Project 888
Name: James Patrick CONRAD
Rank / Rating: EM3-Electrician's Mate Third ClassService #: 895 93 00 DOB: Jul 25, 1917 From: Altoona, PA Parents: Went Aboard: April 28, 1944 Age When Ship Went Down: 28 years, 0 months, 5 days Spouse: Josephine Conrad Children: Grandchildren: Bio Submitted By: Fran Stratton |
 CONRAD, James P |
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Dear Mary Lou:
Enclosed is my chapter on James P Conrad, EM3 for your new book Lost At Sea But Not Forgotten. I'm enclosing four photos that you may want to use in your book. In case you don't get any response from the family of William (Billy) D Le Valley, EM2, would you be able to use the photo of Josie and Jim Conrad and Billy and Edna Le-Valley in a space for Billy? I know they had a "Last Celebration" together at the Claremont Hotel in Berkley, CA on June 23, 1945. They all looked so happy.
Thanks again for taking on this difficult project! Please let me know if you need any further information. I hope and pray you will be able to get this book published to honor all the sailors lost at sea on the Indy. Good Luck!
Warm Regards, Fran Stratton
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 I'm very grateful to Mary Lou Murphy for taking on the large task of putting together a book in honor of the '1ndy" crew lost at sea. I want to honor the memory of James Patrick Conrad, EM3 (Jim) by writing this tribute to him. My theory regard ing his death was that he was probably trapped below deck and either burnt to death or drown by the water pouring into the ship. I have very little information available to write about his short life but I do know he was loved very much by my family. My Aunt Annie (Jim's mother-in-law) and my grandmother often told me what a wonderful person he was and how fond he was of me as a child. Recently 1 found a birthday card sent to me on my first birthday from Jim and Josie. Unfortunately, I asked very few questions about his life while my parents and relatives were still alive.
Jim was born in Wilmore PA, a small farming community. His parents were Orlando and Zena Conrad. His father passed away in 1939 and his mother passed away in 1946. Jim graduated from Wilmore High School. He attended St Bartholomew's Catholic Church in Wilmore. He had five sisters and two brothers. His friend, Mike Potchak, who is now 86 years old and living in Johnstown, PA grew up with him. When they were kids they used to wash beer bottles to make some extra money since their families had very little money. Jim was employed in the Johnstown, PA plant of the Bethlehem Steel Company before he entered the Navy. . He trained in Great Lakes, II prior to being assigned to Pacific sea duty. I believe Jim may have met my cousin, Josephine, in Wilmore because my grandmother worked at St Bartholomew's Rectory and she would sometimes visit my grandmother. Jim enlisted in the Navy September 10, 1943, and married my cousin Josie four days later, September 14, 1943. Josie moved to Oakland, CA in 1944 to be near Jim who was assigned to the USS Indianapolis on April 28, 1944. During her stay in Oakland, Josie, a registered nurse, worked at a nearby Oakland hospital up until the time of his tragic death. On June 23,1945, Jim and Josephine had
dinner with their friends, Billy and Edna Le Valley (William LeValley, EM2, also lost at sea), at the Claremont Resort Hotel in Berkley. The Claremont is still in operation today. They all looked like they were having a good time on the photo I found at my cousin's house. Mike Potchak, who was also in the Navy, was in California at the time the USS Indianapolis went down and by accident met Josephine at a local canteen. She told Mike she was looking for Jim but was told his ship went down and he was lost at sea. I was told by family members that she was heart broken for a long, long, time.
Josie eventually moved to Mexico because she was offered a nursing position taking care of the children of some friends of hers she met in California. A few years later she met and married her second husband, George Hinton, a mining engineer. She lived a few years in Lima, Peru ,md finally settled on a ranch in San Luis Potosi in central Mexico and lived there until her death about ten years ago. I wonder what life would had been like for Jim had he been one of the survivors?
GOD BLESS all the survivors and GOD BLESS Jim and all his fallen shipmates who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our COUNTRY. You will never be forgotten.
A special thanks to Father Charles Bodziak, Pastor St Bartholomew's Church, for putting an announcement in the church bulletin. Beverly Zeiler, Jim's niece and Mrs. Mike Potchak who responded to the announcement and sent valuable information to include in the memories of Jim Conrad.
Fran Stratton
First cousin of Josephine Conrad Hinton
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