USS Indianapolis CA-35
Lost At Sea

Donald Henry FRORATH
Name: Donald Henry FRORATH
Lost at Sea Donald Henry FRORATH Rank / Rating: S2-Seaman Second Class
Service #: 314 93 84
DOB: Mar 27, 1927
From: Bay City, MI
Parents: Martin B. and Loretta Frorath
Went Aboard: Jun 23, 1945
Age When Ship Went Down: 18 years, 4 months, 3 days
Spouse:
Children:
Grandchildren:
Bio Submitted By: Carl Fahnestock (Admin) and Patricia Stephens (Admin)
Date Posted: May 31, 2026

Lost at Sea Donald Henry FRORATH
FRORATH, Donald H
Donald was the son of Martin and Loretta Frorath, both born in Michigan. Donald had a twin sister, Durcilla and older siblings Martin, Jr., and Betty. The 1940 census recorded the family living in Bay City, MI, where they had lived since before April 1, 1935. Martin was working for a contractor and Loretta was a waitress in a restaurant. Both were 41 years old.
Donald was two days shy of his 18th birthday and required his parent's consent when he enlisted in the US Navy on March 25, 1945 at the Recruiting Center in Detroit. It is likely that the date he enlisted was intentional. If he had waited until he turned 18 he would have been required to register for the draft and even if he volunteered to be moved to the top of the list of draftees, he was not guaranteed to be assigned the branch of service of his choice. Also, to avoid accepting draftees, the Navy heavily recruited 17 year olds. Donald likely never considered that he may not return home from the war. The same day he enlisted, Donald was transferred to the Navy Training Center at Great Lakes, IL. He was advanced from AS (Apprentice Seaman) to S2c (Seaman 2nd class) on May 26, 1945. Upon his completion of training, he was ordered to the receiving station at Shoemaker, CA where he arrived on June 12, 1945, to await his first duty assignment. Eleven days later, Donald received orders to report to the famed heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis CA 35. He boarded a bus for the short trip to Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA. He walked the gangway and was granted permission to come aboard on June 23, 1945. There was a flurry of activity on the ship and the decks were littered with equipment and men at work. Indy had been in port since May 2nd for repairs after being hit by a kamikaze plane off Okinawa on March 30th. In addition, the mighty ship was being refitted with new equipment and armament. Donald was not the only new crewmember on board trying to deal with the organized chaos while learning his duties. While Indy had been in port, over 200 new crewmembers had been assigned to the ship to replace men who were transferred off. As a S2c, Donald was most likely assigned to the deck division. He would be taught basic deck cleanliness and maintenance, line handling used to anchor or moor the ship, duties of standing watch, small boat handling and other basic jobs. However, for now, he would be assigned where he was needed. Life on the high seas that he had been promised was on hold, for now. On July 12, 1945, with work not yet completed, Capt. Charles Butler McVay, III, received an unexpected order to have Indy ready to depart the US no later than July 16th. Telegrams were sent ordering crewmembers on leave to return to the ship immediately. All leave and service school training was cancelled. With most of the crew back on board, as well as yard workers, Capt. McVay ordered the crew to ready for departure on Saturday morning, July 14th. He took his ship on a brief trial in an attempt to not only test the ship's repairs, but give the green crewmembers, almost 25 percent of the complement, some degree of training. The exercises included speed runs, emergency turns, full backdown as well as radar, radio and fire control procedures. Donald was likely overwhelmed with this crash course at sea. He would be thankful that the seas were calm. The next morning, Sunday,Indy put back into Mare Island and a few hours later, Capt. McVay received his final orders. He was to depart Mare Island that day for Hunter's Point Navy Yard in San Francisco Bay where he would receive top-secret cargo for transport to the island of Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands. Two Navy officers would come aboard with the cargo to ensure its safe delivery. He was to proceed at flank speed to Pearl Harbor, refuel and continue on. Capt. McVay was not told the contents of his cargo, so no one else on board knew. In the early morning hours of July 16, 1945, Indy