USS Princeton Interviews Folders 1-9

WAREEH ABRIKL - Marine - transcript of phone cowrerstion 7-31-82
He was a gunner on a 22ma asidship on t h e p o r t side» near
HOsey and Ford and Corso
Sav the Japanese plane f l y away f r o n the s h i p , but d i d n ' t see i t coae i n
We s t a r t e d ^^ishing the planes over t h e side , t h e f i g h t e r planes t h a t were cm the
f l i g h t deck.
We had jnished q u i t e a few o f theai when an explosion occurred down on
the hangar deck and blew
f o m a r d elefvator up i n t h e a i r ,
i n the catwalk on t h e stsrboard side of the s h i p .
I pot knocked down
No, I wasn't Injtured.
a f t e r that t h e captain ^ v e t h e order t o •teanboddt^ocabandon ship.
Ri^ht
I s U d down
a chain on the alBntrtntx starboard side up near t h e bov.
CD - was anyonex w i t h you?
Weil, there %ra.sn*t any Marines w i t h me a t t h a t time.
There were a few
saiLors t a k i n g the saiae r o u t e , but I don't know who they were.
CD - when you got i n t o t h e water, were you alone?
I was alone f o r soiae t i n e and then we got a group o f about
5 t o 7 nen
togthere, there weren't any other marines t h e r e , and we n o r e o r less f l o a t e d together.
CD - whop picked you up?
A destroyer (Cassln Young) , There was an a n t i - a i r c r a f t c r u i s e r t h a t went
by and we were a l l waring t o thea and they were waving back t o us but they
apparently weren't stopping u n t i l t h e r e was q u i t e a number t o be picked up a t k one
IjfcmBt spot.
Then t h i s destroyer, I f o r g e t t h e name o f i t a f t e r a l l these years,
picked uG up. I know there was on s a i l o r vho was ftrora Tennessee or somewheres
and he said they're nerver gonna get me back on a ship again, I'm going beuik i n the
b i n s and t h e y ' l l never f i n d me.
He vas on t h e Hornet when i t was sunk t o o .
•Kicn they s t a r t e d shooting froHfche destroyer before they picked us up, K
and we found out l a t e r aa there was sharks a l l around us.
They were throwing things
and Siooting r i f l e s and p i s t o l s from the destroyer.
Then 1 heard there was word that kfcxv the Y a m t o , the Japanese's biggest b a t t l e
BC ABRIEL 2-2-2
ship, one o f the biggest i n t h e w o r l d , vas ^ u s t over t h e horizon scnaeplace and ovir
destroyer vas v o l i m t e e r i n g t o go bttt they were t o l d no, they had too raany survivors
on board, \riiich d i d n ' t h u r t our f e e l i n g s any,
CD - where were you when the s t e m "blew o f f t h e Princeton?
I was i n the v a t e r a t t h a t time.
We were i n t h e water probably about ^ hoxirs.
I t was quite a w h i l e . As 1 recaLLi the boaab dropped j u s t a f t e r 9» and i t was a f t e r
noon when I was picked up We were q ^ l t e a ways a^fljy from
, you know, we had
d i i f t e d q u i t e a wyas £!.way, I was i n the water when t h e s t e r n blew o f f but I was
on the I r w i n when they t r i e d t o sink her.
There was a t w i s t there - Captain Hoskins had l o s t h i s foot Bi:i they f l e v Ijim t o
rare Island i n C a l i f o r n i a t o t h e naval h o s p i t a l and my s i s t e r was a Wave and she
was •working a t t h a t h o s p i t a l when they brought him i n . She knew the ship had been
sunk because i t was on t h e news broadcast e i t h e r t h a t sacje day or xhe wxxk^xx
f o l l o w i n g morning, which was very \musual because they never d i d t h a t u n t i l they
knew who the survlvros were and n o t i f e i d the next o f ken.
This vas an unusual
situation and everybody was surprised when they came out w i t h i t , cm such short
nkx n o t i c e .
I t was s e r e r a l days u n t i l my f a m i l y kiievr I was CK. I t took t h a t long
for tneiri t o get togehter
n l i s t o f the s u r v i v o r s .
They c a l l e d and then I c a l l e d
then back, and thea I send them a l e t t e r , .
I was on t h e destroyer f o r 3 or U days and then we were t r a n s f e r r e d over t o the
Lexin£rton,and we were then f o r about a week or so, then we went back t o U l i t h i , I t h i n k
i t was, and then we got a t r a n s p o r t ship.
me t o stay on t h e r e .
The Marine Major on t h e Lexington wanted
I had made \g defvice f o r the 22m cannons ebout 6 months
before and. they hadn't had them on t h e i r ship y e t , so I put thea on a l l t h e guns on
the Lexington and t h i s Major wanteddteRX me t o KC stay t h e r e , but I said no, I
V ant t o go back and get a leave.
Then we were s t i l l out there w a i t i n g t o go home and
t ne Lexington got a torpedo i n her f o n t a i l and t h e y were back i n t h e srtates
on leave before we got back, i t vas r e a l l i r o n i c .
ABRISJ 3—3-3
He wasn't wounded a t a l l .
One explosion was near t o h i s ear and he
k i n d of thougrht he had a l i t t l e problem t h e r e , but he never d i d anythinr about i t .
Was on board fromk the time P was Keadf conraissioQed.
Was an the t r a n s p o r t ship irtien Carl Huenann hung hirnself, doesn't remember nar« o f shi-n.
Has an albun w i t h a nunber or photos and t h i n g s f r m t h e Princeton i n i t .
Ke hau. thought about wi'iting a book on t h e i n c i d e n t , b u t when he sav Buracker • s
a r t i c l e i n National Geographic he f i g u r e d the s t o r y had been t o l d .
r
l i i n ' t aake the Nashville reunion but wants t o come t o next y e a r ' s , e s p e c i a l l y i f
i t ' 3 out v e s t .
*
Salvatore
My
name
I enlisted
of high
went
by
before
Navy
Trenton,
work
New
made
I
The
I feel
was
est
that
ships
were
or
on
we
s t i l l
went
seemed
would
sleeping
was
From
there,
That
was
port
side.
became
that
a
with
really.
twin
Then
ivhen
my
with
were
first
on a
we
the
left
Philadelphi
was
before
DC.
This
s t i l l
we
at
went
to
aboard
that
mate,
as
was
and I
s h e was
sunk,
were
I think
we
so many
were
were
any
I was
on
to a
was
station
a f t on
went
on
liber
we h a d ,
crew
of the ship,
loader
to at
below,
general
the port
side.
on mount
the flight
11.
r e \p t h e i r
Princeton
assigned
changed
o f mount
we
There
problems.
t h e a f t on
first
exper>i.?. p::!
of personnel
The
She
one o f
would
When
number
i n the a f tpart
duties
this
good
to get along.
the air dales
i fthere
2 0 mm
o l d and t o
to the Princeton.
one a n o t h e r .
and t h a t
battle
There
the large
gun c a p t a i n
on
to
I went
60 y e a r s
g e t on o u r g u n s .
together
40mm
over
f o r gunners
assigned
when
to recognize
My
boot
i n Washington
owner,
The/seemed
I got transferred
mounted
remember
like
would
a gunner
assistant
was
I was
i t .
the 4 t h deck.
quarters
that
along
quarters
then
through
her across,
months
or
gotten
and
to the 4th division,
I'm
ship.
stick
went
floated
ship.
as a happy
even
I went
the Princeton
Several
Sam
class.
happy
the grease
as
to the Princeton.
we
plank
me
i n a t Boston
school
striking
mate.
disagreements
the beach,
always
a
i n t h e Navy
some
engines,
Our
known
they
assigned
2nd
fortunate
always
iences
was
and
I started
gunners
mate
When
s a y I'm a
I was
g u n n e r s mate
Princeton
day,
I
You m i g h t
3rd class
made
After
division.
know
I had j u s t
where
assigned
i n barracks
1st class.
gunnery
I was
commissioned.
