Henry Ellis Bryant was born in Kentucky, the son of Henry Ellis Bryant and Hattie Pearl York.
He was killed and Missing in Action during battle of Okinawa. He served on the USS Birmingham who was hit by a Japanese suicide fighter-bomber on May 4, 1945.
While at the anchorage in the early morning of 4 May, the light cruiser USS Birmingham heard reports of another massive air raid approaching from north. At 0805, radar reported a huge CAP battle taking place some 40 miles to the north and a number of single bogies began infiltrating the area.
At 0840, an Oscar skimmed toward the anchorage and was splashed about 4,000 yards ahead of St Louis. At the same time, a second Oscar quickly closed at about 4,000 feet in altitude and commenced a vertical dive on Birmingham. As the aircraft was inside the elevation limit stops and cut out cams for most of her antiaircraft guns, her defensive fire was limited to 20-mm guns and they could not prevent the aircraft from plunging through the main deck to starboard. The ensuing explosion and fire wiped out sick bay and ruptured the main, second, and third decks. Bulkheads were blown in and a five-foot hole was blown in the starboard side below the waterline. Four living compartments, the armory, and three ammunition magazines were flooded before the water was contained.
All fires were controlled by 0914 and within the hour the more seriously wounded were transferred to the hospital ship Mercy (AH-8) via LCVPs and LCIs. The light cruiser shifted berth alongside the salvage vessel Shackle (ARS-9) after noon and began making temporary repairs shortly thereafter. After repair crews pumped out most flooded compartments and shored up the damaged bulkheads, the warship got underway for Guam on 5 May.
Photo courtesy; Denise Wright Northern
- Rank: Pharmacists Mate Third Class
- Date of birth: 13 January 1926
- Date of death: 4 May 1945
- County: Roane
- Hometown: Harriman
- Service Branch: Navy
- Division/Assignment: USS Birmingham CL-62
- Theater: Pacific
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XVII, Top Panel
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