prepared to get underway. She depart Hunter's Point at 8:00 a.m., and at 8:36 a.m., passed under the Golden Gate Bridge. Donald was finally going to sea. After departing the dock, over the PA system, the captain informed the crew they were steaming to Pearl Harbor. He ordered the crew to stay clear of the forward part of the main deck because the speed of Indy could cause large waves to break over the bow. A few hours later, Indy hit rough seas with swells of fifteen feet. Even with a slight reduction in speed, with each wave the ship rose then suddenly slammed into the troughs with a violent jarring along with a roll from side-to-side. The old salts on board had experienced a much worse ride, but Donald was not likely reassured by their calmness and secretly feared for his life. The next day, the weather improved and the screws of the four massive engines were pushing the ship along at an average of 29 knots. Many of the crew, including officers, seemed to be seasick on the ride to Pearl. They did not show up for meals. Arriving at Pearl Harbor, Donald would long for just a few hours on dry land. It was not to be. No one was allowed to go ashore except those with prior orders. But, there was good news. Indy had steamed, averaging 29.5 knots, over 2,000 nautical miles in 74.5 hours from the Farallon lightship at San Francisco to Diamond Head, Oahu, TH, setting a new time record. The crew erupted with shouts and cheers when Capt McVay announced Indy's speed record. Indy refueled and continued her mission. Her secret cargo was off loaded at Tinian on July 26th. Before departing that afternoon, McVay received orders to proceed to Guam, 120 miles south of Tinian. The next morning she arrived at Apra Habor, Guam, where McVay received routing orders for her final destination - Leyte. Indy departed Apra Harbor the next morning, Sunday, at 9:00 a.m. Half-way en route to Leyte, on July 30, 1945, Indy was struck by two torpedoes from Japanese submarine I-58 and sank in 12 minutes. Whether Donald made it off the ship and into the water is not known. Donald had served on board Indianapolis for only 38 days. He was only 18 years old when he gave all to his country. His name is inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Philippines. He was awarded the Purple Heart, posthumously. Donald, you are not forgotten. On the first anniversary of the sinking of Indianapolis, a newspaper article remembered Donald and two shipmates from Bay City, MI, who were also lost at sea - Clifford Carson and James Drummond MICHIGAN MEMORIAL PLAQUE See photographs (posted below) to view a copy of a memorial plaque that was dedicated circa 1946 to honor seventy-two (72) State of Michigan men who served on USS Indianapolis CA-35 and who were Lost At Sea. Donald Henry FRORATH's name is listed on the plaque! Per the caption on one of the photos, the plaque was originally planned in 1946 for display at a proposed Detroit Civic Center. The plaque was initially displayed at the Detroit Naval Post VFW #233. However, the plaque had vanished for decades, fueling rumors of theft, being melted for scrap, or hidden away in a private basement. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Jeff Ortiz (nephew of LAS Y3 Orlando Ortiz) and Joni Deaver (cousin of LAS sailor S2c Charles Roof Jr.), this priceless piece of history has been re-discovered in the Detroit Historical Society storage basement in Michigan. One of the photos shows Jeff Ortiz and Ralph McNabb (nephew of LAS F2 Thomas McNabb, Jr) standing behind the very dusty plaque as it was found.
Source Credits
1940 US Census, MI, Bay Co., Bay City. Enumerated April 16, 1940. HH # 814; citing family of Martin Frorath. USN WWII Muster Rolls, 1938-1949; Ancestry database USN Ships, Stations and Other Naval Activities, 1939-1949; Ancestry database USN USS Indianapolis CA-35 Final Sailing List, 17 Aug 1945; Ancestry database. Moore, Katherine D. (1991). Goodbye Indy Maru. Lori Publications, Knoxville, TN. Vincent, Lynn, & Vladic, Sara. (2018). Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History. Simon & Schuster, New York. Navy Department, Casualty Section, Office of Public Information (1946): Combat Connected Naval Casualties, WWII, by States; Vol. AL-MO; MI, p. 11; citing parents Mr and Mrs Martin B. Frorath, Bay City, MI. The Bay City Times, Michigan, Tuesday, July 30, 1946, Vol. 74, page 3; citing Two Bay Cityans Went Down with USS Indianapolis, Year Ago Today.
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