maneuvered the ship to upwind of the burning wreckage. A second kamikaze hit Ticonderoga later that day. The explosion from that hit injured Kiefer, with 65 wounds from bomb shrapnel and a broken arm. Nonetheless he remained in command on the bridge for eleven hours, not leaving until it was reported that all of the other injured were treated. While recovering from his injuries, Kiefer was made an honorary commodore in a ceremony at Rockefeller Center. He also served as commander of the Naval Air Station at Quonset, Rhode Island. He received the Distinguished Service Medal from Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal, who called him "the indestructible man". He had not yet recovered when he died at age 49 on 11 November 1945 – his arm was still in a cast. He was killed in the crash of his Navy transport plane on Mount Beacon, New York, while returning to Quonset from Caldwell, New Jersey. Kiefer was said to be the most battered officer in the Navy. He broke his left ankle and split his kneecap playing football as a youth. His left elbow was smashed when a fellow pilot "buzzed" him in a seaplane and hit his arm with a wingtip float. The crew of Ticonderoga said of him, "He's got so much metal in him the ship's compass follows him when he walks across the deck." Kiefer was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Awards and decorations References External links Arlington National Cemetery U.S. Navy History - Dixie Kiefer 1896 births 1945 deaths People from Blackfoot, Idaho People from Lincoln, Nebraska People from Kansas City, Missouri United States Navy commodores United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy personnel of World War II Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Silver Star Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Navy personnel of World War I