Lieutenant Father Aloysius Herman Schmitt - A Sailor's Story
Lieutenant Father Aloysius Herman Schmitt, A Sailor's Story
Lieutenant Father Aloysius Herman Schmitt
Born December 4, 1909 - Died December 7, 1941
Lieutenant Father Aloysius Herman Schmitt was born on December 4, 1909, in St. Lucas, Iowa. He studied at Loras College (then known as Columbia College) before going to Rome, Italy, to complete seminary training. He first served as pastor at St. Mary's Church in Dubuque, Iowa, and then at St. Mary's Cathedral in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
In 1939, Lieutenant Father Schmitt enlisted in the US Navy as a chaplain. He was assigned to the USS Oklahoma.
He would die during his service on December 7, 1941. The USS Oklahoma was at port when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Lieutenant Father Aloysius Schmitt was in quarters and stuck below deck as the boat capsized. He stayed aboard, helping 12 other sailors escape through a small porthole, before being overcome by the water.
Initially buried in a grave for an unnamed sailor in Hawaii, Lieutenant Father Aloysius Schmitt was identified in 2015. He rests at Christ the King Chapel at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa.
In 1944, the US Navy presented the Archdiocese of Iowa with a crucifix made from the remains of USS Oklahoma. The wood of the cross was created from the teakwood deck, and the Corpus from the hull of the USS Oklahoma.
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