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Casualty Info
Home Town Oto, IA
Last Address 10th, ASW, Navy Dept. Washington, DC
Captain Isbell's remains are actually Buried at Sea off Japan.
Casualty Date Mar 19, 1945
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Other Explosive Device
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial - Honolulu, Hawaii
Wall/Plot Coordinates CENOTAPH
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Before dawn on 19 March 1945, USS Franklin (CV-13), which had maneuvered to within 50 miles of the Japanese mainland, closer than any other U.S. carrier during the war, launched a fighter sweep against Honshū and later a strike against shipping in KobeHarbor.
Suddenly, a single aircraft – possibly a Yokosuka D4Y "Judy" dive bomber, though other accounts suggest an Aichi D3A "Val", also a dive bomber – pierced the cloud cover and made a low level run on the ship to drop two semi-armor-piercing bombs. One bomb struck the flight deck centerline, penetrating to the hangar deck, causing destruction and igniting fires throughout the second and third decks, and knocking out the CombatInformationCenter and air plot. The second hit aft, tearing through two decks.
Franklin was dead in the water, without radio communications, and broiling in the heat from enveloping fires. Many of the crew were blown overboard, driven off by fire, killed or wounded, but the hundreds of officers and enlisted who voluntarily remained saved their ship.
CAPT Isbell was killed in action and buried at sea.
Comments/Citation:
The destroyer USS Arnold J. Isbell (DD-869) was named in Captain Isbell's honor.
Navy Distinguished Service Medal Citation:
Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
Division: U.S.S. Card (CV-11)
General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 326 (May 1944)
Citation:
"The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Captain Arnold Jay Isbell (NSN: 0-56866), United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. CARD (CV-11) and as an anti-submarine task group commander from 27 July until 9 November 1943.
...
Captain Isbell welded the planes and escort destroyers at his command into a powerful combat force, seeking out the enemy relentlessly and striking with sustained drive. He achieved a notable record in submarine sinkings."
