Background
Shacklette was born May 18, 1880 in Delaplane, Virginia and when he was twenty-two years old he joined the United States Navy.
Shacklette was born May 18, 1880 in Delaplane, Virginia and when he was twenty-two years old he joined the United States Navy.
He enlisted for four years as a Hospital Apprentice First Class at the United States. Naval Rendezvous at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, District of Columbia He served on two other ships before being transferred to the gunboat United States Ship Bennington (Procter and Gamble-4). He was stationed aboard the United States Ship Bennington as a hospital steward when on July 21, 1905 one of the United States Ship Bennington’s boilers exploded while it was in San Diego, California.
Although he suffered severe third degree burns over much of his body in the explosion he assisted other wounded as much as he could and was credited with saving the lives of many of his fellow sailors. Due to his injuries he was honorably discharged from the Navy from the sailors quarters at the Washington Navy Yard October 23, 1906.
After recovering from his wounds he completed seminary school and returned to active duty in the United States Army during World War I as a chaplain.
He remained on active duty through the war and once it was over continued as a minister which eventually led to his nomination to be the Chaplain of the United States Senate. He died February 12, 1945 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia seven days later on February 19, 1945. His grave can be found in section 10, lot 10688.