Posted on 07/31/2019 6:55:13 PM PDT by marshmallow
Last chaplain to die in Second World War ministered to fellow sailors in shark-infested waters.
A Connecticut priest who died during WWII while praying for his shipmates might be receiving military honors.
Fr. Thomas Michael Conway, a Catholic priest from Waterbury, Connecticut, died ministering to sailors after the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed in 1945. He is thought to be the last American chaplain killed in World War II.
The “Indy,” as it was known, was struck by two Japanese submarine torpedoes, days after delivering critical parts for the first atomic bomb to the United States air base at Tinian Island. Hundreds of crewmen went down with the ship, a Portland-class heavy cruiser, while almost 1,000 others floated in shark-infested waters for days. Many died from shark attacks. Others suffered the effects of the hot sun, cold nights, overexposure to salt water and lack of drinking water.
Conway swam among them, saying prayers and comforting frightened, sometimes delirious sailors, encouraging them not to give up.
The sinking was not known for days due to a serious Navy oversight. When a routine patrol flight finally spotted survivors in the water, a rescue mission was dispatched. “Sixty-seven men came out of the water because of [Fr. Conway’s] efforts,” said Bob Dorr, secretary of the Waterbury Veterans Memorial Committee.
But for Conway himself, it was too late. He died on Aug. 2, after three days in the water.
The Waterbury Veterans Memorial Committee about five years ago petitioned the Navy for Conway to be honored with the Navy Cross. But a Navy rule requires those nominating sailors for awards to be of higher rank than the nominee at the time of the heroic act. None of the survivors of the Indianapolis still living at that time fit that requirement, according to the Waterbury Republican-American.
(Excerpt) Read more at aleteia.org ...
The story of this is one of the most amazing cock-ups in the history of the Navy, leading to the court-martial of the Captain whose record was later cleared after an investigation by a 6th grader writing a class report.
Distress signals were received by one station that thought it was a hoax, and another whose CO was drunk and gave orders he was not to be disturbed.
Sounds like this is worthy of investigating for a Medal of Honor.
I really did not know what happened to the USS Indianapolis and it’s crew until the movie Jaws came out.
I really did not know what happened to the USS Indianapolis and it’s crew until the movie Jaws came out.
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There is a wonderful book, recently published, aptly entitled “indianapolis”, that presents a detailed account of that terrible tragedy. It’s a real page-turner!
Later
whether or not he gets the medal posthumously, God knows full well what happened and how he responded to the call of those in need and likely already rewarded him much more than a medal.
I saw a recent picture of the survivors of the USS Indianapolis and there are only five left.
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