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John Joseph Brennan was born in Philadelphia on 14 June
1920. He attended West Catholic High School and graduated in 1936.
Following his graduation he matriculated at La Salle College earning a
Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting before enlisting in the Naval
Reserve on 6 July 1940. He trained in the former battleship
Wyoming (AG17) before he terminated his enlistment to accept an
appointment as a midshipman in the Naval Reserve on 10 August 1940. A
member of the first class to be educated at the Naval Reserve
Midshipman’s School located in Brooklyn, New York, he trained for three
months at the floating armory that had been created out of the former
battleship, Illinois, and reported for duty on the
Neutrality Patrol in USS Quincy (CA39) on 29 November
1940.
After serving in that heavy cruiser for almost a year, he was detached
on 15 December 1941 to join Armed Guard Crew Number 34 at the Armed
Guard Center, New York. He reported for duty on 20 December 1941 and, on
the last day of 1941, received orders detailing him to command the 24
gunners and three communications men of the armed guard unit assigned to
the freighter S.S. Otho. On 3 April 1942, while the ship
steamed alone off the eastern seaboard, the German Type VII submarine U-754 torpedoed her and sent her to the bottom. He was one of
the first men killed during the encounter with the U-Boat. Ensign John
J. Brennan was the first La Salle man to lose his life in the line of
duty. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. His other awards
include the American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal
USS Brennan (DE13) was the first ship to be named in his
honor.
(Both photos from the archives of La Salle University
thanks to Brother Joseph L. Grabenstein, Archivist) |