The Home Front Saves a Life | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans

An inspirational story about a sailor from my hometown of Akron, Ohio.

"In the night and early morning of August 8 and 9, 1942, the life of 19-year-old Navy Signalman 3rd Class Elgin Staples of Akron, Ohio, was saved by someone over 8,000 miles away. Serving aboard the cruiser USS Astoria (CA-34) in support of the landings on Guadalcanal, Staples and his crewmates suddenly found themselves illuminated by spotlight and under attack by a force of Japanese cruisers north of Savo Island. At approximately 0200 hours on the morning of August 9, the Astoria’s No. 1 eight-inch turret was hit and exploded, sweeping Signalman Staples into the air and overboard.

Signalman Staples, dazed and wounded in his legs by shrapnel, kept afloat thanks to an inflatable rubber life belt he had donned shortly before the explosion. More than 200 men were lost aboard the Astoria.

At approximately 0600 hours, Staples along with other survivors were rescued by the destroyer USS Bagley (DD-386) and returned to assist the Astoria, which was heavily damaged but attempting to beach itself in the shallow waters off Guadalcanal. Those efforts failed, as Astoria took on a dangerous list before finally sinking at approximately 1200 hours, putting Staples back into the water, still wearing the same life belt."