O Callahan (FF 1051) - Naval Cruise Book

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IN MEMORY l X,- CF A DEPARTED SHIPMATE ,csc-.,w . af L1 W' -5 'Y Xt. : ' r J! A K : 5 A I Q .ye 4 ' A r: CHARLES A. WIDNER JR. NOVOI' C00 Onciuqh be 10nd ol 0 deported lrlend ond on oursrondrng xhlpmnre Ax rr an perb Elecrronlc Warfare Technrcron FW? Chuck Wldner srrlved for excellence cmd p40- IOSSIOOGI growth. Chuck! delermincmon und hold work were lmlrumenrnl rn nrphrevrnq O'CALLAHAN's oulsrondlng EW repurnrron He WO! Crlwoyi IQQUY wllh 0 helplnq hnnd As 0 lrlend. Chuck enjoyed domq new rhlngs cmd meerrng new people Churh s poslrlve orrlrude touched everyone he know Hls personollry boosted morole ond showed how much he enjoyed people Our buddy Chuck will olwoys be ln our londerr ol memo- rles. Chuck rroglcolly dled ln cr mororcvcle occldenr on September 21. 1964 whsle on leave ln Son Dlego. 'H . L C X F x VM o Meadow rho ship SM Amh- env P901 AU' . Ar work on the ship uf? -rl . -A A r 'f' El Pointing me crulse book indviduol phoro backdrop

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FATHER JOSEPH T. 0'CALLAHAN Father O'Caliahan aboard USS Ranger. north at inland. Winter 1943 'Other O Coliohon and his sister. Miss Marie O'Callahan Father Joseph T. O'Callahan, namesake of our ship, was 0 devout man who believed that all things should be done for the greater glory of God. Joseph O'Callahan was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He attended Boston College, was ordained at Weston College, and headed the Mathematics Department at Holy Cross until August 7, 1940 when, as a Jesuit priest, he was commissioned a Lieuten. ant junior grade in the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps. LTJG O'CalIahan's first tour of duty was Naval Station, Pensa. cola, Florida where he taught Calculus. From Pensacola, he was transferred to U.S.S. Ranger where he served for two and half years. including a tour that involved the invasion of North Africa. On March 2, 1945, LCDR O'Callahan reported aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Franklin as shlp's Chaplain. At 0707 on March 19th CSt. Joseph's Dayj, while on patrol 50 miles from Kobe. Japan, Japanese planes dropped two 500 pound bombs on the flight deck of U.S.S. Franklin. The inltlal blasts killed everyone in the hanger deck, spilled 17.000 gallons of fuel, set off explosions of 1000-pound bombs, and resulted ln fires that burned fore and aft on three decks. Durlng the disaster, Father O'Callahan restlessly tended to the Injured, lnsplrlng emergency crews, making repairs, and was the lead man on a fire hose that entered a burning turret filled with ammunition. Even though wounded himself Father O'Callahan refused any personal aid. As CDR Stephen Jurlka. navigator of Franklin, ob- served: O'Callahan was everywhere, leading men. officiating at last rites, manning hoses, and doing the work of 10 men . Barely afloat U.S.S. Franklin was towed back to Pearl Harbor. with 402 of her sailors dead and over 1000 injured. During the ensuing tow to port, Father O'Callahan kept splrlts alive by singing, dancing, joking with the crew, and leading prayer services. He kept this up for three long days and nlghts with out allowing himself any time for sleep. For his unquestioned spirit and heroism, Father O'Callahan was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor ln the White House on January 23, 1946, by President Harry S. Truman. He is the only Roman Catholic and Navy Chaplain ever to be so distinguished. Commander O'Callahan was discharged November 12. 1946 and returned to Holy Cross College. Whlle teaching philosophy. he suffered a stroke in December of 1949. A slow, but steady decline in his health followed. While he was writing a book I was Chaplain of the Franklin, Hollywood produced a movie named Battle Statlon depicting the story of FrankIin's tragedy and the Padre of the flat tops , portrayed under a fictional role. The movie and Father O'Calla- han's book were both released to the public. During a reading of mass at breakfast on St. Patrlck's Day, Father O'Callahan suffered another stroke, passing QWOY Mmfh 18, 1964 at St. Vincents Hospital, Worcester, Massachusetts. Throughout his life Father Joseph T. O'Callahan remained o man guided by religion and memories. He was buried with Naval ceremony at Holy Cross, Mass. His coffin was wremhed with his two greatest treasures: a vow crucifix he received In 1942 and his Congressional Medal of Honor.