Jersey.
sworn
Island,
to gunners
school,
slept
on h e r .
seaman
on
we
shipmates
I was
Road
I went
i t was
Yard,
June.
Port,
mate
b u t my
13, 1942 i n t h e Navy.
that
there
gunners
was
a
school
From
L Amonte
Nov
b u s t o New
camp.
From
GM3c
i s Salvatore
Sammy.
out
L. Amonte
10.
deck
o n -Jne
to the fantaii
That
was
a
quad
an., I
4C
f a n t a i i .
Philly
and went
down
to Norfolk
to get
9
Salvatore
L. Amonte
demagnetized.
cruise.
From
From
l i t t l e
work
on
i t .
a t Balboa
We
there
I
United
States
we
we
we
which
that
Navy
went
went
Then
went
i t .
where
t h e Panama
i s about
right
they
liberty.
there
we
went
came
out of Pearl
on
and
of the
That
locks
i s where
arm o f an a n c h o r
From
down
did a
Canal
i n the middle
and had
o n my
f o r our shake
to Norfolk
through
two days
I have
on
to Trinidad
back
I think
f o r about
got the tatoo
cont.
there
Trinidad
stopped
were
GM3c
that
out into
says
the
Paci f i c .
I
remember
ing
down
the
mud.
going
t h e d a y we
t o g e t under
We
into
shafts
a
well
never
and u n t i l
we
used
to the vibration
Each
division
four
divison
was
8
4th
needed
four
and would
armory
we
into
bent
over the
was
We
always
got
of stick
midship.
we
a small
would
We
and hang
There
Each
room
as
were
gunnei-y
keep
grease
had a
t o t h e armory
and
really
where
chew
mates
and
coffee
wanted
that
there,
of course.
t o gett o -
the gunners
the f a t .
prob-
i nthe
tools
joe pot
o u t and have
we
I recall,
10 g u n n e r s
also
o r when
a l l meet
togheter.
For t h e 4 t h d i v i s i o n i t
had a b o u t
our guns.
down
right
at a l l .
kind
about
locker.
I t was
meet
was
there
i n the 4th divisions.
supplies
go
shaft
were
any k n o t s
back-
got stuck
The
got sunk,
were
We
.TiStes
got
from
real
together.
ship
shot
armory
we
that's
about
dowm
i s come
issue
t h e main
i s where
more
that.
we
while.
area
I think
would
would
own
d i v i s i o n s would
t h e main
Aboard
do
we
a
screw
quarters
making
gunnery
to maintain
we
were
side.
This
correct
the Princeton
were
feet.
where
we
close
get
12
needed
gether,
In
a n d we
division.
When
had
the port
by
That's
all
mates
the starboard
sleeping
after
their
h a d i t ' s own
a f t on
ably
we
had
divisons
Our
t h e day
whenever
gunners
and
did really
the screw.
vibration
The
way
Harbor,
or d i t c h
down
h i m a new
were
i n a
a l l you d i d .
coming
t o the armory
one.
position
A l l we
t o do
Every
i n the f i r s t
and t u r n
had
t o do
a
time
thing
l o t swappxiig..
a
plane
the pilot
i n h i s 4 5 , a n d we
was
clean
up
would
/oula
would
the old 45,
3
Salvatore
the
salt
L. Amonte
water.
cook
who w a n t e d
20mm
o r 40mm
lamps
a
bring
of
back
down
we'd t a k e
that
cans
All
t h e boxes
was
inside.
had
dropped
was
about
we
we
before
hard
I
and you'd
seemed
my
t o be
They
swapping
seven
a n d we
were
into
beans,
open
the side.
a bean
Then
pieces
we
seven
and
nets
a case
down
and
i n t h e armory
turned
o u t t o be
ended
up w i t h
of string
over
beans
l o t of fun.
case
Nobodv
t h e s e .I t ' s
We
were i n
the side
because
a n d go o u t on t h e
and snap
them, o v e r
funny.
one
out at a time
had t o take
and goc
beans.
out to sea.
stuff
there
f o r t h e loc'.:er,
vou were
cases
when
saw o n e o f t h e c a r g o
s e e y o u when
and f l i p
on t h e P r i n c e t o n .
happy.
throw
one
a l l this.
had t o unload
your
no o n e w o u l d
r i d o f those
time
when
i n four
what
only
b u t we
fruit
on t h e s i d e
up a c a n o f t h e s e
t o take
l i t t l e
stenciled
cases
cases
or
pull
a l l grabbed
This
to
coming i n
came
we w o u l d
put these
turn
i n our armory
of heading
missed.
line
They
this
just
We
and you c o u l d n ' t
have
good.
store
would
of peaches,
at night
looked
o f i t n o w , i t was a
enjoyed
We
were
hoping
i t over
jobgetting
think
we
We'd
at night
t h e cans
was r e a l
to get r i d of stuff
f l o a t .
a
this
plenty
one o f t h e g u n n e r s
a t E n i w e t o k , we
to eat string
it
up
I f i t was
t o e a t and
a l l hands
a case
peaches.
w a y we
t e r r i t o r y
throw
were
and t h e other
t o eager
with
o f u s , and i n s t e a d
Japenese
and
make
he'd always
through
and t h e n ,
would
one t i m e
g o t under
peaches
Now
We
f o rt h e a r m o r y .
When
watch
room.
t h e same.
and they
i n line
fantaii
on s u p p l i e s ,
thought
looked
This
back
would
had p l e n t y
wanted
would
them.
I f he was a b a k e r
was a l l done
or get together
eight
headed
pretty
swap
was a
o r i fthey
and they
a n d w e ' d t r y t o be a s t e a d y
t o a case.
had a p a r t y
was
them
always
So we a l w a y s
get out of line
we
of
a key r i n g .
to the stock
would
gallon
disarm
would
That
I fthere
as a s o u v e n i r ,
would
we
and s t u f f .
when
something
we
maybe
on s u p p l i e s
mates
or
For t h i s
home
souvenirs.
forth.
remember
and
we
i n the armory.
and
taking
a l w a y s warted
projectiles
up p i e s
cont.
a 45 t o t a k e
f i t t e r ,
coffee
I
People
and s t u f f .
ship
GM3c
wire
standing
i t i n half
cutters
side.
and cue
I t was
quite
of string
beans.
When y o u
I do w a n t
t o make
a
I t was a g r e a t
ship
point
that
a n d we alwa'.'s
4
Salvatore
Paul
L.
Jackson
Mount
11
above
that
shot
right
14
we
would
always
That
We
pretty
that
On
the other
quarters
and
out
Sea
of Japan
the
It
Japs
was
we're
and
back
quite
us
from
As
our
really,
where
thev
e
of
had
taken
was
of
torpedo
and
had
The
because
course
planes
would
would
attacking
give
also
fleet
out.
to
make
us
i t less
of
a
shot.
more
opportunity
at
different
t h e same
because
were
one
landing
take
There
Working
t h e guns
on
was
might
they
call
Gunnery
our
planes
what
land,
go
the
bombs
the
was
word
i n the
our
:vlznes
t h e same
zime
coming
at
i t i n the sense
would
had
be
happen
down
bombs.
had
started
Officer
would
general
So
At
the Japs
our
torpedo
come
spotted.
i t was
to
that
them.
that
they
sent
would
flight
to
deck
i n t o go
seize
that
the hanger
Due
Zeros
coming i n .
at
they
instead
after
time
dack,
time
the
Quarters
i n i t would
battles
the blood
would
come
on
i n real
I could
drip
the fantai].
see
onto
low
of i n
Jap
e very-
over
blood
t h e mount
us.
that
confusion.
