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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,
Emma, and Catherine ("Cate")
would each
be given the chance to live their individual lives on this earth. I guess the Lord had some plans for these 19 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. Cecil Cone, a Parli gunner, was blown off the starboard
side into the water with massive head wounds but he survived. (Cecil, who died in 2010, was also a part time cook
and played his "banjo" - 3 string guitar - in the ship's band).
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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