Willis E. Gentz

Willis Eugene Gentz was born in New England, Hettinger County, North Dakota on May 26, 1926, to Arnold Albert and Elsie M Larsen Gentz. He entered the United States Navy Reserve in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 3, 1943, and was engaged in the Australia, Hawaiian Islands, Invasion of Philippines and served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre. Signalman Third Class Gentz was awarded the Purple Heart, the American Campaign Ribbon, the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Ribbon, the Victory Medal, the Good Conduct Medal (posthumously). He was killed in action on January 4, 1945, and has a monument at Fort William Mckinley, Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines, Plot Tablets of the Missing-United States Navy. His remains were not recovered. 

USS Ommaney Bay was a Casablanca-class escort carrier of the United States Navy, named for Ommaney Bay, Alaska. Ommaney Bay, formerly McHull 1116, was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract 6 October 1943 by Kaiser Company, Inc., Vancouver, Washington; launched 29 December 1943, Ommaney Bay left on New Year's Day 1945 and transited Surigao Strait two days later. The next afternoon, while in the Sulu Sea, a twin-engine Japanese suicide plane penetrated the screen undetected and made for Ommaney Bay. The plane nicked her island then crashed her starboard side. Two bombs were released; one of them penetrated the flight deck and detonated below, setting off a series of explosions among the fully gassed planes on the forward third of the hangar deck. The second bomb passed through the hangar deck, ruptured the fire main on the second deck, and exploded near the starboard side. Water pressure forward was lost immediately, along with power and bridge communications. Men struggling with the terrific blazes on the hangar deck soon had to abandon it because of the heavy black smoke from the burning planes and ricocheting .50 caliber ammunition. Escorts could not lend their power to the fight because of the exploding ammunition and intense heat from the fires. By 17:50 the entire topside area had become untenable, and the stored torpedo warheads threatened to go off at any time. The order to abandon ship was given. At 19:45 the veteran carrier was sunk by a torpedo from the destroyer Burns. A total of 95 Navy men were lost, including two killed on an assisting destroyer when torpedo warheads on the carrier's hangar deck finally went off.

Sources: Ancestry/Find a Grave/County Book