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LTJG Aloysius Herman Schmitt

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LTJG Aloysius Herman Schmitt

Birth	:	4 Dec 1909 Saint Lucas, Fayette County, Iowa, USA
Death	:	7 Dec 1941 Pearl Harbor, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA
Burial	:	Saint Lukes Catholic Cemetery, Saint Lucas, Fayette County, USA
Coordinate	:	43.0660000, -91.9296000
Description	:	Word was received this week by Mr. and Mrs. Theo. Mendyk of the Paplin neighborhood that Rev. Aloysius Schmitt, first cousin of Mr. Mendyk, was one of the Pearl Harbor victims. He was killed while preparing to hold a service and is reported by the government as the first chaplain killed in the war. Rev.Schmitt as born in St. Lucas, Iowa, December 3, 1909 and was ordained by Cardinal Salvagnini December 8, 1935 at Rome. He returned to this country in 1936 and was assistant pastor at New Vienna, Ia., Cheyenne, Wyo., and Dubuque, Ia. He received permission to... Read More	Word was received this week by Mr. and Mrs. Theo. Mendyk of the Paplin neighborhood that Rev. Aloysius Schmitt, first cousin of Mr. Mendyk, was one of the Pearl Harbor victims. He was killed while preparing to hold a service and is reported by the government as the first chaplain killed in the war. Rev.Schmitt as born in St. Lucas, Iowa, December 3, 1909 and was ordained by Cardinal Salvagnini December 8, 1935 at Rome. He returned to this country in 1936 and was assistant pastor at New Vienna, Ia., Cheyenne, Wyo., and Dubuque, Ia. He received permission to volunteer to join the navy as chaplain, serving his country until this disaster overtook him. Both his parents are dead. --Courtesy of the Ashton Herald, Dec. 1941, Ashton, Nebraska-- Contributor: Diane (47528261) From the December 1, 2017, issue of The Witness, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa. Submitted by Angela Member #48520699. Fr. Aloysius Schmitt was initially awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and the Purple Heart. The U.S. military recently determined that his valor merited the Silver Star - the third-highest military combat decoration. On December 7, 2017, the Chief Chaplain of the U.S. Navy traveled to Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa, Fr. Schmitt's alma mater, to present the upgraded medal to Fr. Schmitt's family. Contributor: Angela (48520699) ------------------------- PEARL HARBOR (ChurchMilitant.com) - The remains of a Catholic naval chaplain, considered a war hero from World War II, have been identified nearly 75 years after his death. Experts with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency started a project last year to put names to the remains of those who died in the bombing of the battleship USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor, an attack that launched America into World War II. From the remains, Fr. Aloysius H. Schmitt, a Catholic priest from St. Lucas, Iowa was identified by the DNA retrieved from a skull bone that matched that of a relative. Father Schmitt was the Navy chaplain on the battleship. On December 7, 1941, Schmitt had just finished saying morning Mass when the USS Oklahoma, which had about 1,300 sailors on board, was torpedoed by Japanese forces in 50 feet of water. The attack caused the ship to roll over on its side, trapping hundreds below deck. Instead of running to safety, Fr. Schmitt stayed to help pull survivors from the submerged bottom deck, and was able to help 12 people escape through a porthole. A total of 429 crew members were killed in the attack on the USS Oklahoma, second only to the 1,100 lost on the USS Arizona. It is believed that he got trapped in the porthole as he was helping others through, becoming the first U.S. chaplain to be killed in the Second World War. For his act of heroism he was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and the Purple Heart. The medal citation reads, Realizing that other men had come into the compartment looking for a way out, Chaplain Schmitt insisted that he be pushed back into the ship so that they might escape. ... Calmly urging them on with a pronouncement of his blessing, he remained behind while they crawled out to safety. Father Schmitt was honored by having a destroyer bear his name — the USS Schmitt — commissioned in 1943 by the Navy and which served until 1967. The Christ the King Chapel at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa was also built and dedicated to his memory, where the priest's belongings were donated. Among items recovered from the wreckage shortly after the attack in 1941 were Schmitt's chalice and his Latin prayer book. Christ the King Chapel at Loras College will hold a vigil Friday, October 7. A memorial Mass and funeral, with full military honors, will be held Saturday, October 8, in the chapel.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is LTJG Aloysius Herman Schmitt's memorial?
LTJG Aloysius Herman Schmitt's memorial is located at: Saint Lukes Catholic Cemetery, Saint Lucas, Fayette County, USA.
When did LTJG Aloysius Herman Schmitt death?
LTJG Aloysius Herman Schmitt death on 7 Dec 1941 in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA
Where are the coordinates of the LTJG Aloysius Herman Schmitt's memorial?
Latitude: 43.0660000
Longitude: -91.9296000

Family Members:

Parent

Henry Schmitt

(1869 - 1927)

Mary Anna Kuennen Schmitt

(1869 - 1932)

Siblings

Helen Schmitt

(1893 - 1919)

William Frank Schmitt

(1896 - 1975)

Nick Henry Schmitt

(1897 - 1969)

(unknow - unknow)

Mat F Schmitt

(1904 - 1971)

Bernard “Ben” Schmitt

(1904 - 1926)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Saint Lukes Catholic Cemetery
Saint Lucas, Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0660000, -91.9296000

2. Eden Cemetery
Waucoma, Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0308960, -91.9622370

3. Eden Cemetery
Saint Lucas, Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0307999, -91.9621964

4. Saint Anthony of Padua Chapel Cemetery
Festina, Winneshiek County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0996000, -91.8935000

5. Young Cemetery
Washington Township, Winneshiek County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1102982, -91.9131012

6. Dover Township Cemetery
Dover Township, Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0708008, -91.8392029

7. Oak Ridge Cemetery
Auburn Township, Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0155983, -91.8683014

8. Saint Petr Kirchof
Eldorado, Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0572014, -91.8352966

9. Saint Marys Cemetery
Waucoma, Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0583000, -92.0255966

10. Waucoma Cemetery
Waucoma, Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0586014, -92.0271988

11. Saint Marys Cemetery
Festina, Winneshiek County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1205000, -91.8658000

12. Oak Lawn Cemetery
Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9986000, -91.9666977

13. Oak Hill Cemetery
Fort Atkinson, Winneshiek County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1397018, -91.9353027

14. Saint Johns Catholic Cemetery
Fort Atkinson, Winneshiek County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1425018, -91.9238968

15. Pitts Cemetery
Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9900017, -91.9708023

16. Saint Peters Cemetery
Fort Atkinson, Winneshiek County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1474991, -91.9405975

17. Saint James German Lutheran Cemetery
Winneshiek County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1478000, -91.9408000

18. Boale Cemetery
Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9935700, -91.8451900

19. Windsor Cemetery
Hawkeye, Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9644012, -91.9225006

20. Saint Rose Cemetery
Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0786018, -92.0678024

21. Alpha Cemetery
Alpha, Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0057983, -92.0428009

22. Bethel Cemetery
Hawkeye, Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9803009, -92.0218964

23. George Cemetery
Fayette County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0346985, -91.7818985

24. First Lutheran Church Cemetery
Military Township, Winneshiek County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0897000, -91.7775000