The USS Henrico was traveling through the Okinawa area along with the 77th Division attack group. Rockefeller was playing cards and Hawks was sitting around the executive officer’s room when, as Hawks recounts, “All of a sudden there was a deafening explosion and a yellow flame and the sensation of the inability to breathe.” No one knew what had happened but there was a giant cavity in the ship all the way down to the waterline. Hawks thought the ship had struck a mine or a submarine. Many sleeping quarters were now gone. No one knew who was dead or alive or who was in command. Hawks worried Rockefeller was dead but eventually found him. After a moment, Rockefeller took command and started issuing orders on saving the ship. The two friends discovered that the entire command staff except the regimental surgeon (Graham Hawks) and the regimental supply officer (Winthrop Rockefeller) were killed by the explosion. The ship crew worked throughout the night to keep the ship afloat until the next morning when the USS Henrico was relieved by other vessels sent to help. It was a Japanese Kamikaze attack that was responsible for the tragedy. One hundred and fifty navy and army personnel died on the Henrico.
After the USS Henrico was relieved, Graham and Winthrop were separated. Hawks was transferred back to the front and Rockefeller, having burned his hands, was transferred to an army hospital. They would not see each other again until after the war and Hawks would later be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of this attack. This was discovered during later operation when Hawks had to be evacuated back to a hospital in the United States.