Paul Henry Carr - Checotah, OK
N 35° 28.277 W 095° 32.211
15S E 269818 N 3928267
A memorial to Gunner's Mate 3rd Class, Paul Henry Carr, stands near the entrance to the Katy Depot Museum and Visitors Center, 100 Paul Carr Dr, Checotah, OK, providing a biography of this sailor who was killed in World War II.
Waymark Code: WMYJH1
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 06/20/2018
Views: 1
The USS Carr (FFG-52) was named for him, and both the ship and the ship's emblem flank a depiction of this lost sailor. The marker reads:
Paul Henry Carr
Chicotah
WW II
1924 - Naval Hero - 1944
Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Paul Henry Carr, USNR (1924-1944), heroic gun captain of the after 5-inch mount of the destroyer escort, Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413), died during the Battle off Samar, Battle of Leyte Gulf, 25 Oct. 1944. He was awarded a posthumous Silver Star for his "outstanding technical skill" and "courageous initiative." Carr's mount fired over 300 rounds, crippling the enemy, but Japanese shells severely damaged the Sammy B. Carr and his crew continued to fire 6 charges by hand, however a 7th shell prematurely exploded, wrecking the gun and killing and wounding all but 3 men in the gunhouse. Although severely wounded, Carr continued unassisted to try to fire one last available round before being dragged from the gun mount. He perished a few minutes later. The USS Carr (FFG-52) was named in 1982 in honor of this enlisted man.
Family: Wife, parents (Thomas Henry and Minnie Mae Austin Carr, farmers east of Checotah) and eight sisters.
To commemorate his heroism, this memorial placed on Paul Carr Drive.
Dedicated July 4, 1989
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His Wikipedia page notes that he was buried at sea, and is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. One can visit this memorial at any time, although daylight hours are probably going to be best.
Relevent website: [Web Link]
List if there are any visiting hours:
Daylight hours
Entrance fees (if any):
None
Date dedicated: 07/04/1989
Sponsor(s): Oklahoma Historical Society
Parking coordinates: Not Listed
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