Genenal
i n different
(TBF's),
and
of
during
on
but
When
time
were
t h e ends
of
planes
that
o f f t h e base
put
The
gone
at
s t i l l
and
would
alot
would
of
had
operation.
planes
time
raining,
up
They
t h e bombs
We
off.
sofening
you
planes.
them
had
else
there.
Shoot
m a g a z i n e s . Then
from
out
t h e Jap
Turkey
them
times
11
anyone
i t wasn't
a
would
plane
Right
Judy's,
the plane
we
planes
the
Several
warm
coming
alot
a
But
40.
mount
i n the position
I know
for a
put
time
24
the planes
of
11
on
the captain
so
their
firing
we
quad
many
the f a n t a i i ,
really.
with
at
planes
the ship
a
assistant.
how
would,
launched
shooting
And
planes
mount
planes
was
had
us.
was
our
the rest
order
on
always
cours
got
were
us
of Oct.
I t was
of
swing
was
know
then
I was
guns.
cloudy.
them
planes
by
and
remember
i f planes
lucky
the morning
on
more
11
This
I
I don't
i n thru
put
mount
20mm's.
and
around
come
target.
were
two
attacked
us, would
of
the f a n t a i i .
downed
the ship
r u n on
on
was
were
cont.
captain
Zero's
had
whenever
GM3c
gun
there
we
swing
was
was
down
reason
a
Amonte
us.
dripping
where
5
Salvatore
we
a
L.
were
That
bunch
deck,
the
of
and
up
black
was
and
exploded
that
on
we
to
they
had
to
hadn't
was
11.
Birmingham
deck
sticky
we
door
is? t u r n
but
we
had
or
a
thru
a
later
down
Luzon
that
were
chance
our
f i r s t
this
lost
the
the
flight
up
that
heard
we
that
The
the
was
on
forward
our
elevator,
big
going
on
down
he
our
put
bombs
t o be
launched
flight
deck
b e l o w . These
agreed
would
get
and
and
was
water
seven
the
pressure.
got
out
there.
Up
got
on
the
so
and
can
and
bombs
left
of
fires.
I would
them
down
flood
and
I
were
the
last
the
hot
pressure
When
opec
comes
really
hot
there
water
before
realized
getting
a l l on
secured
the
we
weren't
able
ones
o f f the
comes
i n the
and
we
hatch;
to
fantaii.
trie
on.
hearftthe
I
and
"-'agazine
don't
magazines .
Jackson
to
I guess.
and
i n that
the
pretty
eight.You
was
see
The
I went
i t was
to
down.
nerytous
one
Nothing
hard
getting
always
second
we
some
the water
ladders
reported
that
car^remember
h o t . You
hotter,
rather
then
I
to
out
I t was
we
on,
getting
slowing
gunnersmate
there
I went
we
to
were
getting
topside
were
us
there
time
we
of
handles
gauge
i t was
magazines.
i t was
of
that
class
Both
gauge
the
and
alongsid^trying
and
Paul
sudden
cracked
were
them
a
a l l assumed
deck.
s t i l l
to put
we
our
the hangar
A l l of
a f t from
f i r s t
that
bomb
before
feel
could
s i x and
i s a
on,
dropped
I
got
and
even
planes
action.
back
At
until
thicker,
to flood
five
and
our
aircraft
had
i n there.
finally
There
smoke.
getting
came
Jackson
forth
our
of
t o come
I t wasn't
had
alot
explode.
mount
Paul
of
i t passed
on
s t i l l
smoke
on
as
started
one
Judy
cont.
was
black
the Philippines
began
The
real
i n .
a
there
smoke
from
coming
phonetf' t h a t
GM3c
morning
I mean
smoke
shot
Amonte
that
magazines
really
When
flood
we
the
UNITED STATES PACIFIC FLEET
CCJffltANDER FIRST CARRIER TASK FORCE
To the Officero and Men of Tftak Forc» THIRTI-^IGHT;
Upon being relieVed of ftonmand 1 desire to
express to the officers -and men of this Task Force
my pride in the magnificent record of accomplishment
attained in their many successful offensive operations
when under my tactical coinnand,
'The outer defense system of Japan has been
destroyed, exposing their vital inner lines to continuing attadt. The enemy fleet has been greatly depleted by your effortsj the enemy naval air force
which has been our most persistent opponent for ten
months has been eliminated. For the enemy, the handwriting is on the wall. The final phase has begun,
TTie decisive effect of your participation
is manifest and I hope that I may again have an opportunity to servo with you.
I wish you great success in the future, and
give to all hands a heartfelt •'Well Done" for the
^
/s/ Marc A . Mitscher
M . A. MITSCHER,
Viee AAniral, U . S. Navy.
U U T H I Atoll,
30 October,
•
• ^' •
-
/
;tdwi F a n d s c o , California.
'..^7 Kovamber 19/»4.
For A U PBINGETON Par^nnal.
Sobjoct:
Canipai^ Jtibbons aztd Sagagownt dtiry.
OoMiandar-iQ-Chiafjf O^S*' ?li«ib and tfc« Cbi»t of iCalraimjeraftixxs" for
pamciiiBtian in tho-leUcridiig d ^ > e r ^
u^ .
PACIFIC XClSg #
I§43 (C ^ i H .
.
.
NET./'GUINEA^ESIL*pCN (HOLIuilOlA) - 4 S«jt«tber 1943 to Indftf. (1 star). .
TRSASURr-BOOSAlNTiliS OPiSRATSDlf' - 2^ 09tober ^ 15- docfidoar 1943 (1 »tar),
GILBSiZr iD5U5DS dtERJiTIOll - J 3 Koraaber to 6 ^dag^r
1943 (1 star).
KAHSHAIL ISlANM'tJPEiiwaiDir - 26 Hovmbo»'l943 to 214arch 1944 (I star).
/iSIAHC - PACIFIC.ILOCB o l 1944 - 16 Pebruaxy^to 1 May 1944 (1 star).
2. HIINC^IDN officers and BMCI will b« aligihle to near bionise stars oa
their A s i a t i c - P a c t C t c R i b b o n fbr thoee operations and raids under which
they qp.aTi.fy whan the PHINfflTOW hi|s ^een Asaignated, officially^ as havitjg
participated in then.
3 . If' a'man has bean aboard the "P" since 28 JulJ 1943, ha will be
eligible for stars to .designate the above six (6) «figB.g3Waent« or raids (1
silver and 1 bronae). This inolutdss the period up to J|ay
1944, only.
Stars for engagaaonts after this date will be «nncmnc€3'la,V*r. (Further details aiay be found in CQBBmn4er-ln-CJ^ef^ U.S. Fleet Serial 6745 ol
1 September.)
^Cojanander, U.i.
fececutive OfCcef
I r ^ n s o r i p ^ c f t a r e o f Ad;:. :.^=rds'-ar, J a p t . ' c c - e y .
t e p e d 5-25-8C i n 3 a n ^ i e g o .
3>*rds::r-I coney,
3 - Bai'dshar,
1 , p--e 1-1-1
Fed l i v e s
down a r o u n d
r . o r e . He*s a r e t i r e d
Both a i r groups went
•"onths
before
B - We
probably
pried
of time,
about
down, were
had a v e r y
h ^ r e . He d o e s n ' t
active
for
April,
-bout
period.
kills
re-dy
1 think
the t a c t i c a l
trying, t c step
forces
the ?'ghter
o^^ s n u a d r c n
.-.dm. H a l s e y ' s a u t o b i o g r a p h y ) .
us
from
t h . t a n d fsxxx
doing
s e t up t^^-^t
Japanese a i r c r a f t
day.
tc
a stri'se
slanes
spotted
ov^r a
recnll
"y r e c o l l e c t i o n
tthrcugh the
objective
was
t c keep
:;ere r a r t
o r n o t we
p g . 212
of a
h?-^ b e e n erg-ge-^ -x:!
t o ' ~ , t h ^ t -e had n o t .
e x t e n s i v e l y foz' s e e
f o r i n s t a n c e ana made t h e f i r s t
lively
by f i g h t e r s ,
period
tir-e.
e'he^n
a t t a c k s on
Okinavra,
o f f Formosa.
