{"id":4519,"date":"2020-05-31T11:58:19","date_gmt":"2020-05-31T02:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nedforney.com\/?p=4519"},"modified":"2020-05-31T16:20:17","modified_gmt":"2020-05-31T07:20:17","slug":"wwii-koreanwar-navy-marines-medalofhonor-heroes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nedforney.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/31\/wwii-koreanwar-navy-marines-medalofhonor-heroes\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Men, Two Wars, and One Classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\"The\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t

During wartime and peace, the power of an inspirational mentor can never be underestimated . . .<\/p>\r\n

One such mentor, a WWII Medal of Honor recipient once referred to by his commanding officer as \u201cthe bravest man I ever saw,\u201d was a math professor and US Navy chaplain.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The Early Days at Holy Cross<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

A Catholic priest at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, Joe O’Callahan was one of those teachers who was respected, feared, and loved by his students.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The Jesuit with a \u201cdeep, booming voice\u201d was a powerful presence in and out of the classroom. Exuding confidence and a spiritual calm that inspired those around him, he was one of the most admired men on campus.<\/p>\r\n

Of his many students during the pre-war years were John \u201cJack\u201d Power and Paul Mullaney, \u00a0two local boys who would never forget their larger-than-life math professor. There was something special about \u201cFather Joe,\u201d as O’Callahan was affectionately called, and the tough but caring teacher instilled a sense of selflessness, duty, and patriotism in his students, many of whom would serve in WWII<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

\"Fr.

Fr. O’Callahan at Holy Cross in 1959 (Brearley Collection, Boston Public Library)<\/p><\/div>\r\n

Power and Mullaney took their professor\u2019s words to heart and after graduating from Holy Cross joined the Marines. They were soon on their way to the Pacific, following in the footsteps of their esteemed mentor, who had left his teaching position months earlier and was already overseas.<\/p>\r\n

By 1944, Power, Mullaney, and O\u2019Callahan were all doing their part to save America and the world from fascism and tyranny. <\/p>\r\n

Death at Kwajalein Atoll<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
\"(Marines

Marines at Kwajalein (PC: USMC)<\/p><\/div>\r\n

On February 1, 1944, Jack Power, described by Mullaney as a \u201cpopular young man, especially with the young ladies,\u201d was fighting at Kwajalein Atoll as a platoon leader with 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, was setting a\u00a0demolition charge on a Japanese pillbox when\u00a0he was shot in the stomach.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Covered in blood and going into shock, he refused to go down. “Protecting his wound with his left hand and firing with his right,\u201d he charged through the hole made by the explosion and \u201cemptied his carbine into the pillbox,\u201d killing the Japanese gunners inside. While \u201cattempting to reload and continue the attack,\u201d the officer was \u201cshot again in the stomach and head.\u201d The 25-year-old Worcester native died moments later.<\/p>\r\n

For single-handedly destroying the enemy objective and clearing the way for his platoon\u2019s advance, Lt. Power was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor<\/a>. His body was later returned to the US and buried at Worcester\u2019s St. John\u2019s Cemetery.<\/p>\r\n

\"Lt.

Lt. Power before leaving for the Pacific (PC: USMC).<\/p><\/div>\r\n

\u201cJack was my hero long before he went off to war,\u201d Power\u2019s sister, Patricia Power Rose, said in 2010.<\/p>\r\n

A year after his death, the US Navy commissioned the USS Power<\/em> (DD-839), a Gearing-class destroyer, in honor of Lt. Power, and in 1947 a statue of the Medal of Honor recipient was unveiled at Worcester\u2019s City Hall. <\/p>\r\n

Mullaney and O\u2019Callahan never forgot the young man who had excelled in his Holy Cross classes; played varsity tennis, basketball, football, and golf; and had shown so much promise.<\/p>\r\n

Nightmare on the Franklin<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

A year after Power\u2019s death, Father O\u2019Callahan, serving as chaplain on the aircraft carrier USS Franklin<\/em> (CV-13), or \u201cBig Ben,\u201d as her crew affectionately called her, was below decks when two Japanese bombs slammed into the ship.<\/p>\r\n

In the ensuing inferno that nearly sunk the massive carrier and killed more than 800 men, O\u2019Callahan “calmly braved perilous barriers of flame and twisted metal to aid his men and his ship.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

