REMEMBERING
JOHNNIE DAVID HUTCHINS
Number Six in a
series in remembrance of our World War II dead
By Joe C.
Fling
Far and
away the most honored and laurelled of Eagle Lake's World
War II dead is Johnnie David Hutchins. Hutchins was
posthumously awarded our nations highest military
decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor for the action
in which he gave up his life in the American assault at Lae,
New Guinea 60 years ago, September 4, 1943.
Honors
accorded Hutchins have been numerous. A building at the
Naval Air Station in Dallas. A building in Virginia. A World
War II destroyer the U.S.S. Johnnie Hutchins, christened by
Hutchins' mother. In 1991, Ridgelea, the street leading to
the new Eagle Lake Primary school was renamed Johnnie D.
Hutchins Drive. The Texas LST Association held a special
wreath laying service at Lakeside cemetery on Labor Day,
1998. Another graveside service is being planned for this
September 6.
Hutchins
continues to be honored to this day. A plaque honoring
Hutchins hangs on the wall of honor at the Nimitz Museum in
Fredricksburg. Another plaque on the same wall was placed by
the crew of the destroyer named in Hutchins' honor. His
original gravestone was replaced with a special military
marker engraved with the Medal of Honor. Another Medal of
Honor stone lies in a place of honor at the Wharton County
Veterans Monument on the courthouse square in
Wharton.
With all
these honors and accolades, who was Johnnie David Hutchins?
He was born at Weimar, August 4, 1922 the son of Mr. &
Mrs. John Marion Hutchins. Later, his sharecropper parents
moved the family to Lissie. Like so many other boys from
that area, Johnnie attended Eagle Lake schools. He played on
the 1938 Eagle Lake Eagles football team with Franklin Reese
who served aboard the Wasp with Billy Cook when it went
down, and with Fred Estlinbaum who was killed in action in
Germany in 1945. Hutchins volunteered in November, 1942 at
age 20. Less than a year later he was dead, and the bravery
that he showed in the face of death has not been forgotten
to this day.
The
citation on the presentation of the Congressional Medal of
Honor states that it was awarded to Hutchins,
For
extraordinary heroism and conspicuous valor above and beyond
the call of duty, while serving aboard a landing ship, tank,
during the assault on Lae, New Guinea, September 4, 1943. As
the ship on which Hutchins was stationed approached the
enemy occupied beach under a veritable hail of fire from
Japanese shore batteries and aerial bombardment a hostile
torpedo pierced the surf and bore down upon the vessel with
deadly accuracy. In the tense split seconds before the
helmsman could steer clear of the threatening missile, a
bomb struck the pilot house, dislodging him from his station
and left the stricken ship helplessly exposed. Fully aware
of the dire peril of the situation, Hutchins although
mortally wounded by the shattering explosion, quickly
grabbed the wheel and exhausted the last of his strength in
maneuvering the vessel clear of the advancing torpedo. Still
clinging to the helm, he eventually succumbed to his
injuries, his final thought concerned only the safety of his
ship, his final efforts expended toward the security of his
mission. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his
country.
Details
of the battle were forthcoming. The U.S. Navy was ferrying
troops of the Australian 9th Division from Milne Bay to
beaches east of Lae, New Guinea in a coordinated attack to
turn the tide of fighting in the Southwest Pacific. It was a
trip of almost 200 miles. In route to the beaches, on
September 4, 1943, still many miles out at sea the little
squadron of six LSTs, three minesweepers and two subchasers
came under heavy attack from Japanese dive bombers and
torpedo planes. They were unable to put up sufficient
firepower to knock down the enemy planes.
A half
dozen Japanese 'Val' dive-bombers concentrated on LST-473,
which was Hutchins' boat. They scored two direct hits which
crumpled the pilothouse of the boat at 1:58 p.m. Immediate
casualties were Six American dead and 13 wounded, with 18 of
the Australian soldiers aboard wounded. Among the wounded
were Fredrick Erickson, helmsman of the boat, who was thrown
clear of the pilot house by the blast; and Seaman First
Class Johnnie Hutchins. Now twelve 'Betty' torpedo bombers
bore down on the stricken LST, and launched their torpedoes.
Hutchins, grievously wounded got to the wheel first and spun
it full right so that one torpedo shaved the bow wave and
another the wake. The rest of the crew responded, manned
their guns and fought fuel fires on the LST and saved it.
But by the time anyone else could reach the shattered
pilothouse, the pharmacist's mate found Hutchins slumped
over the wheel, dead. He clutched a spoke of the wheel in
each hand. The mate could not move his body and had to get
two other sailors to help remove him from the
wheel.
The
initial reports of Hutchins death did not stir any extra
ordinary reaction. The commotion began in earnest when it
was announced that he was being awarded the Medal of Honor.
Only about thirty Texans won the Medal of Honor in World War
II, making it a select honor above all others.
After
that announcement honors rolled in. The Navy christened a
destroyer, the U.S.S. Johnnie D. Hutchins on May 2, 1944 at
Orange, Texas. The christening of the ship was attended by
the whole Hutchins family who rode by special train from
Lissie to Orange. Johnnie's mother had the honor of
christening the ship. At the ceremony Lt. Rowland Dillard, a
ship mate of Johnnie's said, "Hutchins was the best
helmsman. That's why I had him at the wheel. I had picked
him for advancement to coxswain after the little show at
Lae." To this day, ship mates of Hutchins speak quietly and
emotionally of what Johnnie did that day, 60 years
ago.
The Medal
of Honor was presented by Rear Admiral A.C. Bennet in a
public ceremony September 21, 1944 at the Sam Houston
Coliseum. Houston mayor Otis Massey was master of
ceremonies. The event was kicked off by a short parade down
Main Street in Houston, featuring a detachment of U.S.
Marines and the Ellington Field Military Band.
Honors
have continued to come to Hutchins' memory on a regular
basis. Hutchins Hall at the Dallas Naval Air Station,
dedicated 1981; a Memorial plaque at Nimitz State Historical
Park, was placed in 1989 by the Texas LST association, which
leads those who honor the memory of what Johnnie did. The
Medal of Honor now rests in the Pacific War wing of the
National D-Day museum in New Orleans. The Prairie Edge
Museum has a display devoted to Hutchins. For perspective on
the times, the U.S. Government death benefit to the family
of the hero was $475.20, which was used to purchase the
family home from Mose Thomas.
Johnnie
D. Hutchins is now buried at the back of Lakeside cemetery,
his grave marked by a tall marker engraved with the image of
the Medal of Honor. Other remarks by his commander Lt.
Dillard are suitable to his memory: "Hutchins was an
outstanding young man. He was neat and clean at all times.
He was determined, intelligent, ambitious, cheerful, a good
leader, loyal, and had good judgment. He was a good
"man-o-wars-man," a good shipmate."
Hutchins
would be 81 years old if he were alive today. But he died a
month past his 21st birthday. The survivors of the men he
died to save are all in their 80s today. But when you hear
them speak of him at the frequent memorials given to
Johnnie, you know that in their minds, he is still the
smiling, energetic, 21 year old blond headed boy they knew
on LST-473. The boy who thought not of himself, but of
shipmates, honor and duty. I have talked to some of these
men. They remember what he did 60 years ago. Eagle Lake
ought to remember as well.
*****
Other sites remembering
Johnnie David Hutchins include
Johnnie
David Hutchins USNR
Lakeside
Cemetery
Obituaries
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