Sep 5, 2023
Ensign William Michael Finnegan
By Journal Staff
BESSEMER — Ensign William Finnegan, who was born in Bessemer and died during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, will be buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu on Thursday.
Finnegan was born on April 18, 1897, in Bessemer, although his residence at the time of the attack, when he served on the USS Oklahoma, was listed as San Diego.
Timothy H. Hunter, acting director, Navy Casualty, said in a news release that prior to the 2015 disinterment, which marked the beginning of Project Oklahoma, Finnegan was among the 388 service members who were unaccounted for from the USS Oklahoma. Since then, 356 have been individually identified.
Remains are identified using DNA reference samples from USS Oklahoma families. The Department of Defense now has more than 361 of the required samples to support DNA analysis on Oklahoma remains as well as many medical and dental records from the Oklahoma service members.
Finnegan enlisted on Oct. 22, 1917, in Chicago, and was appointed ensign on Nov. 18, 1941, after rising to chief radio electrician.
According to the Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs Office, ensign is the junior commissioned officer rank in the U.S. Navy. As division officers, ensigns were in charge of overseeing the work of a crew of seamen and petty officers in a specific division.
As a chief radio electrician, Finnegan was required to qualify for the ratings of radioman, aviation radioman, radio technician, radarman and soundman.
Their duties were as follows:
≤ Radioman: sent and received messages by code or radiophone, used typewriters, and made minor adjustments and repairs to radio receivers and transmitters.
≤ Aviation radioman: operated radio transmission and receiving equipment of naval aircraft, maintained radio batteries, enciphered and deciphered Navy code messages, and adjusted direction finders.
≤ Radio technician: maintained and repaired radio, radar, sound and other radio-type equipment.
≤ Radarman: stood radar watch and remained alert through long periods, used and regulated radar equipment, converted relative bearing to true bearing and read ranges, and read and plotted polar coordinates.
≤ Soundman: operated special sound detection equipment and interpreted sound characteristics of echoes.
Finnegan’s duty stations were the USS Oklahoma; USS Nevada; USS Tennessee; Naval Air Station, San Diego; USS Ranger; headquarters, 15th Naval District; USS Farquhar; New York Navy Yard; Radio School, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and recruit training, Great Lakes, Illinois.
His awards and decorations included the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and American Campaign Medal.
The USS Oklahoma began capsizing as the Japanese planes strafed the deck with machine gun fire, according to the Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs Office. After being struck by six torpedoes, the USS Oklahoma’s port side was torn open, and within 15 minutes of the fist torpedo strike, she had rolled completely over, trapping those crew members not fortunate enough to escape within her hull.
Amidst the chaos, several sailors displayed their courage and comradeship, saving the lives of their shipmates at the cost of their own. For their efforts in saving their fellow sailors, Ensign Francis C. Flaherty and Seaman 1st Class James R. Ward received the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for valor. Chief Warrant Officer John A. Austin, who perished saving his shipmates’ lives, was awarded the Navy Cross.
Lt. Commander Hugh Alexander, the ship’s dental officer, died helping sailors to safety. Lt. Junior Grade (Chaplain) Aloysius Schmitt was conducting church call when battle stations sounded. His assigned position was below decks at a medical station where he could tend to wounded sailors. He could have made it to safety, but he was assisting junior sailors scrambling to safety when the ship capsized. Alexander and Schmitt received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, eventually upgraded to the Silver Star.
Men trapped inside started banging on the bulkhead trying to get the attention of passing small boats. On Dec. 8-9, after cutting holes in the exposed bottom of the ship, 32 men were pulled out alive. Banging continued through Dec. 10, but nothing could be done. The sound was coming from below the water line and the helpless sailors standing watch over the Oklahoma could only wait and listen until the banging stopped.
In total, 429 USS Oklahoma sailors lost their lives. The USS Oklahoma received one battle star for her service in World War II.
Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (AP) — There may be no place like home but President Joe Biden says he cannot go to …
BLACK ROCK DESERT, Nev. (AP) — Tens of thousands of partygoers stranded at the Burning Man counterculture …
By CHRISTIE MASTRIC Journal Staff Writer MARQUETTE — Samuel Ogoshi, 22 and Samson Ogoshi, 20, two Nigerian …
Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox
Copyright © The Mining Journal | https://www.miningjournal.net | 249 W. Washington, Marquette, MI 49855 | 906-228-2500