My Daddy was a Hero!

  • General Ahniwake Ray Courtesy Photo
    General Ahniwake Ray Courtesy Photo
  • The USS Franklin (CV-13), one of the most decorated aircraft carriers of World War II, pictured before the attack that nearly sank her. General Ahniwake Ray, then 18 years old, was serving aboard as a fireman when two bombs struck the ship off the coast of Japan on March 19, 1945. Courtesy Photo
    The USS Franklin (CV-13), one of the most decorated aircraft carriers of World War II, pictured before the attack that nearly sank her. General Ahniwake Ray, then 18 years old, was serving aboard as a fireman when two bombs struck the ship off the coast of Japan on March 19, 1945. Courtesy Photo
  • The USS Franklin engulfed in flames following a devastating Japanese bombing attack on March 19, 1945. Ray and hundreds of crew members fought for their lives as explosions tore through the ship. Despite massive casualties, the surviving sailors saved the carrier and brought it home — a feat hailed as one of the greatest ship recoveries in naval history. Courtesy Photo
    The USS Franklin engulfed in flames following a devastating Japanese bombing attack on March 19, 1945. Ray and hundreds of crew members fought for their lives as explosions tore through the ship. Despite massive casualties, the surviving sailors saved the carrier and brought it home — a feat hailed as one of the greatest ship recoveries in naval history. Courtesy Photo

    My Dad, General Ahniwake Ray joined the U.S. Navy in 1943 when he was 17 years old (his mother had to sign for him).

    He traveled from Quapaw, Oklahoma, to El Paso, Texas, to Los Angeles, California, then to San Diego, CA for Boot Camp. Which was quite an excursion for a young man who had never traveled far from home only, for the Quapaw Wildcats football team.

    After Boot Camp, he was assigned to the U.S.S. Carrier Franklin CV13.

    The Franklin stopped at Pearl Harbor to take on more supplies and more men. There were at least 3,200 men on board. The ship then headed for Japan. World War II was in full swing – just 30 miles off the coast of Japan a Kamikaze pilot dropped two 500-pound bombs on the Franklin. One in the front and one in the back.

    The first missile slammed into the forward flight deck. The second missile smashed into the aft deck and crashed down two decks before exploding on the third deck.

    The Franklin’s deck was made of wood. Fires broke out immediately.

    My dad was a Fireman 1st Class and later a Machinist 3rd Class. There were anywhere from 60 to 90 planes on board the Franklin. Each plane was fully loaded with fuel and bombs – at least 36,000 gallons of gasoline and 30 tons of bombs and rockets.

    As the fires grew, each plane would explode one after the other.

    More and more explosions and more and more fires. Many men died immediately, many were never found again, many were injured and many more were trapped on the lower decks. It was a devastating time for everyone concerned.

    All of the sailors were sure the Franklin was done for and would be at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean before the day was over.

    Sailors on other carriers, cruisers, battleships, and destroyers for miles around the Franklin watched and winced as they saw the orange flames shoot high into the sky.

    The bombs hit the Franklin at 7:09 a.m. on March 19, 1945. My dad was 18 years old. Three days later, on March 22, he celebrated his 19th birthday. How sad to think, “What were you doing on your 19th birthday?” With all of the death and destruction around it’s hard to think about a birthday -- you are just thankful to be alive.

    Several ships in the Task Force left the group formation to assist the Franklin.

    Cruisers –

    U.S.S. Santa Fe U.S.S. Pittsburg Destroyers – U.S.S. Miller U.S.S. Hunt U.S.S. Hunt U.S.S. Hickox U.S.S. Marshall The Franklin had one of the most tragic casualties lists ever sustained by a U.S. Navy Ship that remained in service.

    807 men were killed in action, 119 died later from their wounds. Over 900 wounded and nonessential enlisted men were taken-on by the U.S.S. Santa Fe. Men who were blown off of the ship or jumped off the ship to keep from being burned alive and survived in the water were eventually picked up by other ships in the Task Force.

    For the next three days the men left on board searched for survivors, cleared away wreckage and felt the hardship of continual burials at sea. Captain Gehres refused to abandon ship. After much hard work the 704 men left on the Franklin got the ship running and brought that crippled ship back through the Panama Canal and up to New York Harbor for repairs.

    On Thursday, April 26, 1945 at 2:23 p.m., five weeks after the attack, the Franklin dropped anchor in Gravesend Bay the approaches to New York Harbor, having completed a voyage of 12,000 miles.

    My daddy was one of the 704 men that helped bring that ship home.

    My daddy was a hero! My one regret is that I didn’t question my dad more when I was young and dumb! Now that I am older, I realized how much my dad sacrificed to keep our country free. My dad passed away January 1, 2013, and I thank him now for all he gave of himself and all he suffered. He will always be a hero to me.

    Me and my brothers Jerry Ray, Joe Ray, John Patrick Ray and James Ray will always be grateful and thankful for how our daddy served in the U.S. Navy. When things got tough at home our mom would say, “Your dad has shell shock!” That’s what they called it back then. Today it’s called PTSD. Our dad suffered in silence for the most part. He worked hard and raised his family, believed in God, went to church and loved his country. That is a hero!