Born on July 25, 1882 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, George Snavely Rentz graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary, was ordained by Presbytery of Northumberland in 1909, and pastored churches in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for eight years.

Following entry of the United States in World War I, he was appointed acting chaplain with the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade and assigned to the 11th Regiment of Marines in France until 1919.  He attained the rank of Commander in 1924, among his sea duty assignment, he served in USS Florida BB-30, USS Wright AV-1, USS West Virginia BB-48, and USS Augusta CA-31. In 1940, when the USS Houston CA-30 relieved Augusta as flagship of the Asiatic Fleet, Commander Rentz transferred to the new arrival. It was aboard this cruiser he served so devotedly and enthusiastically, providing the ship's crew and officers with great hope and promise.

During an allied attack on February 4, 1942, Houston was under severe air attack. Commander Rentz spurned cover and circulated among the crew of the anti-aircraft battery, encouraging them. It was noted by an officer that the crew members at the guns ". saw this man of God walking fearlessly among them, they no longer felt alone." In the Flores Sea, during the attack Houston took a direct hit that disabled turret III and killed 48 men. Less than a month later Houston was in a the battle of Java Sea with the Australian light cruiser HMAS Perth. Both ships were outnumbered by a Japanese troop convoy but they persisted in an ensuring melee of fire, causing such confusion as to have a Japanese destroyer fire a spread of torpedoes that passed the allied cruisers and caused four Japanese troopships close inshore to sink.  All in all, the involvement was no match for the wounded Perth and Houston, the Japanese attack on these two cruisers caused them to sink; but they went down fighting to the last second.

It was during the abandonment of Houston that commander Rentz entered the water and attained partial safety along with the other crew members on a spare main float of the Houston's lost planes. Aware of the extreme overcrowding and dangerous overloading, he attempted to relinquish his space and his life jacket to wounded survivors nearby, declaring " You men are young, I have lived the major part of my life and I am willing to go," no one would oblige the generous, fearless chaplin. After several attempts of leaving and being brought back by his shipmates, he uplifted them with prayers and songs until, ultimately, he succeeded in placing his life jacket near a wounded sailor who did not have one, and commander Rentz courageously slipped away into the sea on the morning of March 1, 1942.

For his selfless bravery following the loss of Houston in Sundra Strait that night, he was awarded posthumously, the Navy Cross - the only navy chaplain to be so honored during World War II.

A man of cloth, he chose to be,
among the men who followed the sea.
Dedicated to our crew - with infinite care,
he tended and wounded with earnest prayer. 

Unmindful of danger as  the bombs rained down,
this man of god was always found.
Beside the dying and those terrible nights,
bringing strength and courage - and final rites.

Thrown into the sea on the fateful night,
he watched our battered Houston sink from sight.
Seeking a raft in the light of a flare,
he knows that god had answered his prayer. 

A sailor at his side clinging to the raft,
was wounded' and strength was ebbing fast.
Having no life belt to keep afloat,
his chance of survival was indeed remote. 

Without a thought for self, but he careful haste,
the chaplain fitted his life belt to the sailors waist.
The hours passed, and come dawn,
the sailor was safe, but the chaplain was gone. 

He had followed the law of the apostles Creed,
his life the price of a noble dead.
He went to his lord with no regret,
our fighting chaplain we'll never forget. 

May his soul rest in peace - forever and ever, amen.