Clair Jarvis tells of how he survived deadly Naval base explosion

In a letter to the Advocate published on Sept. 22, 1943, Naval Petty Officer Clair Jarvis told how he was nearly killed in an explosion at the Naval Operating Base near Norfolk, VA.

On Sept. 17, 1943, a terrific blast rocked the base killing 25 people, injuring 250, and causing extensive damage to the facilities. The explosion, which could be felt 20 miles away, was caused by the detonation of several anti-submarine depth charges that were being transported on a trolley.

“I was 2 1/2 blocks away and it knocked me flat on the ground, “ wrote Jarvis.“ One guy came running out of the hanger, screaming that he could not see. I held him while my buddy knocked him out. It was the only way we could get him on a stretcher.

“We heard a guy groaning under the hanger door. My buddy grabbed a piece of pipe and lifted it up while I pulled him out. His legs were blown off up to his knees. It was really hell seeing all the people lying around dead or dying.

“We found a WAVE with her arm and one leg blown off. She kept asking for her mother. I am still shaking from it.“ The woman may have been 20-year-old Elizabeth Korensky — the only WAVE killed in the line of duty during World War II.

“Most of the people killed were sailors. There were a few civilians killed, too, but the navy won’t let us tell how many.” Some of the photographs and details of the explosion remained classified until 2009.

Clair Jarvis was raised by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Jarvis of Laurel. Mr. Jarvis was an auctioneer and one of the founders of the Laurel Sales Co. Their daughter Gladys was married briefly to a man named Earl Clay. In 1924 they had a son they named Fred. For reasons unknown to this writer, the boy was sent to Laurel to live with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis unofficially changed the boy’s name from Fred Clay to Clair Jarvis.

Clair attended high school in Laurel but did not graduate. In 1942, while still in his teens, he enlisted in the Navy. In 1943 he was sent to the Naval Operating Base at Norfolk, VA, where he worked as an aviation metal technician.

If Clair Jarvis returned to Laurel after the war, he did not stay long. He seems to have reverted to his birth name, Fred Clay, and moved to California. He died in 2005 and is buried in the National Cemetery in Riverside, CA.

In other war related news: In a letter published in the Advocate on Sept. 29, 1943, Paul Ross, a SeaBee stationed in North Africa, told how he had accidentally found the grave of Eldon Larson. Ross said he was driving a truck out of Oran one day and took a wrong road that ran past an American cemetery.

“I stopped to look at some of the graves and was dumbfounded to find one with the name Eldon F. Larson,” he wrote. “ It was neatly marked with a white cross bearing his name, rank, outfit, and date of death.“ Eldon Olson was born in Wakefield in 1917. After his mother‘s death in 1926, Eldon and his sister Elzada came to Laurel to live with Carl and Elsie Larson, their uncle and aunt. Eldon joined the army and was killed in action in Algeria on November 8, 1942. He was the second Laurel boy to lose his life in the war.

H. N. Wallace, chairman of the Cedar County Selective Service Board, announced that married men would no longer receive automatic deferments. According to Wallace, married men engaged in nonessential work would be subject to immediate induction. Those who wished to avoid the draft should transfer to essential work, he said.

What constituted essential work was not defined.

Many people were confused by Laurel’s practice air raid drill, said the Advocate.

The drill began with a twominute blast of the fire siren on the municipal building. This signified that enemy planes were approaching. After three minutes of silence, the siren started an up and down signal similar to an ordinary fire alarm. This meant that enemy planes were overhead and bombing was imminent. Another two-minute blast of the siren indicated that the planes had left but might return. There was no “all clear” signal. A bit confusing, perhaps, but the chances that enemy planes would fly all the way from Japan or Germany just to bomb Laurel seemed rather slim. Or maybe the drill was just to keep people scared enough to buy more war bonds.

There were two war bond drives in September. The ladies of the Tuesday Club decided to join the State Federation in selling bonds to purchase several new bombers. Each new B-24 would have “Nebraska” painted on the fuselage.

The other drive was for the Third War Loan to raise $15 billion to fund the war. Apparently the Roosevelt administration had not yet figured out how to create money out of thin air like they do these days. Cedar County’s quota was $873,600 with Laurel’s share set at $56,000. To help raise the money, a special program was held on Saturday, September 25. That evening, one block of Main Street was roped off and booths were set up at either end where members of the Tuesday Club helped fill out the paperwork and collect the money.

Men, military equipment, and a band from the Sioux City Airbase were brought in to entertain the crowd. The 54th Air Force Band performed on a stage set up in front of the Masonic building, where an electric sign displayed the amount of money raised that evening.

“Course, all you gals are going to be on hand because there will be a flock of soldier boys in town,” said Editor Allison. “We are going to show the world that Laurel does things in a big way and we’re counting on you girls to look your prettiest and be real hostesses to the crowd.”

And so they did. More than $35,000 in bonds were sold in one hour that evening. This brought Laurel’s grand total to $101,455. Some of the money went to the bomber project. Seems like the bombs also should be stenciled “a gift from the Laurel Tuesday Club.“