V-e w e r e
m^ain J a p a n e s e s s f o r c e ,
and t h e t o r p e d o
planes
beganto
send
a i r c r - . f t o u t tows-
sle-r
orgs-nized t c
torpedo
ere a l l loaded
o n t h e h a n g a r d e c k a n d t h e f 1, h t e r s w e r e u p nn t'ne f l i c , h "
Then t h e Japanese
38
i n Task Force
were ccming
wheter
morning?
b u t -^y -.-ecol' e c t i !-n i s t h ^ t •••e '--ere
i n t h e S i b u y a n Sea a g a i n s t
escorted
that
, we w e r e
t;:.it
i n m-ge y e t .
ccr.e dov;n a n d had a v e r y
set
Squadron pxEfcxix
o f ac e v e n t s
the Princeton aircraft
I don't
e' d b e e n e n g - j g a g e d
:klna-a
was
The J a p a n e s e
t h ^ day b e f o r e
we h i d n ' " - b e e n
r. - T r e a t ' s
up
i t sank.
S a n 3 e r n - : r d i n c S t r a i g h t s ( s e e map,
cf
B -
when
— — —
a i r p l a n e s i n t h e a i r and ^--ith
situtation
t h e Japanese
S i b u y a n Sea a n d o u t t h r o u g h
not,
=.bout s i x
low losses t o o .
B - well,
stri>e
on s h i p
to rotate
f o r thr- s i r e
155
we h i t a b c u "
were
C - Can I g e t y o u t o r u n d o w n t h e s e q u e n c e
was
g o b;/ We'll Fed
Captain.
on board
i t went
had a r e c o r d
relatively
^-c r . r s h a ,
r. - I - o o n e y , C - C a r o l , IIA - i . a r s h a
3 - Well
any
side
Card
and x x s t
deck.
t h e f o r c e and t h e
3 a ? d s h a r , i.oney,
force
countered
azaxsxstsjix
from
s i d e 1 , 2QZ-2-2
i n s e l f - d e f e n s e a n d p u t up i n c r e a s i n g l y
they'd
call
—?
s h i p a n d s o f o r t h . ' I w^s
that
t o go on t ' i s s t r i k e .
that
the
the stri'-p
reidy
went
f o r a divisic:-
room
from
sitting
this
fig'-ters,
and t h e n a d i v i s i o n
i n t h e ready
room
getting
re-dy
I was t h e s t r i k e l e a d e r a n d i t became c l e a r t o
pol nt
w-sn't going
t o occur
a n d *-,he-= w s
w h e n t>-'ene we:"en't a''^y - o r e a i r p l a - " e s
wit'~ t h e l a s t h f i g h t e r places
B - I t v.'n,s t y p i c a l o f t h - t a r e a ,
sea,
liihh
lew
but essen.tallly
cle^r
b u t Ir, wasn'r
a stormy
no i n
si'-^in-p
-r-^urd
l e ' t , s o -^y d-iv^s-i-^>-^
t h ^ t T-^er? l a u n c - ' e d .
C ;- Do y o u -^ep-e^-ber wh-^'t t h e v / e a t h e r w-s
Ifiter
shir
nore
like?
h o t and s u l t r y a-d a m e d i um s o r t o f
a i r , 1? t o 15 k n o t s , p r o h n b l y
sore
.t a l t i t u d e .
sc~ttered
I he r e n a y h a v e
situ-tion.
The h i ; r:
c l c ' - d s drcp'-er' ^ c ^ n
' e e n sc. e "n i l d up
h?c-'t
built
up y e t , t h e t y p i c a l l ^ t e a f t e r n o o n
vre s e t a x o r b t h e r e a t --'"out 75 mi l e s
«e w e n t u p , t h e t7:o d i v i s i o n s ,
at
IC.CCC f e e t .
else,
b r t t h e y mere
on c'-t t'-fr-'.-^
p-^ss
ie
^bcut
j u s t t - o busy,
lf,CrP
ter-'S o f - s a t i n y
o^" t h e r -
Tater
them
gol:'r
so--ewhere
-' -"c l e ,
_-ir r
a '-d t h e y made one
o.>-d --e G-o-'ed 2 o r 3 o f the--
th-^ nve-c^st
t c xs k i l l
:"bout
s e e f s i s J-->ranese c i - ^ e u s
y--eSty g-^c-' s ^-'-e, I
e--cugh
at that
h e cci-''.d
''est a'-o^e u s i : ^ a
a t u s a n d ---ent i n t o
anything
the
I mads s e v e r a l r e c c - • end - t i c n s
> w - - e t h p or ^ o t .
he w e r e
--e a.ct=i!:T"y h ' t
s t i l l
out over
point.
C - '...ere a n y o f y o u h i t ?
B - x e s , we w e r e h i t b u t n o b o d y
C - i^one
of the planes
-^ere d i s - b l e d ?
B - No, t h e y miay h a v e b e e n s h o t
some o f t h e m b e c a u s e g e n e r a l l y
another
carrier
-.as h u r t .
up bad e n o u g h t h a t
I n ^ t circumstance
a s /le d i d a n d t s e n t h e y
o n e s i J s x t ! : a t a r e bs. s h o t
up t h e y
they g o t r i do f
li'^e that
you land
h a v e t o o many a b o a r d
j u s t p u s h o: e r t h e s i d e .
on
and t h e
T h e r e vy.s
1
b a r d s h a r , i^ocney,
side
a
about
b i t of
alvrays
1,2,
folklore
,
that,
3 3-'"'- s c r e a m
"Buy
only
cost
E
- You
pay
o v e r .^20
C
- when d i d y o u
3
- Ihe
first
million
indication
voice
?"d
had
a
fouled
he
l a n d i n g and
c-eant he
h?d
a
nut
is a design
7 / a i t f o r sc-^eone t o t e l l
on
I was
a ship
the
along
gssex.
side
Vve
and
d i d J o h n h u r p h y , who
t h a t day
ship.
- He
and
he
John Lurphys,
w-.s
m o v i e s , be
also
be
no
is
t h a t he W9s
one o f
3 _ I th^'-v t ^ - t
vras
on
the
s
the
B x e c . --as
io volleyball.
the
chief
back
: ou
:c
~o-eth-wg
the
fi.
of
I
had
I assume t ' - a t
but
center
the
tyre
^ our
call
fuel
^-e
?^d
a
and
fev; o t h e r
aboa
d
: other
there
ship
-re w e r e
the
and
told
people
Sx:x
-saex
I talked
the
loss
to
of
lurphy.
would
f - c t ry
t h e t r u h e r o e s o: t h e
day.
ar-n 5-e-'^:^-ra M y
-'.greed, "'vt I w a s n ' t
be
no
liberty,
recollection
the-^^e s o
day
ci-cle
seen the
a f f e c t e d by
o^
crashed
ccrserve
Ix
theship
.urchys,
they
else.
care
>--awr as
.-.s a ~ ~ t t e r
is tc
recognized
siad
i - t a ^^^v-:t -a
stuff
Y x e c . o^
hter
but
time,
f o r c e and
emotionally
:]c"
gotta
i t tiassv--
i n and
t-^sk f c r c ^
tn.e g s s e x / a n d
—i
very
"Be
interpret
1'th---'t
that kind
was
k n o w n as
hit?
rei-ember the
B u r a c h e r kss-Asixfiz-mx
on
h
^.ssex and
landed
teen
had
t h - r z x gear, but
f'-o-
t o dc
and
was
of
a-"'
g e t t i n g down i n o v e r
landed
Buracker
the
beari;-"?
you
You
m e a n t some a i r c r a f t
i - ^an'^i-^y
ted
side.
