USS Indianapolis chaplain spent three days tending to his flock in the water.
“Greater love hath no man than this; to lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
Have you ever wondered what you would do in a situation where you had to risk all to save your fellow man? History is full of stories of men who have answered that question one way or another. For men like the chaplain on USS Indianapolis, Father Thomas Conway, there was no decision to make – his faith dictated the course he would take.
On the fateful night of July 30, 1945, Conway ended up with 900-plus survivors in the oily, debris-filled water after Indianapolis went down in only 12 minutes. Several of the survivors recalled his actions for the next three-plus days. One called him “a messenger of Our Lord” as he went from one small group to another. He encouraged his shipmates, giving them hope to hang on until a rescue would save them from the terrible ordeal. He administered last rites to those who were not going to make it in any case. This man of God, who the men trusted, gave them hope and encouragement and a strong belief they would survive.
This wasn’t the first time the Indianapolis crew had seen his goodness. The previous summer, a kamikaze attack hadkilled nine crew members. When the ship anchored in California for major repairs, Father Conway, on his own time and expense, visited all nine families to tell them of their departed loved ones.
It’s no surprise the crew loved him and respected him as he now went in the cold water from group to group, seeing to their spiritual and psychological needs as much as he could. But after the third day, his energies were gone and his own survival was in doubt. According to the medical officer, Capt. Lewis Haynes, a sailor named Mac cried for help, holding up a delirious Conway who was thrashing and drifting into delirium. Haynes held him for a while, but then this gentle man who had given all drifted away and was gone.
Sixty-seven sailors survived due to Father Conway’s support and grace in the aftermath of the sinking. It wasn’t until January 2021, thanks to the efforts of men like Bob Dorr and Bill Milhomme lobbying Congress, that the Navy bestowed on Lt. Thomas Conway the Navy Cross in the chaplain’s home church in Waterbury, Conn. With the backing of U.S. senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, a Senate resolution was introduced and Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite at long last made the presentation. He apologized for the years’ delay but acknowledged “the heroism, dedication and valor of one of their own.” Today, there is an empty-grave monument honoring Conway in front of his home parish, a man who truly laid down his life for his friends, shipmates and flock.
Marty Pay is a retired university professor, business owner and radio talk-show host. He has researched and written several articles on USS Indianapolis. He is a member of American Legion Post 30 in Sparks, Nev.
- Honor & Remembrance