In 1924 he joined Trenton (CL-11), and on 20 October was in a forward mount when a powder charge ignited. Attempting to save his shipmates, Ensign Drexler tried to reach a second powder charge and immerse it in water before it could catch fire, but the flames were too quick for him, and he was killed in the resulting explosion. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross and Medal of Honor for his heroic effort to save the lives of his men.
