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MAPS: Here are some links to three great maps, so that you can see where this story about Clarence takes place.
[ When you mention "Peleliu Island" to most people, they just reply..."Say What?"]. If you want to, you
can always refer back to these maps, as you read the story. 1. Palau Islands2. Angaur Island3. Peleliu Island
WORLD WAR II PACIFIC
TIME LINE : As you read this story, I bet you will probably be like me and you will, periodically, want to know
where Clarence's story fits into the whole scheme of things (time-wise) in the Pacific during World War II. If that is the
case, then here is a great link that will give you a year-by-year time line in the Pacific. You can always scroll-back up
this page to this link, as you are reading the story: WWII Pacific Time Line
PHOTOS: As you read through the story...here is a some link to photos of Clarence that you can view: "SAND-ERS.com WEB SITE PHOTO PAGE"
THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING ABOUT THIS STORY:
Here is the most important thing about this story. I guess you could say...it is why I
am writing this story. In one millisecond of time (less than a blink of an eye) at about 11:55 AM on January 18, 1945, the
Lord determined that Clarence would survive a horrendous Japanese magnetic ocean mine blast.
Seaman 1st Class
Sanders was leaning over the 40 MM gun railing on the starboard side of the stern half of the LCI (G) 396 ship, intently trying
to spot what had been earlier reported to be a possible Japanese mine floating in the water near the ship. His shipmates just
called him "Sanders" in those days. (Hence...the domain name of this web site "SAND-ERS.COM"). Sanders
was required to be in this location of the ship at this time since his assigned duty was to man the 40 MM port gun (as the
"Trainer") on the aft section of the ship during General Quarters emergencies like this.
Sanders, as
a 40 MM Trainer, controlled the firing and horizonal positioning of the 40 MM gun. Sanders' friend, Norman R. Fenimore ("Ray")
was the "Pointer" for Sanders' 40 MM port gun. The Pointer controlled the vertical positioning of the 40 MM gun.
Frederick P. Parlie (with a crew of two assistants) was the "Chief Loader" on Sanders' gun. The Chief Loader had
a tough job quickly keeping the ammo ready to fire. When a floating mine was spotted, the Trainers would shoot it in the water
to explode it before it could damage the ship.
His ship was near the northeast corner of Urukthapel Island located
at about the midpoint in the Palau Islands chain of the South Pacific. Seaman 1st Class Bobby G. Ozbirn was on his left and
Seaman 1st Class Norris B. Sells was on his right at the starboard 40 MM gun railing on the aft section of the ship. All three
of these guys were eighteen years old and all three were all from Oklahoma.
As the three young sailors were peering
in to the ocean trying to locate this feared Japanese device, the stealth-like mine suddenly veered into the slowly moving
ship at water level just below the railing where these boys were perched. The mine exploded. The blast of the mine was so
powerful that it bent the steel gun barrels of all of the ship's 40MM guns, 20MM guns, and .50 caliber machine guns, on the
starboard side of the ship, upward so that they were non operational. The shrapnel and concussion from the mine instantly
killed Bobby G. Ozbirn and Norris B. Sells. Clarence was violently thrown about twenty feet across the width/beam of the ship
into the LCI's port 40 MM gun area in the aft of the ship (his assigned gun) due to the mine blast. Clarence bounced off the
railing on the port side of the ship. That prevented him from being thrown into the water. He had been hit by shrapnel in
the stomach and right leg. However, he was alive.
Three Oklahoma boys standing side-by-side at the railing. Two
killed and Sanders, the Jefferson County, Oklahoma boy, survived. That is when the Lord determined that:
Nancy,
Michael,
Tricia,
Andrea,
Holly,
Kit,
Scott,
Kristin,
Joseph,
Whitney,
Caroline,
Claire,
Tatum,
Kenadie,
Riley,
Brandt,
Nathanael, and
Emma
would
each be given the chance to live their individual lives on this earth. I guess the Lord had some plans for these seventeen
folks. The Lord also had some plans for Wilda for she would later marry Sanders.
