Assigned To The USS Oklahoma At Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, Fr. Schmitt was serving on board the battleship, USS Oklahoma when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. A Japanese hit caused the ship to capsize. A number of sailors, including Fr. Schmitt, were trapped in a compartment with only a small porthole as the means of escape. Fr. Schmitt helped a number of men through this porthole. When it came his time to leave, he declined and helped more men to escape. In total, he helped 12 men to escape.
Fr. Schmitt died on board the Oklahoma. He was the first chaplain of any faith to have died in World War II.
Read more about this topic: Aloysius Schmitt
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