Richard Frederick Callahan

PFC Richard F. Callahan served with Item Battery, Third Battalion, 14th Marines.
He was lost overboard from the USS Hendry on 9 February 1945.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 806954
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
Based on circumstances of loss, this individual is considered permanently non-recoverable.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
October 8, 1924
in Niskayuna, NY
Parents
Arthur Victor Callahan
Clara M. (Lukens) Callahan
Education
Nott Terrace High School
Occupation & Employer
General Electric Company
Service Life
Entered Service
March 10, 1943
at Albany, NY
Home Of Record
1028 Regent Street
Schenectady, NY
Next Of Kin
Parents, Arthur & Clara Callahan
Military Specialty
MOS 864
(Light AA crewman)
Primary Unit
I/3/14th Marines
Campaigns Served
Roi-Namur
Iwo Jima (en route)
Individual Decorations
—
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
In January 1945, units of the Fourth Marine Division – mostly sections of the 24th (infantry) and 14th (artillery) Regiments – boarded the USS Hendry for transport to Iwo Jima. The long journey from Maui was mostly unremarkable, with planned stops at Eniwetok and Saipan before reaching the final objective. On 9 February, Hendry was steaming towards the Mariana Islands in company with Transit Group 51. All was quiet aboard the darkened ships.
At approximately 0220, sailors standing gun watch reported hearing cries for help. Hendry’s officers checked the topside stations, finding all hands present. When the embarked troops assembled for morning muster, PFC Richard F. Callahan failed to answer and could not be found aboard ship. It was presumed he had fallen overboard in the night and been left behind.
Two destroyers were dispatched to search the general area, but found no trace of the missing Marine. An investigation concluded that Callahan had “fallen over the side while asleep” and was lost at sea.
Burial Information or Disposition
Not recovered; remains lost at sea.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of parents, Arthur & Clara Callahan.
Location Of Loss
Callahan was lost overboard at this approximate position.