Chaplains, regardless of their religious beliefs, serve a vital function in military operations. They offer support to soldiers, attend to religious needs, and act as intermediaries with local religious leaders. Time and again, they have courageously put their faith and the well-being of others above their own safety in combat. The first American chaplain to lose his life in World War II did so while saving others. His name was Father Aloysius Schmitt.
Becoming a chaplain
Aloysius Schmitt was born on December 4, 1909, in St. Lucas, Iowa, the youngest of ten children to Henry and Anna Schmitt. A bright young man, he graduated from high school and went on to Columbia College. With the world at his feet, Schmitt felt called to serve a higher purpose and chose to pursue the priesthood.
After completing his post-secondary education, Schmitt traveled to Rome, Italy, to study for the priesthood. Three years later, just four days after turning 26, he was ordained and assigned as an associate at Saint Mary’s Church in Dubuque, Iowa. He then went on to serve in a pastoral role in Wyoming.
By 1939, Schmitt was granted the opportunity to become a chaplain.
Aloysius Schmitt enlists in the US Navy
With the onset of the Second World War, Aloysius Schmitt found himself, yet again, being called to serve a higher purpose. This time, it was on behalf of his country. He joined the US Army’s Chaplain Corps, after which he accepted an officer’s commission in the US Navy. While the United States was not yet at war, things were beginning to ramp up in Europe.
After being appointed acting chaplain, with the rank of lieutenant, junior grade, Schmitt was sent to Marine Corps Base Quantico, after which he was stationed for seven weeks aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5). In March 1940, he was reassigned to the Nevada-class battleship USS Oklahoma (BB-37).
Little did Schmitt know that it would be aboard this vessel that he’d meet his end.
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a devastating attack on Pearl Harbor – the event that would see the US officially enter World War II. The assault came after months of increasing tensions between the two nations, and it took those stationed in Hawaii completely off guard.
With bombs raining down overhead, military personnel did their best on the ground to try and stop the attack, with many losing their lives in the process. It’s reported that 2,403 Americans were killed, the majority of them sailors.
On top of this, the US Navy suffered extensive damage to its Pacific Fleet. Not only were 188 aircraft completely destroyed, but four battleships, one former battleship and one harbor tug were sunk, with several others damaged. Among the vessels to sink beneath the water’s surface was the ship Aloysius Schmitt was stationed aboard: the USS Oklahoma.
Aloysius Schmitt showed great bravery in the face of danger
Given the loss of the USS Oklahoma, it’s clear that Aloysius Schmitt did not survive the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. At the time of the assault, the chaplain was on board the battleship, which was eventually sunk by multiple torpedo hits.
One of these hits caused the Oklahoma to overturn, leading many sailors to leap into the burning, oil-covered water, where they were tragically burned alive. Others found a way out by crawling along the mooring lines. Unfortunately, many sailors, including Schmitt, were trapped below deck as the ship began to roll.
The sole escape route was a small porthole, through which Schmitt assisted several of his comrades. Once they were safely out, he began to crawl through the porthole himself but noticed more men who needed help. Rather than leaving them behind, he chose to aid them.
Regrettably, Schmitt’s time ran out as the Oklahoma sank, claiming his life along with 428 other crew members. He managed to help 12 men escape and and was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, which was upgraded to the Silver Star in October 2017.
Giving Aloysius Schmitt a proper burial
During recovery efforts in the aftermath of what happened at Pearl Harbor, the USS Oklahoma was raised for scrapping. Those who had perished aboard the ship had their remains exhumed. Aloysius Schmitt’s body was among them. However, at the time, his identity was unknown, meaning he was buried as such in Hawaii.
The chaplain’s final resting place remained unknown for decades – that is, until the mid-2010s, when the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) began the USS Oklahoma Project, which aimed to identify the “unknowns” of the vessel.
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On September 30, 2016, the DPAA announced that it had officially identified a set of remains as belonging to Schmitt, thanks to a DNA match to a grandnephew and other investigative measures. His body was returned to Iowa, and he was interred at Christ the King Chapel at Loras College.