\
I didn't
c** s c " a t ^ . i
a delay
then,
now.
mer-e c e d i n g
I don't
which
land
we
h i t at t h a t time,
circle,
s m o k i n g and
as
that generally
cleaning
-• e t
the
t h i n k o f h.is nam.e now,
i t out
y - i - y t ^ be
the
as
Jac'"ets
e l e v a t o r and
Princeton
and
blue
today.
F-l^
tliey were x s t t i x ^
t'-e^-^'s
then
the
I had,
I can't
c a l l e d me
i r t e l " * i g ' = n c e you
By
182
b e e n h i t , was'a--^uy w>:c
deck, but
an
i t ove-
for a
becom.e a w a r e
his
on
Ihe
a"-out ^;-65,CCC-!^7C,C^0.
:hcout t h a t m.uch f o r a
Stanford,
so
shove
pay
frcr..
to
i t out
- You
corrector
1
put
have h e - r d .
M
had
and
may
B o n d s " and
t o m.ean t h e s h i p
of
you
li'"ed±J!!a::<: t h a t - t h e y ' d
re'-e-'ber t h e y
on
3-3-3
I
Eard shar,
on't
h c cney,
s i d e 1,
^-^
Vr>ow, h u t I u r r h y was
crt
o f g u y 7'":c v a s
a very
- 2vo,
K
- "e
lost
yuy,
-'as j u s t t:-e
e a s y t o k i d ai^d p e o p l e d i d .
G - D i d a l l o f y o u r men
E
co'^sce'Ttious
a man
named
make i t t o othe:b
K a s e r , he's
ships?
o n y^-ur l i s t ,
John
herryfield
naser
/
5
- He was
a non-aviator.
Scot-p^, a r e p l a c e : e n t p i l o t
they
n e v r knew e x a c t l y
i n Earshar's
what
happened.
group,
he w r s a l i t t l e
C - D i d y o u s e e t h e s h i p go d o w n ? f r o m
4
3
-
C
- D o you have any
E
- <vell,
hours
be
cut cf fuel
and
guy.
on t h e Essex?
I saspect
a t abaus
i t
?round
^ e t bac>
~s a b o u t
ieabout
hi hcurr
" o r '~ - . .
, s o i t •••-•s y r c h - h l y i • t h e
o-^ n o o n ^-'ler. y o u l - r - d e d 2 e n t ' - " E^'em?
3 - 1
was
aboard
b e f o r e Bur^c.-e"
d e s t r ' - y ^ - p- o b - b l y t h ' - t b r o u g h t
t h t . T'a c h ' e f
and o-y E r o w n ,
Ister
Ercwn
aboard,
and
landed
and y o u b e t t e r
I - u r g e c t '-re l a a a c ' ^ e d
- The bcn'b d r - y y e d
vici--it;
Cay
tiny
t h " Zs:ex
i d e a wl'iat t i m e y o u
y o u tah-e o f f i n a n ?-c
;'>f t e : * • e l a u n c h e d
"hw:- mas
t'--• t' -dj^y,
:TO,
or jc u * l l
0
disap~e-red
and
a
integrated
into
- over.
a^ s t a - " ' -'or t h e c a r d i
four
Cap
<»e t c c k
c a - e ^r-c ^-^, a ^ ^ - i
star
Erown
the poeople
Eh.er-an and
who
15 e x c e p t
i n ••••^s a
~re-eric'-
I reme-h-r t ' l ' - i - ^
I met
Ga'::e a b o a r d
u^"-
r e - e - b ^ r vr-my -uc'- -.-b
" --^s Z'r 3--^.r,
i n t h e .'th f l 3 e t .
and
a i r group
I don't
I
Eur a c k e r
to
K h e n he
t h e Essex and
they
ywer--n
came
were
f o r ikxxaxcspiisnmsfx seprate
tac-cical,
C
- 3o y o u s t a y e d
3
- xeah, b u t not f o r very
frc's: J u r o
( ? ) up
^
on t h e E s s e x .
t o Siapan,
and
l o n y , we w e n t
into
t h e n b-c> t o P e a r l .
Jure
And
]^ *J
( ? ) t h e n a^e
w h e n we
got
flew
1,
Sardshar-1-ncney, s i d e
back
and
t o P e a r l we
we
(stuff
had
a
earlier,
was
pilot
Ca
had
b u l ^ - c^"^ t h e
who
got
who
wore bedroom
shot
down o v e r
back t o Peark about
you
a i r group
there,s
^inade
B i l l iia-'', p i l o t
After
the
landed
slip
on
ers
the
the
the
FhllMp-ines
Bardshar
S
weeks
sar.e t i m e S H x a K k x x d i d
w h e n he
Essex, did
flew
you
and
-
drove Bardshar
e v e r see
the
3
- No,
not
that
C
- how
did
:au
3
- The
secuence
and
'"ow
thin.cs
auch
Birmini.ha-,
decided
tc
the
ship
the
fires
mayazlne
the,
can
tut
,:ut
::;d
as
xxtTig
not.
k:-o^r ho^'r a u c h
under
that
story
Tc
thin
I
tc
-"ire bil._e
final
^?« - a-^d
they
?cr-en
m:-"
- :er
ccu.p-de-^,r~3
h^rwaod
herse'f
w-c
the
ws-^t
so
torpedo
i n , ?nd
ikgyx
point.2i:dx
that's
, do
ettach
'aic'- o u t
b l o w i n g , when B r u c e
at
o"
I u n d e r s t a n d i t t h e y had
bilge
' i r e fct33X±3B w a t e r ' r e the
; d-in^
I'-e
gone?
you
worth
telling.
rem.eber Jim.
I don't
k n e w i f ; ou
Large?
cure
- Jim
Philadelphia
heroin,
a-d
of
e.CI,
that
me,
t';e f ± z x ± ca'-e
again.
w-s
I don't
capability
sea
B
and
she
blr-in_?-a:-
T'lere's a
i t or
there,
that
under c o n t r o l w i t h
force
s p r u n ^ up
itself
out
t- e ^xmnxxr
ship
V. -
find
then
abandoned
use
ve
no
recall.
sc-ebod,- t o l d
we' 1
pretty
I
L - r g e ? aras, I
mainliner,
presi-'ent
and
of
a i r xszyax
y aristocratic
u e s s he
that
t'-e
a S2
doesn't
'oreig-
Go"b--t
fellow,
was
CIC
exchan
guy.
he
have a n y t h i n g
e ba-k
i n t e l l i , . - e n c e p r r ^r-^m
a charming
type,
The
was
to
( )
out
of
story
was
a
do
and
he
nuts
Princeton
ain?
s~vr
a
essentailly
picture
about
5-5-5
with
part
-^uonet,
th^t
the
)
bardshar-t-ccne-.-,
second
1,
6-6-6
L t . of the :arlnes
mainliner
f o r t h e 3 i — ' n s r h a i r x x x x x a x , who was
^ o r t h e ^ I r e r e s c u e p a r t y , :-ro s a c o u s i n
leadership
and
sxlde
and t h e y
were
standing
tr-in^.s were b l o w i n g
a
litter
what
they
viere s a y i n p
f a i l y a n d " h a v e you. s e e n u n t
lasilMjix
from
dech
u p he-"e a n d t h e r e a n d t h e y
o t h e r a n d so:-eon o v e r h e a r d
the
on t h e f l i g h t
and a l o s
part
of the
a Phi lad el phi
of the Princeton
were
talhing
and and t h e y
.-.gatha l a t e l y "
t c e-ch
wer-e
d'acv'ssin
a n d " h a v e : ou h a d
so-and-so, and
I-I - S o u n d s v e r y a p p r o r p i r a t e .
