USS Indianapolis Lost At Sea

USS Indianapolis CA-35

Lost At Sea

Pat Leon ADAMS

Name: Pat Leon ADAMS
Rank / Rating: S2-Seaman Second Class
Service #: 275 50 07
DOB: Oct 28, 1926
From: Monroe, LA
Parents: Grady Earl and Opal (Usrey) Adams
Went Aboard: Jul 27, 1945
Age When Ship Went Down: 18 years, 9 months, 2 days
Spouse:
Children:
Grandchildren:
Bio Submitted By: Patricia Stephens (Admin)
Date Posted:

Photo(s) Needed

Pat was born 28 Oct 1926 to Grady and Opal Usrey Adams of Strong, Beauregard Parish, LA. He attended public school in Strong, LA as well as Monroe, LA., after the family relocated there. His parents were still living in Monroe, LA., at the time of Pat's death.

Pat's date of enlistment in the Navy is unknown. A news article in his hometown paper shows he enlisted in Sept 1944. He was transferred from the Navy Recruiting Station at Shreveport, LA and arrived 23 Oct 1944 at the Naval Training Center in San Diego, CA. He was a AS (Apprentice Seaman) indicating he had completed basic training. For the next 16 weeks he was either on assignment or receiving additional training. One or the other would be required for him to advance to S2c (Seaman 2nd class) He was a S2c when he arrived at a receiving ship at San Diego on 24 Jan 1945 for transport across the Pacific to the forward area. He arrived at Pearl Harbor, date unknown, but with a normal sailing time of 4-5 day, in good weather, he probably arrived by 30 Jan 1945.. The official Navy Report of Changes shows Pat spent time at the PACFLTSCHADMIN (Pacific Fleet School Administration). The school was located at Pearl Harbor and Pat attended signalman school there, as evidenced below. Signalman school was normally 16 weeks. On 17 May 1945 he was transferred from Fleet School to the receiving station at Pearl Harbor for further assignment. He received his orders and was transferred 21 May 1945. At Pearl Harbor, Pat boarded LST-953 as a passenger on 10 June 1945 for transport to "Navy #926" - CINPAC Advance Headquarters Detachment - Commander Fifth Fleet, Flag Allowance, Apra Harbor, Guam. He arrived on 12 June 1945 and was noted as a S2c (SM) (Signalman). Pat's name appears on the CINCPAC Headquarters, Flag Allowance Muster Roll for the quarter ending 1 July, 1945. He arrived with another new recruit, William Hearn Bradley, a fellow Signalman straight from training. The majority of the men on the muster roll had arrived on 1 June 1945. The roll shows the names of seven other Signalmen. At Apra Harbor, on 27 July 1945, Pat was transferred to USS Indianapolis CA-35 "for temporary duty." Indianapolis had arrived that day in Apra Harbor after delivering her top secret cargo the day before at Tinian. Indy was scheduled to leave the harbor early the next morning. Fifteen members of Spruance’s Flag staff disembarked as soon as Indy arrived. Pat and William Hearn Bradley were met on board by the four remaining staff members: LCDR Cedric Foster Coleman, commander of the flag allowance, Robert Craig Barker, Jr., RT1c, Arno John Telford, RT3c, and Ray Gunther Wenzel. Why Pat and William Hearn Bradley were selected over the other available signalmen at Guam is unknown. Although Pat and William had completed training as a Signalman, practical training on board a ship, further training and testing was required before they would be advanced from the rate of S2c to S1c then SM3c. This was likely an opportunity for both to gain their first on board training. Pat and William Hearn Bradley were the last two men to ever board Indianapolis. In less than 72 hours, all six men would be lost at sea when Indianapolis was struck by two torpedoes from Japanese submarine I-58. Their names are inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Philippines. All were awarded the Purple Heart, posthumously. A cenotaph for Pat was placed in Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery, Monroe, Quachita Parish, Louisiana

Source Credits

USN WWII Muster Rolls, 1938-1949; Ancestry database USN Ships, Stations and Other Naval Activities, 1939-1949; Ancestry database Morning World (Monroe, LA), Fri, Aug 17, 1945, p. 8; citing MIA The Times (Shreveport, LA), Fri, Aug 17, 1945, p. 5; citing MIA. pat_l_adams2.jpg Muster Roll, Report of Changes of CINCPAC Advance Headquarters Detachment - Commander Fifth Fleet, Flag Allowance, for the month ending 1st day of July, 1945. Muster Roll, Report of Changes of CINCPAC Advance Headquarters Detachment - Commander Fifth Fleet, Flag Allowance, for the month ending 1st day of August, 1945. Navy Department, Casualty Section, Office of Public Information (1946): Combat Connected Naval Casualties, WWII, by States; Vol. AL-MO; LA; citing Pat L. Adams, Monroe, LA.

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