With “bombs, shells, rockets and other armaments\u201d exploding all around him and men being blown apart and burned alive, the seemingly fearless chaplain, in total disregard for his own safety, “ministered to the wounded and dying, and comforted and encouraged men of all faiths.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\"Father

Father O\u2019Callahan ministering to Robert C. Blanchard, March 19, 1945. Blanchard, who had passed out from smoke inhalation, awoke seconds later and survived the war (PC: US Navy).<\/p><\/div>\r\n

“Your son is the bravest man I ever saw,\u201d Leslie Gehres, the Franklin\u2019s commanding officer, told Mrs. O\u2019Callahan years later.<\/p>\r\n

With the ship listing dangerously to starboard and men falling into the sea, the 39-year-old chaplain put out fires, jettisoned live munitions, and rescued men trapped in dark, smoke-filled passageways. \u201cHe seemed to be everywhere,\u201d the ship\u2019s executive officer, Joe Taylor, recalled.<\/p>\r\n

For his “courage, fortitude, and deep spiritual strength\u201d that saved countless lives on March 19, 1945, Chaplain O\u2019Callahan was awarded the Medal of Honor.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Miraculously, the Franklin survived the attack, limped back to the US, and was repaired.<\/p>\r\n

After the war, Father Joe returned to Holy Cross, continued his teaching career, and died on March 18, 1964, at the age of 58. Before retiring as director of mathematics in 1956, he told his nephew, Jay O\u2019Callahan, a freshman at Holy Cross at the time, \u201cAsk questions, ask more questions and then keep asking questions. It\u2019s the only way you\u2019ll learn anything.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\"O\u2019Callahan

O\u2019Callahan receives the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman (PC: US Navy).<\/p><\/div>\r\n

From the Jungles of the Pacific to the Mountains of Korea<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

For Paul Mullaney, who fought at Guam and Tinian with 4th Marines as a sergeant, received a battlefield commission, and returned from four years in the Pacific as a 1st Lieutenant, World War II was only the beginning of his combat experiences.<\/p>\r\n

When the Korean War broke out in 1950, he returned to active duty and was once again on his way to a combat zone. Serving with the 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, he landed at Inchon and fought his way through Seoul, where he was wounded and received a Bronze Star.<\/p>\r\n

\"7th

7th Marines at the Chosin Reservoir (PC: USMC)<\/p><\/div>\r\n

On November 9, 1950, Lt. Mullaney was awarded the Silver Star for leading his Marines against a heavily fortified enemy position south of the Chosin Reservoir. Despite \u201cbeing shot and weakened from loss of blood,\u201d he charged ahead and directed his platoon\u2019s fire \u201cuntil the assault was completed and the objective seized.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Two weeks later, during a massive Chinese attack at Chosin<\/a>, he was hit by enemy fire and seriously wounded. He spent the next year recovering in the hospital before returning home.<\/p>\r\n

Mullaney went on to become a lawyer, the Mayor of Worcester, and District Court Judge.\u00a0He was also instrumental in founding the Korean War Memorial of Central Massachusetts, a monument and pavilion in Worcester that pays tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in Korea.<\/p>\r\n

He was married to his wife, Sarah, for 62 years and had nine children. He died on November 1, 2017, at the age of 97, after a life dedicated to serving others.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

\"Mullaney

Mullaney in 2005 at a Korean War ceremony (PC: Worcester Telegram & Gazette)<\/p><\/div>\r\n

Makes You Think<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

When asked about Fr. O\u2019Callahan\u2019s impact on his students, Marine veteran Chris Manos told Worcester Telegram & Gazette<\/em>,\u00a0\u201cMakes you think Father Joe was teaching something more than just math in that classroom.\u201d The fact that two Medal of Honor recipients and a Silver Star recipient were together at the same time in the same classroom \u201cseems beyond belief,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n

Or maybe it was all part of Father Joe\u2019s plan.<\/p>\r\n

As the men and women of the greatest generation leave the stage, it is all together fitting and proper that we remember their service and sacrifices. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can ultimately be repaid only by our actions and deeds. Like Mullaney and Power, we must follow in footsteps of our esteemed mentors.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Freedom isn\u2019t Free!<\/p>\r\n

Click on pictures below to enlarge.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\t

Top\/Feature image<\/strong>:\u00a0The USS Franklin on March 19, 1945. More than 800 sailors were killed in the Japanese attack (PC: US Navy).<\/p>\r\n\t