1918. Successively attacking two enemy balloons, which were moored to their nests, Lieutenant Vernam displayed the highest degree of daring. He executed his task despite the fact that several enemy planes were above him, descending to an altitude of less than ten meters when five miles within the enemy lines. His well-directed fire caused both balloons to burst into flames."
