Romelia John "RJ" Downen 1923 - 1945
R.J. Downen was the son of Timothy Carroll Downen (1888-1978) and Lela Armstrong (1891-1962). He was born 5 March 1923 in Gallatin County, Illinois, USA.
He married Kathryn Marie West on 9 May 1942 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. No children are known to have been born to this marriage.
The only census that RJ shows up in (so far) is the 1930 census in Ridgway Township of Gallatin County. (census image here)
USS Franklin Off Norfolk VA February 1944
According to US Navy records RJ enlisted in the US Navy Reserves on 21 June 1943 at Chicago, Illinois. Navy muster records show him aboard the US Navy Essex-class carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) as of her initial commissioning on 31 January 1944.
RJ served aboard the "Big Ben" from the beginning of her combat career to the end, when she was struck by bombs from a Japanese dive bomber off the coast of Japan on 19 March 1945. The ensuing explosions and fires killed over a quarter of the crew (724 sailers and officers out of a complement of 2600) including RJ. It was only by the most heroic efforts of the remaining crew that the Big Ben remained afloat, and she had to limp back to a shipyard on the East Coast for repairs (the ones on the West Coast were full of ships that had suffered damage from Japanese kamikazes as U.S. ships ventured closer and closer to the Japanese home islands).
RJ's rank at the time of his death was RDM3, Radarman Third Class. His service number was 8635165. According to the Navy records his body was buried at sea by administrative decision. It is not absolutely clear to me from looking at the records if RJ's body was positively identified and then buried at sea or if his body was never identified or found and he was listed as missing, presumed dead. The Navy records indicate the former so if they are accurate that's what became of him.
Although there is no grave for RJ, there are two memorials for him. One is on a wall at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. His is one of a list of thousands of names of U.S. servicemen and women who died during WWII and the Korean War and whose remains were not brought home. The other memorial is a cenotaph near the graves of his parents in Old Cottonwood Cemetery, Cottonwood, Asbury Township, Gallatin County.
USS Franklin Muster Roll 31 January 1944
USS Franklin Muster Roll 3 March 1945
U.S. WWII Dead Roster
WWII US Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard Casualties Roster
Other Links
RJ Downen (Honolulu Memorial) page at Find A Grave
RJ Downen (Old Cottonwood) page at Find A Grave
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