Jay Charles Griffith, Jr.
Second Lieutenant Jay C. Griffith, Jr. served aboard the cruiser USS Vincennes (CA-44) during the Solomon Islands campaign.
He was lost at sea in the battle of Savo Island, off Guadalcanal, on 9 August 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number O-8753
Current Status
Lost At Sea
Pursuit Category
Based on circumstances of loss, this individual is considered permanently non-recoverable.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
August 26, 1920
at North Brookfield, MA
Parents
Jay Chauncey Griffith
Nellie Louise (Graver) Griffith
Education
North Brookfield High School (1938)
Dartmouth College (1942)
Occupation & Employer
Student
Note: Although his father's name was Jay Chauncey, military paperwork records this Marine's name as Jay Charles.
Service Life
Entered Service
April 24, 1940 (enlisted)
February 7, 1942 (officer)
Home Of Record
2 King Street
North Brookfield, MA
Next Of Kin
Parents, Jay & Nellie Griffith
Military Specialty
Platoon Leader
Aerial Observer
Primary Unit
L/3/1st Marines
attached to USS Vincennes
Campaigns Served
Guadalcanal / Savo Island
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
Griffith was trained as an infantry officer and platoon leader.
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Four of us were sitting in the wardroom shooting the breeze. One of our headquarters colonels, Gerry Thomas, came over to us. "Any of you young officers want to volunteer for aerial observer duty?" he asked.
Trying to show how salty I was, I made some crack about the number one Marine Corps rule, "Never Volunteer!" But Jay Griffith was really interested. "Sure," he said, "besides, I have a temporary flying license."
"Okay," said Thomas, "pack your gear. You're going to transfer to the cruiser [Vincennes]."
Muster rolls indicate that Griffith left the McCawley on 29 July 1942, and reported for temporary duty aboard Vincennes the following day. As promised, he was soon catapulting from the cruiser aboard a Curtiss SOC Seagull floatplane. As an observer, he rode in the rear seat and radioed information about targets ashore back to the Vincennes fire direction crew. Griffith’s last letter home, dated 31 July 1942, described flying over enemy territory and spotting Japanese positions.
The first two days of Operation WATCHTOWER – the invasion of Guadalcanal – must have been exhausting for Lieutenant Griffith. There was little for the scout planes to do at night, and he was probably fast asleep when the general quarters alarm sounded early on the morning of 9 August. Bright searchlights stabbed out of the darkness and illuminated Vincennes. The cruiser let loose a salvo, but was almost immediately bracketed by Japanese shells. In just fifteen minutes, she suffered at least 85 hits from large and medium caliber shells, and at least one torpedo strike. Without power, aflame from stem to stern, Vincennes drifted to a stop and began to list.
Griffith’s battle station was at the hangar amidships – but Japanese fire turned the whole area into an inferno.
We later heard that they tried to catapult his plane once the battle started, but it took a direct hit. Both Jay and the pilot were killed. Who knows what would have happened to him if he'd stayed with the 1st Marines? I guess I'm talking about the old adage about your number being up no matter what. Hell, Jay may have been killed by a falling tree on Cape Gloucester.
Captain Frederick Riefkohl passed the word to abandon ship at 0230; ten minutes later, Vincennes slipped beneath the waves. Of nearly 900 crew, 332 men – among them Second Lieutenant Griffith – died in the battle for Savo Island.
Burial Information or Disposition
Remains lost at sea; ship considered to be final resting place.
Memorials
Manila American Cemetery and Memorial
The wreck of the Vincennes was discovered by RV Petrel in 2015.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of parents, Jay & Nellie Griffith.
Location Of Loss
The Vincennes sank in Iron Bottom Sound at approximately 0240 hours.
