Father Joe

Father Joseph T. O'Callahan, CAPT, USN (Retired)
1905 - 1964

I believe that I've mentioned before that all three of the progeny went through the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The NROTC program at Holy Cross is steeped in Naval tradition. One of the most touching displays that I remember from my first trip to the building which is home to Holy Cross's Midshipman Battalion was that dedicated to "Father Joe", a Navy chaplain and Holy Cross professor of some renown.

One of the most iconic images of Father Joe is this one -

Father O’Callahan ministering to Robert C. Blanchard (who survived), aboard USS Franklin, March 19, 1945.

Here's the larger context of that picture -

USS Franklin after being bombed by a Japanese warplane, March 19, 1945.

There are two articles here and here which tell his story. I highly recommend them to you. Father Joe is someone you should know about.