Page 30 - Gold Star Sons of Georgetown Prep

ENSIGN JOHN T. BATTAILE ’37
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Operations aboard the USS Yorktown. The folded wings of the Hellcat fighters are clearly evident. COURTESY, WWII DATA BASE.COM
operated under almost constant strain and tension, leaving them on edge and exhausted.
But danger on the Yorktown came not only from the skies, but also from the daily operation of the warship itself. About 10:00 A. M., on May 9, two days before the Yorktown was scheduled to leave Okinawan waters for maintenance, rest, and relaxation, John was on the flight deck. A young pilot landed his Hellcat, and as he reached for the control panel to fold the wings of the fighter upward, he mistakenly discharged his 50-caliber machine guns, strafing the deck. John was hit several times, as were nineteen enlisted crewmen.
According to the Captain of the Yorktown, “John sustained two extensive wounds to his right leg, both of which cut main arteries.” A nearby doctor on the flight deck applied a tourniquet, but the bleeding was extensive, and John lost a critical amount of blood before the flow was checked.
A Roman Catholic chaplain, Rev. J. N. Moody, who happened to be on the flight deck, accompanied John “who was perfectly conscious,” as he was taken to the sick bay. There, doctors also operated to remove bullets from his abdomen. Fr. Moody later recounted that “in response to
all questions, all he [ John] would say was that he wished
to receive the sacraments.”The chaplain immediately heard John’s confession, gave him Holy Communion, and, as John’s condition worsened, anointed him. According to Fr. Moody, John was too weak for extended conversation. “He seemed to realize that death was imminent “and “seemed perfectly content to repeat simple prayers and squeeze my hand.” John
frequently repeated the words, “I’m so glad you are here, Father; this is the one thing I always wanted.” He assured the priest that he was not suffering — a result of pain medication he had been given. He peacefully passed away shortly after noon.
The following day, twenty-four-year-old John Battaile was buried at sea with full military honors. “It was our last tribute,” the Captain of the ship wrote to his mother, “to a naval officer and shipmate who embodied the best traditions of the Naval Service . . . [and] gave his life to his country in an hour of great need.” John’s death also marked the final fatality suffered by Prep alumni during World War II. H
While John Battaile and the men of the USS Yorktown battled kamikaze attacks, Edward Cummings of the Class of ’38, assigned to the top-most observation tower pictured in this iconic photo of the USS Missouri, watched in terror as a Japanese plane narrowly missed him and crashed into the rear deck of the battleship.
COURTESY, LOS ANGELES TIMES
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