Namesake:
Navy Chaplain George Snavely Rentz
George S. Rentz was one of 24 Navy chaplains who served in World War I
and remained on active duty to also serve during World War II. Chaplain
Rentz was the only chaplain to be awarded the Navy Cross during World
War II.
Born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, 22 July 1882, Chaplain Rentz, a
Presbyterian (USA), entered the Chaplain Corps in 1917 and began active
duty at the Marine Barracks, Port Royal, South Carolina. His later
assignments included the FLORIDA (BB30); the WEST VIRGINIA (BB48); the
AUGUSTA (CA31); Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida; Naval Air
Station, San Diego, California; the Eleventh Naval District and the
HOUSTON (CA30). He was serving in HOUSTON when he distinguished himself
under battle conditions.
On 4 February 1942, when HOUSTON came under heavy Japanese air attack
in the Flores Sea, Rentz spurned cover and instead circulated among the
crews of the antiaircraft battery, encouraging them. An officer later
wrote that after the "men at the guns saw this man of God walking
fearlessly among them, they were inspired and felt no longer alone."
After HOUSTON was sunk on 1 March 1942, "gallantly fighting to the last
against overwhelming odds" in the Battle of Sunda Strait, Chaplain
Rentz entered the water wearing a life jacket and reached safety on
what was apparently the spare main float of one of HOUSTON's lost
planes. He found it dangerously overloaded and -- seeing wounded
survivors, some of them without life jackets, struggling to remain
afloat -- determined to relinquish both his life jacket and his place
on the float, declaring, "You men are young; I have lived the major
part of my life and I am willing to go." Finding no one who would let
him carry out his wish, however, Chaplain Rentz remained with his
shipmates for a time, encouraging them with hymns and prayers. He
persistently sought to give away his life jacket, and several times
managed to leave the float, but he was detected and brought back,
although physically weaker each time. Ultimately he succeeded in
placing his life jacket by a wounded sailor and slipping away into the
sea.
USS RENTZ (FFG46) was laid down 18 September 1982. It was launched 16
July 1983, on which occasion Mrs. Neil F. Lansing, daughter of Chaplain
Rentz, was the sponsor and Rear Admiral Row H. Trower, CHC, USN, then
Chief of Chaplains, was the principal speaker. RENTZ was commissioned
on 23 June 1984.
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Historical Notes:
USS RENTZ is the fortieth ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7) class
guided missile frigates, the most numerous class of major combatants
built for the Navy since World War II. RENTZ was built by Todd Pacific
Shipyards Corp. of San Pedro, CA. The keel was laid September 18, 1982,
launched July 16, 1983 and was commissioned at Naval Station Long Beach
June 30, 1984. In December, 1985 RENTZ shifted to it's present homeport
of Naval Station San Diego. In 1986, RENTZ was the first American
warship to conduct an official port visit to the People's Republic of
China since 1949. In July 1987, RENTZ deployed to the Arabian Gulf in
support of Operation Earnest Will, and spent over three months
escorting commercial tankers in the Gulf and through the Strait of
Hormuz. Since 1987, RENTZ has deployed to the Arabian Gulf three
additional times. In 1995, RENTZ participated in the inaugural
Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training cruise (CARAT). RENTZ has
operated throughout the Pacific and the Indian Oceans, and has
conducted five major deployments to the Arabian Gulf. Its ports of call
have included: Pearl Harbor, Guam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand,
Philippine Islands, Indonesia, Bali, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Oman,
Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Mexico,
and Canada. |
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