3
- Jim Large
h
- Jim. d i e d .
apaarentlj-
around
Larry horgan w r i t e
m.e a l e t t e r a n d J i m ^ t i s a t x
died..
(disscussion
on r e u n i o n s
a n d 2;oing
next y ' a r )
IL-i - I was k i n d o f c u r i o u s , w h e n y o u f o u n d o u t a b o u t t h e s h i p
o b v i o u s l y y o u c o u l d n ' t l a n d on i t
;'0U knew ^/ou had m.en b a c k t h e r e
t h a t w e r e u n d e r y o u r cc~'~and.
and
and
1
the
- ..ell,
rm.-g
procedure
needed
X Kii^v
.;.r
" .;. '."
f o r me
vfere p e o p l e
that
about
thing
fighters
VP15air
craft
0^ t h e w a y
-<
nothing
that
I l±x
tahn
y o u S!.m-"vive i n • • r a r ' - r e
g e t back abaord
and d i v i s i o n s
np = b o u t .
h i n.- I c a n d o - b o u t
2? t h - ' t w e r e
t h - t was
there
but f l v
i s t o '•ct
hy f e e l i n g ? about
( t h e E s s e x ) was
a unit,
w^s
perfectly
i t ' ^nd a b o u t
net get piece
ot'-: r
t^-ere
" t h e c a p t a i n o*" t"".e s h i p
i n an organ^ 7 a t i r - r
s
_ • _ ~ r --
i n t h e a i r bec.~use t e r e '-/ere
pau c a n ' t do any-^hi
' tZ-^-.v-'not
f r c s : VP
;
( c r . , . l d ? ) d o i t , a n d t h e y r e r e a l l o r g f ' n i z e d and
thir--s
day othe
_ ^ p.- - ^
_ ;. ' ^ : \ ; r : l
t o b e I n t h e a r t a n d t h e r e was
Cne
were
/.i^-^s"-
o e r . „ a.
t h e a i rgroup were
•well dril^'.ed.
t':e
z
th. t
i n c h a r g e , and f u n d a m e n t a l l y
chargeand
worry
. aa.."J
t o d o o n t h e s h i p w h e n I was
peoL;le wh.o w o u l d
in
is s t i l l
a l l I did
to asaist that the
-ealed
because
into
I tiiou^ht
were
/ \
h&Tdsr»T-rocney,
a hell
5
fast
a fast
liobody
live
I
ir^and
becasue
i;:ey w e r e a c t u a l ' y a p r e t t y
about
them
being
t h e g e n e r a l a n a l y s i s was
a t that
diluted
a n d t h e I r i n c e t c n was
(discussion
3
on a t t e m p t s
( ? ) , that's
a ship's
officer.
I heard
party
aviator
waa
basis
t h e com.mand
f o r saying
ha^^e
attention
a nuisance,
t h e g u y who s o r t
situ-tton,
be was v e r y w e l l
of handles
and t h a t
b u t v/as n o t f l y i n g
a,t t h a t
li'ced,
kind
veseel.
were
easy
this,
but I
b e e n S'='ve!5,it
was p r e t t y
one
C3n r e r " e ..ber na e o b
^'zc--z H OS k i n s
„ovia)
well
a l l 'n.e-.rs ^ y )
the aircr-^.ft
of thing.
capable.
on a n d o f
He w^.s a '
t i m e , he
The
w^s
story
y c b<^c> and l e - d ^ f^. r
thi-a
ble^-- ^ nd h e
s
-ti-lin:ovie
was
force
killed.
on t h e
think
he w.s t h e
particular
very
t h - ' t he B u r a c k e r a s k e^ h * t o
p r t y a f t and he w e n t E a f t ^ n ' t h e t
(discussion
oper-te
tactically,
cn harwood, 1 presume,
t h e carrier,3iKLJix±kex t h e r a i n t e n a n c e
practicing
effective
open and t h e y
the ship cculd
just
coul~
vulnerabilities.
t c t o w , and s t r a t e g i c
- You' e g o t t h e s t o r y
officer
organieat or.
p o i n t i n t i m e , as f a r as t h e t a s k
I think
as
toughsfc, - ou k n o w , i n t e r m s o f
m.uch l e f t
Kfcxtsx o b v i o u s l y had s o ~ e
a nuslance,
the irrincetcn
t h e y -."eie c u r i s e r s a n d t h e y
s o t h e ; ^ we-^e p r e t t y
co:m-ander was c o n c e r n e d .
air
I came a b o a r d
t ' n k , a n d I do-'''t h - v e a n y r e a l
tkKxxkijix
just
force.
had a n y i l l u s i o n s
da"m.a^e c o n t r o l ,
i n 1936.
jr-.r.napolis ?
s q u a d r o n . CVLs a r e a p e c u l i - ^ r
sxSxikxx
tash
VFlf.
t h e n a v a l academy, from
I graduated
of the fighter
CVLs v;ere
7-7-7-7
than
were you f r o n
- i'eah.
jg sixec.
to
1,
of a l o t better
a d -
wit
side
starring
S t ' " l ? ? ' fc : . - . d . - , b^-
bardshar-dccney,
side 2,
i:a_e 1 - 1 - 1
painting;
(starts
v / i t i i d i s c u s s i o n on F i t z g e r a l d ' s i s i l s g l x ?
o f t h e s h i p g o i •^g
down)
in
C - W e l l , Ton, what d i d you do t h a t
day?
h
we w e r e . L t h e t o r p e d o
- W-ell, t o t h e b e s t
t h e ready
I can r e c a l l ,
r - ~ c r b e c a s u e we w e r e g e t t i n g
the
'-'apanese f l e e t ,
which
had
never,
as a i r g r o u p
at.le-st
Japanese, t h a t
strike
.
We
particular
because
slow,
had never
They
t h a t made i t v e r y
siiix
stimulating
that
would
C - i t was a s u r p r i s e
even heard
stabilized
3
used
- ne d e v e l o p e d
C - were y o u aware
- w h e n we d r o p p e d
just
experienced
- y o u g e t one
lev; and
a n d y o u had t c do a l o t o f
y o u down, so t h e p r o s p e c t
were
o r 15
shaking with
and t h a t ,
planes
patriotism..
I think,
accounted
itself.
out there,
and I
prior
t h e r e w a s napalm, a b o a r d ,
to
think
landed
the f i r s t
o f what napalm was?
viere.
we h^d
Vietnam.
o f napalm; o n S i a p a n
i t we
a n d we
loaded.
napalai--"^. We
f o r the close support
li
12
t o us t h a t
o f bhe s t u f f
on a
t h e wa'^er i n o r d e r t o d r o p i t
were a l l loaded
f l y was
a g a i n s fce
y o u come i n v e r y
a l o t o f t h e e x p l o s i o n s on t h e fli,£-ht d e c k
e'-erything
we
ISO k n o t s , a n d y o u had t o
- many p e o p l e
- I t h i n k we had e i t h e r
agains
on t h - t s x r t t K B x x i x r y x
kamakazi p i l o t s
easy t o s h o o t
B - t h e torpedo planes
never
live
t h e r e 'were n o t t o o many
only d i d about
, y o u had t c h a v e t h e a i r p l a n e
was r a t h e r
torpedcs
o f t h e nature of the a t t a c k ,
above
becadue
w
a l o t o f b o r r b s , b u t ''lo t o r p e d o s .
a r e much l i k e
position
torpedcs
had g c ^ e o u t a p a i ^ ^ s t t h e n
live
h'e c a r r i e d
the airplane
be i n a c e r t a i n
for
We
carried
a t t a c k s were, ^-lell,
torpedo p i l o t s .
things
e x c i t i n g prospect
2?, VT27, e v e r d r o p p e d
torpedos.
operation.
