John Brennan

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)