On September 22, 1944, the USS Mount Hood (AE 11) arrived at Seeadler Harbor on Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea, carrying explosives and ammunition for the upcoming Philippine offensive. Early on November 10, while docked in the harbor, the ship exploded with approximately 4,000 tons of explosives on board. The blast severely damaged 22 ships and smaller craft in the immediate area and inflicted several hundred casualties outside of Mount Hood’s own crew. No remains of the more than three-hundred crew members on board the Mount Hood at the time of the explosion were recovered. An investigation later determined that the explosion was most likely caused by the “rough handling” of ammunition. Seaman First Class Harold D. Hayes, who entered the U.S. Navy from New York, was serving aboard the Mount Hood when the ship exploded in Seeadler Harbor on November 10, 1944. His remains were not recovered. Today, Seaman First Class Hayes is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.