John Chester Conley was born in 1915, probably in Kansas, to Elsie Mabel Conley. By 1930, when he was fifteen years old, his mother, her husband, Joe Whalin, and a brother, Joseph Whalin, were living in Watsonville. John is included on the Watsonville High School World War II memorial stone, although the years of his attendance are not known.

John Conley was married to Ann, who remained at the family residence in the Pajaro Valley during his military service.

Conley joined the US Navy in June 1942, attended boot camp at the US Naval Training Center in San Diego and volunteered for submarine service. After completing training in New London, Connecticut, he was assigned to submarine patrol duty on the Atlantic coast and promoted to motor machinist mate first class.

During the first part of 1944, Conley was transferred to the Pacific Theater and assigned to the USS Harder, which was patrolling in Philippine waters.

“Harder and Hake [Harder's sister sub] remained off Dasol Bay, searching for new targets. Before dawn 24 August they sighted a Japanese minesweeper and a three-stack Siamese destroyer. As Hake closed to attack, the destroyer turned away toward Dasol Bay. Hake broke off her approach, turned northward, and sighted Harder's periscope about 600 to 700 yards (500 to 600 m) dead ahead. Swinging southward, Hake then sighted the minesweeper about 2000 yards (1800 m) off her port quarter swinging toward them. To escape the charging minesweeper, Hake started deep and rigged for silent running. At 07:28 she heard 15 rapid depth charges explode in the distance astern. She continued evasive action that morning, then returned to the general area of the attack shortly after noon. She swept the area at periscope depth but found only a ring of marker buoys covering a radius of one-half mile. The vigorous depth charge attack had ended the career of Harder with all hands.”

Motor Machinist Mate First Class John C. Conley was one of those hands lost aboard the USS Harder. His remains were never recovered, and he was officially declared dead by the US Navy on October 2, 1945. Conley is memorialized on the Tablets of the Unknown at Manila American Cemetery in Manila, Philippines; his awards include the Purple Heart.

(ABMC, WRP January 30, 1945 1:3; 1930 US Census, CA, Watsonville; WIKI, USS Harder SS-257; USS Harder, USS Harder, Crew List, http://navysite.de/crew.php?action=ship&ship=ss_568, [16 September 2008])