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Casualty Info
Home Town Tacoma, WA
Casualty Date Feb 04, 1942
Cause KIA-Died of Wounds
Reason Other Explosive Device
Location Indonesia
Conflict World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/East Indies Campaign (1941-42)/Battle of Java Sea
Location of Interment Manila American Cemetery - Taguig City, Philippines
Wall/Plot Coordinates Buried: Plot A Row 4 Grave 2
Military Service Number 3 857 016
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Birth: Mar. 1, 1906 Holland Ottawa County Michigan, USA Death: Feb. 4, 1942, Indonesia John Robert Kleyn was born March 1, 1906 in Holland, Michigan one of six children of Henry and Mamie (GUNST) KLEYN, who were of Dutch descent.
He was a Chief Machinist's Mate when he died in WWII on Feb 4, 1942 at age 35 when his ship, the USS Marblehead was bombed during the Battle of Makassar Strait in the Java sea, Indonesia. Fourteen of his fellow seamen died and 84 were wounded, some who later also died.
John was awarded the Purple Heart; Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon Bar; American Defense Service Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; Honorable Service Lapel Button (WWII) Good Conduct Medal; and the Good Conduct Pin.
JOHN JOINED THE US NAVY January 1925 and served on the USS Mississippi; the USS Jason; the USS Canopus and the USS Chaumont and on the USS Marblehead for 7 years from January 1935 until his death.
His brother, James Henry KLEYN served with John on the USS Marblehead for 5 years from Dec 1936 to Feb
1941. John married Heloise Suzaina MANSFIELD in 1935. She was born Feb 11-12, 1912 in Hoquiam, Lewis co. or Grays Harbor Co., WA, the daughter of Clarence Lester and Burnice L. (Laloisetle) MANSFIELD. On March 10, 1942, Captain Robinson sent a letter to John's brother, James Kleyn, notifying him of John's death. Following is the text of that letter.
"The Secretary of the Navy has tried to advise Mrs. Kleyn of the death of her husband. Mrs. Kleyn was living in Manila, Philippines, and it is improbable that any communications have reached her. "John was buried, with other shipmates who were killed in action, in the European Cemetery at Tjilatjap, Java, Netherlands East Indies. Here in a quiet section of this beautiful island, the Netherlands Government has set aside an area for the interment of our heroic dead so that they may lie together in beautiful surroundings, in a sense under American soil and as a memorial to their high courage and ideals. "A military funeral was held with escorts from both the American and Netherlands forces, and both Protestant and Catholic services were conducted by Chaplain Rentz of the USS Houston and Father Widenbusche of Tjilatjap. "Kleyn had served in this ship for nearly seven years, and consequently he was well known to me. During the strained months that preceded the outbreak of hostilities and in the difficult periods of war service that followed, his courage, cheerfulness and resolute performance of duty were constantly observed and admired by all his shipmates, among whom he had a great number of very close friends. "As his Captain, I deeply share your sense of sorrow and loss." Signed, A. G. Robinson, Captain; Commanding USS Marblehead - - - - - - - - -
JOHN KLEYN's widow, Heloise Suzaina (MANSFIELD) KLEYN had gone to Manila to see her husband's grave1942 and was caputured, when The Philippines Fell was held prisoner at Camp Santo Tomas in Manila Luzon, Philippines. She returned to the US on May 2, 1945 on the ship "Admiral E W Eberle" -her address listed as 2516 Cleveland Ave., Everett, WA. Her name was Heloise S. KLEYN Christenson when she married again July 16, 1962 in Riverside co, CA at age 50 to William H. Mawhinney
East Indies Campaign (1941-42)/Battle of Balikpapan (Makassar Strait)
From Month/Year
January / 1942
To Month/Year
January / 1942
Description The First Battle of Balikpapan took place on 23–24 January 1942, off the major oil producing town and port of Balikpapan, on Borneo, in the Netherlands East Indies. After capturing the destroyed oilfield at Tarakan from the Allies in the Battle of Tarakan,[5] the Japanese force—the Sakaguchi Detachment (named for its commander, Major General Shizuo Sakaguchi)[3]-moved on to Balikpapan with the hope that the oilfields there had not been destroyed.
Naval Engagement
In the afternoon of 23 January, nine Dutch Martin B-10 bombers—escorted by 20 Brewster Buffaloes from 2-VLG-V and 3-VLG-V—attacked the Japanese convoy. The transport ship Tatsugami Maru was damaged and Nana Maru sank. Near Balikpapan, the Dutch submarine HNLMS K XVIII under Lieutenant Commander van Well Groeneveld, attacked and sank the transport Tsuruga Maru and reportedly damaged the patrol boat P-37 by midnight.
While the Japanese invasion force was landing at Balikpapan, on the early morning of 24 January, at around 02:45, the 59th U.S. Navy Destroyer Division under Rear Admiral William A. Glassford and Commander Paul H. Talbot attacked the Japanese navy escort led by Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura for about four hours. The U.S. Destroyer Division composed of USS Paul Jones, Parrott, Pope and John D. Ford attacked the 12 transport ships and three patrol boats escorting them. The Japanese destroyer escorts were undertaking a search for a Dutch submarine which had been sighted earlier. At least four transport ships—Kuretake Maru, Nana Maru, Sumanoura Maru and Tatsukami Maru—and patrol boat P-37 were sunk in torpedo attacks. Two other transports were damaged by gunfire or torpedoes. The battle was the first surface engagement in southeast Asia that the U.S. Navy had participated in since the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898.[6] The American destroyers expended all of their torpedoes with only a few hits, mostly because the as yet unrealized problems with the Mark 15 torpedo running too deep. Because the landing had taken place around 21:30, the raid was too late to stop the capture of Balikpapan.
