George S. Rentz

Infobox Military Person
name=George Snavely Rentz
lived=July 25, 1882 - Death date and age|1942|3|1|1882|7|25|
placeofbirth= Lebanon, Pennsylvania
placeofdeath= Pacific Ocean


caption=CDR George S. Rentz
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Navy
serviceyears=
rank= Commander
commands=
unit=
battles=World War I World War II
awards= Navy Cross
relations=
laterwork=

George Snavely Rentz (July 25, 1882 – March 1, 1942) was a United States Navy chaplain who served during World War I and World War II. For selfless heroism following the loss of USS|Houston|CA-30|3 in the Battle of Sunda Strait, he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross— the only Navy Chaplain to be so honored during World War II.

Personal history

Born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, George Rentz graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 1909 and for the next eight years served as a Presbyterian minister for the Presbytery of Northumberland, as well as pastoring churches in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Upon the entry of the United States in World War I, he was appointed acting chaplain with the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade and assigned to the 11th Marine Regiment in France where he served until 1919. Rentz attained the rank of Commander in 1924. As chaplain, he served aboard USS|Florida|BB-30|3, USS|Wright|AV-1|3, USS|West Virginia|BB-48|3, USS|Augusta|CA-31|3, and his final duty station, "Houston". During his military career, Rentz also served at the Marine Barracks in Port Royal, South Carolina, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, and Naval Air Station San Diego, California.

Commander Rentz transferred from the "Augusta" to the "Houston" in 1940 when it relieved "Augusta" as the flagship of the Asiatic Fleet. Rentz was a crew favorite, even going so far as to ignore regulations and dispense nips of alcohol as needed to the exhausted sailors. [cite book |last = Schultz |first = Duane P. |title = The Last Battle Station: The Story of The U.S.S. Houston |location = New York |publisher = St. Martin's Press |year = 1985 |isbn = 9780312469733 |oclc = 11444339 |pages = pp. 70–71]

Sinking of the USS Houston

During a Japanese attack on "Houston" at the battle of Bali Sea on February 4, 1942, Commander Rentz spurned cover and circulated among the crew of the anti-aircraft battery, keeping up their spirits. It was noted that crew members at the guns “… saw this man of God, walking fearlessly among them, they no longer felt alone”. [Schulz, p. ?? ] In the Flores Sea, during this attack, "Houston" took a direct hit that disabled turret III and killed 48 men.

Less than a month later, "Houston" and the Australian light cruiser HMAS "Perth" (D29) were directed to proceed to Ceylon where they were supposed to attack Japanese naval supply lines. En route, the two ships unexpectedly encountered a Japanese invasion force resulting in the encounter now known as the Battle of Sunda Strait. Though outnumbered by the Japanese convoy, both ships persisted. In the ensuing melee one of the Japanese destroyers fired a spread of torpedoes that passed by the allied cruisers and sunk four of their own troopships. In the end, the Japanese forces proved too much for the wounded "Perth" and "Houston." The final attack on these two cruisers sank first "Perth" and then "Houston" shortly before midnight on March 1, 1942.

Eywitness accounts of heroism

It was during the abandonment of the sinking "Houston" that Commander Rentz entered the water and attained partial safety along with other crewmembers on a destroyed airplane's float. Seeing extreme overcrowding and the fact that the pontoon was taking on water, he attempted to relinquish his space and lifejacket to wounded survivors nearby. He declared “You men are young, I have lived the major part of my life and I am willing to go.” [Schulz, p. 204] According to "Houston" survivor Private Jim Gee, no one would oblige the generous, fearless chaplain. Each time Rentz attempted to leave he was brought back by his shipmates. He ultimately relinquished his lifejacket to Seaman First Class Walter L. Beeson who recounts that Rentz "told me his heart was failing him; told me he couldn't last much longer." Following a brief prayer, the Chaplain gave the lifejacket to Beeson who refused to put it on. Rentz kicked away from the float and disappeared. Gee recalled "No one realized what had happened. It's just one of those things that one minute he's there, and the next minute . . . he wasn't." When Beeson realized that Rentz was gone, he put on the lifejacket. [cite book |last = Hornfischer |first = James G. |title = Ship of Ghosts: The Story of The U.S.S. Houston, FDR's Legendary Lost Cruiser, and epic saga of her survivors |location = New York |publisher = Bantam Books |year = 2006 |isbn = 0553803905 |oclc = 69680190 |pages = pp. 156-157] For these actions, Rentz was posthumously awarded the United States Navy's second highest award for valor, the Navy Cross.

Chaplain Rentz had less than one year to serve before retiring. He was one of 800 men who perished out of the original crew of 1,168 aboard "Houston". Of the 368 crew members who made it to shore and were captured by the Japanese, 291 would survive to the end of the war. [Hornfischer, p. 2; p. 149]

The sclass|Oliver Hazard Perry|frigate USS|Rentz|FFG-46 is named in his honor.

References

External links

* [http://www.usshouston.org USS "Houston" official website ; 6 May 2002)]
* [http://www.rentz.navy.mil/ USS "Rentz" official website]
* [http://www.microworks.net/pacific/battles/sunda_strait.htm O'Hara, Vincent. "Battle of Sunda Strait, 28 Feb. - 1 Mar. 1942"; 6 May 2002]
* [http://www.microworks.net/pacific/ The United States Navy in the Pacific War 1941 - 1945]