Seven of the 396's crew were
killed by the blast. Some were severely wounded and may have died at a later date as a result of their wounds. Sanders' friend,
Seaman 1st Class Clyde Sampson, the Pointer on the bow 40 MM gun, was severely wounded, however, he was pulled out of the
water and survived. The Gunnery Officer, William H. Hosch, was blown over the yard arm and lost almost all of one of his shoulders.
Daniel T. Murphy ("Murph") and the LCI Group 39's doctor, Lt. Harold F. Jarvis, got Hosch off the yard arm. Many
others were wounded. The following seven 396 sailors were killed: James R. Wertz (the Communications Officer); John P. Mannino;
Bobby G. Ozbirn (Sanders' Oklahoma buddy); Norris B. Sells (another Oklahoma boy); Robert J. Calvert (the bow 40 MM Trainer);
Oliver E. Cole (Sanders' earlier-assigned engine room mentor); and Charles V. Foxx (a part-time banjo player in the 396 string
band). Sanders' friend and electronics mentor, C. W. Ashley, pulled the deceased Oliver E. Cole (as well as two other crew
members) out of the water.
It was reported by observers on the scene of this mine blast that "the ocean waters
had turned red with the blood of the these young sailors".
Within twelve minutes after the mine blast (at
12:07 PM), Caleb K. Drenning (the crew just called him "Sparky"), the 396 radio man, was able to make an "All
Stations" radio call for help. This prompt call for help was vital. The LCI Group 39 doctor, Lt. Harold F. Jarvis (stationed
on the 396), and the ship's pharmacist, PHM 2nd Class Woodrow W. Newland, were both wounded by the mine blast. The 396 was
the "medic" ship for LCI Group 39 of the Black Cat Floatilla 13. So, Sanders was quickly treated by some Navy medical
corp guys on the ship. The mine's shrapnel caused grazing type wounds on Sander's stomach and right leg.
After
getting those wounds quickly taped, he reported to the engine room with a skeleton crew. The bow one-third of the LCI had
been blown-off the ship by the mine blast and it was just barely hanging on to the stern two-thirds by the keel that ran the
full length of the underside of the LCI. Sanders and the rest of the skeleton engine room crew throttled the ship back and
forth to go ahead and break-off the front one-third of the ship. "Murph" was the one who actually controlled the
ship's throttle to do this. The front portion of the ship then broke off and sank.
The Japanese on shore recognized
the perilous situation that the 396 was in so they started bracketing the 396 with artillery fire to get the right range on
the ship. Then, Sanders and the other engine room crew had to help maneuver what was left of the LCI in a zig-zag type pattern
to avoid Japanese heavy six inch incoming gun fire from nearby Urukthapel Island. This manuvering could only be done in the
engine room by alternating power and angle to the twin variable pitch props, since the ship's steering ability had been wiped
out by the blast.
Initially, help arrived in 65 minutes from LCI (G) 728 at 1:00 PM. The 728 took the dead sailors
and some of the wounded sailors from the 396 aboard the 728. Seaver (the Captain of the 728) and John Piel (the Captain of
the 396) searched the water in a small boat for any dead and wounded that could be found.
The 728 started towing
the 396 toward Peleliu. At 1:30 PM LCI (G) 729 arrived and took over the towing duties from the 728 while the 728 then sped
toward Peleliu with the dead and wounded. Sanders stayed on the 396. Later the LCI (G) 732 arrived and took over the towing
duties from the 729. When the flagship LCI (G) 730 arrived, the 730 and the 729 fired their rockets at the Japanese troops
on shore and the enemy fire soon stopped. (A Marine bomber was called to bomb the enemy position, but when the bomber arrived
the Japanese guns had gone back into hiding).
What was left of LCI (G) 396 was towed by the 732 to the nearest
Navy island base in the Palau Islands area. Sanders only received periodic out-patient type care. At the request of the US
Navy, Sanders would, about a year later, hand-carry the last personal possessions of his buddy, Bobby Ozbirn, to Bobby's family
in Oklahoma.
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