With World War II being waged across the globe, the U.S. Navy ship USS Chattanooga (PF-65) was launched at the shipyard of the Leathem B. Smith Shipbuilding Company in the city of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
This ship was named after one of Tennessee’s largest cities, and the christening duties at the vessel’s launch were performed by Cecilia Embrey Daniel (1890-1973). Daniel, described by International News Service as “a silvery haired Chattanooga school teacher,” was the mother of a U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Reserve serviceman who had paid the ultimate price in the fight against the Axis powers. While stationed on board the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) in the Pacific Theater, private first class Hugh Spencer Daniel (1923-1942) died of injuries sustained while firing an on-deck machine gun to help fend off Japanese attack planes.
His death in the line of duty resonated deeply with the Chattanooga Navy Mothers Club, which consisted of women with sons in the Navy, USMC, and Coast Guard. The members of this club strongly and successfully lobbied Chattanooga mayor Edward Davis Bass (1873-1960) to appoint Cecilia Embrey Daniel to attend and take part in the launch of the ship bearing the city’s name. (The accompanying photo of USS Chattanooga was taken during her launch.)…