Hi
Soon we will attend the funeral of Navy Reserve Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Ora H. Sharninghouse, Jr.
To be honest, this is one of the best parts of our job.
We have helped to bring recognition to a man who gave his
last full measure of devotion in service to our country and closure to his family. We are honored to do so and further honored to be invited to his funeral.
AOM2C Sharninghouse was the ordnanceman on a 3-man crew for a TBM-1c Avenger. He and his crew mates were based off of the USS Intrepid. In preparation for the Battle of Peleliu, they were launching offensive attacks against enemy positions on Mariana and Palau Islands during
Operation Forager. Palau was known then as a forgotten corner of hell and saw the bloodiest battles of the Pacific Theater.
Sharninghouse, ARM2C Rybarczyk (a former MIA who was buried last December), and their aviator, Lt. John Savage (still MIA), took off September 8, 1944, from the USS Intrepid. Their mission was to drop a 2,000 pound bomb on an ammunition dump on Babelthuap Island. After dropping the load on their
target, the Avenger attempted to climb, however flak from the explosion caught the plane and tore the wing off.
Incredibly, the daughter of an eyewitness, Fauna, shared the remaining known details with BentProp. She said her father saw the Avenger go down. She also said her father recounted that the pilot ejected, swam to shore, and was immediately executed.
As you can see from his photo, Sharninghouse was a young man with a broad smile and lively eyes. It is our privilege and pleasure to help bring him home to his family for a burial with military honors at last.
