Any man who may be asked in this century, what he did to make his life worthwhile, can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction, “I served in the United States Navy” President John F. Kennedy

World War I had ended a little over 15 years when January 1934 arrived. While the world was not at war there was an uneasiness with Adolf Hitler being named Chancellor of Germany in January 1933. 1A month later Hermann Goring was placed in charge of an auxiliary police force staffed mostly with members of the SA organization (also known as Storm Troopers or Brownshirts) whose methods of violent intimidation played a key role in Hitler’s rise to power.

By this time 26-year-old Clarence Thomas Chaney of Timpson, Texas had been serving in the US Navy for over 5 years. Prior to that he was a member of Company D, 144th Infantry of Timpson. 2The son of George Thomas Chaney (1882-1947) and Mary J. Cranford-Chaney (1891-1983), Clarence had one brother, Jewel and three sisters, Iris Mattie, Emma Irene, and Daphne Elizabeth.

3The USS California (BB-44) was completed shortly after World War I, was the fifth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 31st state and was the last American battleship built on the West Coast. For 20 years, from 1921 to 1941, it served first as flagship of the Pacific Fleet, then as flagship of the Battle Fleet (Battle Force), US Fleet. 4In the early 1930’s Fireman Chaney joined the crew of the Battleship California, nicknamed the “Prune Barge” because of the great quantity of prunes exported from the State of California. His vessel was stationed with 14 other battleships of the United States Fleet in San Pedro, California. With the grade of Fireman his job was to work on the ship's engines and their auxiliary machinery, ensuring they ran correctly and performing maintenance on them as needed.

5In the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 10th, 1934 the battleships California and Tennessee were participating in target practice. At one point while both vessels were at full power the Tennessee’s steering control failed and headed directly at the California. The Tennessee finally gained some control and was able to swing away and miss the California when they were only 75 feet apart and avoided a catastrophic collision. The violent maneuvers however cost the life of Clarence Chaney as he lost his footing and fell suffering a fractured skull.

7Clarence Chaney’s body was accompanied home to Timpson, Texas by Mr. Ernest Harker, an officer also stationed on the USS California. They arrived Tuesday, January 16th and funeral services were held the following afternoon at 2:00 p.m. in Walnut Grove Cemetery with Rev. D. J. Collins officiating. US Navy Fireman Second Class Chaney was buried with full military honors.

Clarence T. Chaney embodied this US Navy motto of “non sibi sed patriate” – Not for Self but Country”. Almost 8 years later his ship, the USS California was sunk in the attack on Pearl Harbor at her moorings in Battleship Row, but was salvaged and reconstructed. She served again for the remainder of World War II before being decommissioned in 1947. She was sold for scrap in 1959.