Commander Thomas C. Latimore | |
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![]() Commander Thomas C Latimore's ship USS Dobbin at sea, circa 1941. | |
Governor of American Samoa | |
In office April 10, 1934 – April 17, 1934 | |
Preceded by | George Landenberger |
Succeeded by | Otto Dowling |
Personal details | |
Born | June 28, 1890 |
Died | July, 1941? Oahu, Hawaii, U.S. |
Profession | Naval officer Politician |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Branch/service | ![]() |
Years of service | 1910–1941 |
Rank | ![]() |
Battles/wars | World War I |
Commander Thomas Calloway Latimore (28 June 1890 – July, 1941?) was an American naval officer who was captain of USS Dobbin, and the governor of American Samoa. His disappearance in Hawaii, just months before the 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, remains an unsolved mystery.
Soon after his arrival on Oahu in April 1941, Latimore, who was described as a quiet, solitary man, began to enjoy hiking in the undeveloped Aiea Mountain Range that overlooked Pearl Harbor (at 21°23′09″N 157°55′51″W / 21.3859°N 157.930927°W). Soon afterwards, a Yeoman Second Class, Kenneth Isaacs, who was assigned to Dobbin, recalled that Latimore "came back to the ship, and he had an arm wound which he said he hurt in a fall. For a while he had an arm in a cast."[3]
By July 1941, the arm had healed and the cast had been removed. 51 year-old Latimore was last seen heading into the Aiea Mountains wearing his khaki uniform, an old hat and a walking stick.
When he failed to return, hundreds of sailors and local police scoured the Aiea Mountains looking for him.[3][4] Trackers with dogs were brought in from Schofield Barracks but no trace of Latimore was ever found. A Naval investigation into his disappearance was launched in 1941.[5] His disappearance was never explained and was the subject of much local news coverage and rumor before being overshadowed by the Pearl Harbor attack.
On 19 July 1942 he was officially declared dead.[2]