-ind t o r p e d o
very
to"carry
a t t h e T ' a r i a n a s , b u t t h e y we^-e o u t o f o u r r a ^ y e
returned
flight,
i s live
was a p r e t t y
ready
scuadrcn
tanks
that
were
f o rclearing out.
side 2,
bardshar-nconey,
3
- i t was
i i - you
are
not
a
have
You
objective
3
- The
visualize
planes
would
split
come i n p e r h a p s
str-fe
i n an
them
a t t ept
- u t the
demanding
happening.
and
You
hidway , torpedo
Con
Gay,
-.nd
.^nd
;he„-
^all
o'
-ny
either
sor.e l ± i k x f i g h
to ^ive
remember t h e
squadron
A,
pet
went
i n esse-
b - _gee , s -
co-e
story
elmr: w-s
not
-"ot .sn:-e o f t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s
a l l vr- y
take
roor: w i t h
the
- .:c, ! t h e r e w e r e
ashore.
t h e r e and
c'
o f ' tV • t
chance
hapyen w
th-1
t o r p e d o g's
^or
s
frorat
a guy
named
at a
ti-e,
i - the
Z ready
f --t.
morning?
reedy
fi_hters,
?s
r'o- .
didn' t
rco^", y c u
he
t c -why
we
sh.ared
hadn'
t
a
we?
had
the a f t e r
ready
r-om
one.
always,
and
-ny'\'ay, we
ycu
I recall
a l ays
h^d
a l l t h e a u t o m c b i l - ^ s -Then
--^s-e 3 ± X 2 . j c s r i n ' : a a l l i n t h e r e a d y
i a x s j o j c x a y V - X 2 - : : : --re'd ^ e e r
cut
"•-•re
-:e •••ere a l l i n t h e
guys
even
:-:Sn.
"ere
eneforward
and
a"
prevent
one
would
fighters
bo-b
e - i r ^ o - : e - l a -h-^d
- ::a, I'm
v:e had
with
sort
except
i n a column,
-- -
r--dy
the
:..e-.-e a l l l o s t
ai'ly
pas
t o make t h a t
of
did'n't
an
your
the dive borers
so-e
would
- ^'ut y o u
x but
so
torpedo
d o w n and
ylsnes
interference
they
f o r the
i ' your
the
o r peh
r e q u i . e"
probably
they
ers
would
-. as
ship,
s i d e ?nd
:arpedc
of
you,
that,
battle
C
wexs were
was
s h c e m e , was
of a h o s t i l e
kind
concern
to k i l l
- Yaa!', " s
SU:- y o u
and
large
coordination
no
XSXSXJIHZ
days
first.
come i n on
any
trying
'
5
and
was
him
i n those
T h e r e was
f a r e s c o r t and
o f th^-se ^ on r
luanched,
com
and
l e a d by
in wit
survivlal.
k i l l
t h e bow
tudes
today.
scheme, o v e r a l l
as
atti
some g u y
t o t r y and
that
xxsr-ixed
that
idea.
that
attitudes
realized
was
o f a good
to realize
at a l l like
land.
very
hell
2-2-2
that
briefed
the
and
initial
tele
what
i rpact
r
Intelli^^ence
"as
very
cm
thou-ht
slight.
s
bardshar-nconey,
"just
sort
of a j o l t ,
catastrophic.
hone."
2,
side
3-3-3
I can't
X I thought,
I thought
i t was
describe
"HiSt d a r , w e ' v e t a k e n
nothing, that
X2!TK±fet:azx so'-'ehwere a n d I t h o u g h t
d - o r t o t h e pas- age way
wasn'
t a l l thi---t com
the
rent
But
i t seemed
k n e w , m.ayhe f i v e
open d o o r ,
it
just
were
th.is
on b e c a u s e
sailed
thing,
up by t h e v e n i l a t i o n
h
- were
picked
u p and
i n nany
just
- i t -:as 25G
;
- I conside-'ed
places,
kilogra-s,
nuclear
by t h e
explosion,
e x p l c s i v e gases
that
And
xJSHtx w h e n i t -vent t h r o u g h
the r g
i n t h e win_; and j u - t c o v e r e d
just
seared.
I hear-:"' t h a t
legend
o f my
and I d c n ' t
st-tion
i t was
lousy
d-.-paed.
t ' - - ^ t .-^e l o u s y
--' i ' l ? n e
ti-e f l ' ; h t
cp^tain
h i s -are i s I il's-'-.
a i r p l a n e i ttorched c f '
f l a ~ e s , he w-s
-ere sichea
knew
li'--e
l^ved.
i fi t ' s true
the flight
j•.;st
up, I s-r
t o - n e , b u t he
"h^^ii^h
one
rounds.
c- w h i c h
htm w i t h
we
that
i t we^t t h r o u g h
alive.
h e ' s g'-fng
- h e n t h e •-•r^-b p sse--^
the conflagration
i s that
t^^t
=fter
L--:e^-, a f t e r
a - us - y . a n d I t h o u g h c,
- There's another
thi-;
o f r:y - i r - l a n e
and ± b e l i e v e h e ' s s t i l l l
a a-arshar.-.allc..',
t h e s h i p and
i s l ^ ' - e 6^r
i t , a s ±t
t h r o u _ 1 t h e -,<in
through
b o - b ti-9t-. t " i s ^v"
which
puts
system
I y mem.ory
i t an o u t r a g i o u s
as my memory
i t -oased
through
shipaed
a r m o r ?;±xaxxj:2X p i e r c i n -
5
3
a little
went
w h e n t h e bomb h i t t h a t
picked
hi:- , l i k e
fireball
I t was a g p a r a n t l y
of theexplcsion
staading
but
like
- were
fuell
s a i r c o n d i t i o n e d and
gigantic
i tIccked
was
the
which
some way
bomb, w h i c h ,
deck
'>pen,
o f s e c o n d s , maj-be t h r e e s e c o n d s , I d o n ' t
3
pound
was
and t h e
roorns a'ere a i t c o n d t i o n e d .
doT:n t - i e p a s s a g e w a y .
apparent l y set f i r e s
25c
h i t a f t o n t h e sh'-p r x x
t h e ^e.t^dy r o c a
heady
see-ed
g o t t a go
i t c a n ' t be s i g n i f i c a n t
or s i x seconds, t h i s
caused a t t h - time
coalesced
not.
i n a matter
hugh
something
th-=t
a h i t , we
t h < ' t w e n t b y t h e re°dy mo""
o f t h e s h i r ; was
like
i t , b u t i t :T-S " o t h i r g
or not,
d e c ^ i t pe-sed
t o o . and t h e c o n f l a g r - t i o n
s^=tion
side 2,
bardshar-niooney,
h-h-h
o n t h e h a n g a r d e c k i s ^. zlace
system
are ^KtHatstex
occurina,
t^e
occured,
t}:-t
activated
manual
d i d not occur
i twouldn't
where
have
and by t h e c o i n c i d e n c e
operat'on
until
t h e hangar door and t h e s p r i n l l e r
ofth^t,
later
and p r o b a b l y
the
records.
know
and
that
period
saw t - ^ t f i r e b a l l
incredible,
a
little
I ' v e never
rapidly
up a n d c a r r i e d
m„i:e t h e s e
there
as
didn't
chruning,
were
and
g ' v e n 'WTS a l l
p<=rtles t c leave
the ship.
