Thomas Harris Taggart (1926 - 1945)

Born 1926 in Winter Haven, Polk, Florida, United States

Ancestors

Died 30 Jul 1945 at about age 19 in Philippine Sea

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Biography

Seaman 1st Class Thomas Taggart served in the United States Navy in World War II
Service started:
Unit(s): USS Indianapolis (CA-35)
Service ended: 30 Jul 1945

Seaman 1st Class Thomas Taggart was Killed in Action during World War II.

Thomas Taggart was awarded the Purple Heart.

Thomas was born in 1926 Winter Haven, Florida, his father was Herbert Taggart.

Thomas was serving as Seaman 1st Class on the USS Indianapolis in July 1945 when it was sent on a secret mission to deliver the components of the Little Boy atomic bomb to Tinian Island without an escort, on the return trip, still without escort, it was attacked by a Japanese submarine. The USS Indianapolis sank in 12 minutes on 30 Jul 1945 with some 300 of the 1,195 crewmen aboard going down with the ship. With few lifeboats and many without life jackets, only 316 of the nearly 900 men set adrift survived the 4 days in shark infested water before rescue. Thomas was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. The crew of the USS Indianapolis was later awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Thomas is honored at two memorials: USS Indianapolis National Memorial, Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana and Fort William Mckinley, Manila, Philippines.^[6][7]

Sources

1. ↑ U.S., Navy Casualties Books https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/33037:2324?tid=&pid=&queryId=10daa324fc2891f90307a322bc47d0dd&_phsrc=EzO8409&_phstart=successSource
2. ↑ U.S., Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Unaccounted-for Remains, Group B (Unrecoverable) https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/33864:62207?tid=&pid=&queryId=10daa324fc2891f90307a322bc47d0dd&_phsrc=EzO8410&_phstart=successSource
3. ↑ U.S., World War II Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Casualties https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/81558:1122?tid=&pid=&queryId=10daa324fc2891f90307a322bc47d0dd&_phsrc=EzO8411&_phstart=successSource
4. ↑ U.S., World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/142652:4283?tid=&pid=&queryId=10daa324fc2891f90307a322bc47d0dd&_phsrc=EzO8412&_phstart=successSource
5. ↑ U.S., Rosters of World War II Dead https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/314983:1102?tid=&pid=&queryId=10daa324fc2891f90307a322bc47d0dd&_phsrc=EzO8413&_phstart=successSource
6. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56791394/thomas-harris-taggart: accessed 16 May 2023), memorial page for S1 Thomas Harris Taggart (1926–30 Jul 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56791394, citing Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines; Maintained by IrishEyes (contributor 47644540).
7. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/194095261/thomas-harris-taggart: accessed 16 May 2023), memorial page for Thomas Harris Taggart (unknown–30 Jul 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 194095261, citing U.S.S. Indianapolis National Memorial, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, USA; Maintained by Laura J. Stewart (contributor 47412616).

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4NH-GZG : accessed 17 May 2023), Thomas H Taggart in household of Herbert F Taggart, Montclair, Essex, New Jersey
• "United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch (ark:/61903/1:1:K4R9-857 : Wed Apr 05 20:03:59 UTC 2023), Entry for Herbert Taggert and Ethel Taggert, 1940
• "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JLCQ-JZZ : 10 January 2021), Jerome Swindell, Jul 1945
• Thomas is included on the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) in World War II Wikitree Space Page https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:USS_Indianapolis_%28CA-35%29_in_World_War_II