-fter
the explosion there w s a
space, e x p l o s i v e gases
I ^ixesz,
have
ccrponenets
when I
learned
i na
saying
"vhat
n o t h i n g came o v e r
two minutes,
sh=p has ^ e e n h i t and t h e s i t u a t i - "
t h e wo:: a s , a t l e - ^ s t
i t mig'ht
v s I "t^e- e-.b^r,
"how c a n t h i s
said
iusr
thi-g
w^s
on
o o rh.ere •a-s
have been 5 o r '
± and
then
t i e s h ' p h..--z t a k e n
is crUlcab
and
sat i n
t o the ship, 1: kept
t h . a t v e we-e i n b i s t r o u b l e ,
d i d cc-e t h a t
coalesce
ir"that
t h e spea'-'ers a s 1 r e c a l l .
have been
o f announcement
we
the hell?",
as i t seemed, x a n o t h i n g happened
-^re p i c k e d
that
t h i n g s - t h e r e was a p e r i o d w h e n , I t h i i n k ,
I thought
the ship
k s x know w h a t h a d h a p r e n e d , e x c e p t
i n a confined
i r . i n u t e s b e f o r e we r e a l i z e d
the
from
n o t unccm-on and t . - t ' s why - " i r e s s o - e t i - e s
and p a i n t ,
o period, i tiright
some k i n d
control
to tell
i n t'-e " " i r e f i g h t i -g b i i s i n e s -, f'^e.t
l o o k i n g a t one a n o t h e r
little
be a b l e
seen a n y t h i n g I ' k e i t , b u t I ' v e s i n c e
b i t f row p e o p l e
very
start
g o b y - i t made a b s o l u t e l y n o s o u n d , i t w-s a b s o l u t e l y
m.ayor e x p l o s i o n t h a t ' s
spread
a
'hre s h i p ?
- P a s i n a t i n g , u;:f c r g e t t ^ b l e I
w h e n we r e a l l y
will
W i S , t l n a t 's w r e n I l e f t
C - a n d "ow d i d „ o r ^ e a v a
h
'-or-ally
gave t h e f i r e
wr.er: tine o r d e r w-s
n o t i n t h e damage
'-'t v , h a t - v e r h o u r
have
o n t h e s h i p?
b u t ^ c.<-
th/.t exactly
T h e r e was a t i r e
p e r s c - i n e l wh'd't'ere
would
%
otherwise had.
G - ( t o h ) how l o n g d i d y o u s t a y
.i - I don't
which
of this
a h i t
- I re"e--er
the situ-tier
*:hose
i s critical,
be?", i t ' s not p o s s i b l e , that
thing.
:r
bardshar-niocney,
2,
side
5-5-5-
y o u V"ovr, w-s
a fire
crac''er.
So we
on t;-!e f l i g h t
deck.
I t seered
that
that
the
would
open
flight
up and
d e c k , and
go
t h e passages a l l
to
their
stations,
we
were
we
the
s h i p , were
B u t now,
of disaster,
to their
on t h e
of
happening.
the airplanes
push a i r p l a n e s
seemed
I
You
I guess
r---..- and
g
th
- one
• ,..ie:.ly
h
heard
i t .
seemed
i-yi"g
the
t o r p e d o p l a -os w e r e
t o Iwr-c'
they
—
about
--til
'. e l r w
cc'-'d
f - i s
what
kx
decks
r-
e--me
i-ter-eoted
the '.ell
running
condtion,
nd
out
kinds
of
things
see t h a t
so-e
t h e orr-'e^s we^e
sort
to
of did whatever
ove" the
wc/ld
sides,
j r ^
1-te- a
thi",
i : 7fX2:c r e - ^ o v e - t'-e s i r e .
'-.oy
i w-e
i t t ;.• t
alrrlanes
r e c c 1 ^-c ^ i o ,
cms
o-
I b'-:
,
^
r-,.-3'^o
0"^
t o happen
w^-e
,-,-T-->_
new.
o f ' the
- - -'^e
t'--t'e
ship.
g-
- i;'-^ :.s.---'^-' d:^ch,
^^•-.-•^•^
f 1„ i n g .
r
o--t o '
t'-e hc-msg-r decb- b e e - um-^
a^-^
-a- — p
- e nev
-r. i n t e n t ' o---
gl-ce,
o' t h e ' i , : t e - s
i n -ei -
1* goinc
on
t^"-e o'-i'?
-n
t m i
for th t
you could
fire,
ju-t
I - t'-.e f i r s t
rs-
hatch
actualy
then a l l
of launcbin^
t h e ^ l i " - t 'ec'-
p-.-.-i---_
;-;ai
o^
rn„ , b u t g r
airplanes.
c '•••-^
t h i K i V ao'- c d y w-s
by
some a i r e I ? - r e s
t o he , t o my
Ir-^ed,
Cnce ^
roue
I push-d
ar:g i r t e r t i a n
C
where
deck were
t h - c t'-e ^ [ ' - i - e s c c r l r - ' t
T'ere
And
I d i ; n' t u n d e r s t a n d , w-.s
- I ' t h e r e was
a
because
o r a n o t h e r went
see t h e f i r e s ,
,r.,h. i i s g t ^ ^ t r - - ~ r
thin..
had
out
because
of course,
so e v e r y b o d y j u s t
r--a-b--- h —
g e t up
p e o p l e were
that
one way
deck.
then
over the side,
c-n't c l r - r l y
^-i'r
could
on t h e ' l i g h t
natural.
t|r,ere was
I think,
individual^stations
flight
aet r i j h t
a h i t or something going wrong i n
the
were
o u t th.-^t w a y ,
t h e guys
the torpedo p i l o t s ,
up
could
hatches,
at general quarters,
so t h e a i r g r o u p ,
h a t c h and
we
t h e s h i p s dan-age c o n t r o l
were
going
the • e were
o f us w e n t
i n a conbat zone.
assi£,ni!ients i n c a e e
so-e way
o u t , r i ^ ^ t o u t on a c a t w ? i l k and
nest
down a l l
had
---^ ^ r ^
hhat
The
we
key
-a'
g ac-'t
•••e^e w o r r y i n g
ipression
sice
lDarr'hhar--ocne7,
2,
tV. t t h o s e
I h:id
ccapany
of
fifficers
6-6-6
people
and
men
coi:ected
o f a l l , because
were
uselessWe
just
until
And
t h e r e w-s
t h e n a guy h o l l a r e d
t h e r e vras a h c s e
a n d was
to
that
t o go
h.ad s t a t i o n s
had a d u t y .
h^ave a n y
t o be d o n e ,
a t me
that
into
s o we
as p o s r i b l e
a-d
lasted,
e lev-'tor
wet
and
t h e r e was
one
five
t o were
types
s o we
just
explode.
minutes,
around
over.
w i t h a hose, or
over
and
e l e v a t o r a n d was
t h e r e was
milled
airplanes
a hand
used, so I went
t h e most
got a
hose
holding a
hose
a, g a s o l i n e s t o r a g e
area
t e i d e a r-as t o > e e p t ' - e t t h i n g
so i t w o u l d n ' t
maybe i t l a s t e d
duty,
pushed
he n e e d e d
t e e l e v a t o r becuase
rear i np the ship's
Us a i r g r o u p
official
vjasn't b e i n g
u n d e r t h e n u r r g e r one
But
wao
s t a n d i n g u p n e a r t a t n u m b e r one
pur water
this
duties,
they
didn't
something
w!io h;-^d o s s l ^ . - e d
ilow I h a v e
^ayfce h a x l f
no i d e a
a-d
?s c o o l
how
long
hour.
e n o r m o u s r u s h i n g s o u n d , i t >.aSxn' t e v e n
l^f.-e
an
e x p l o s i o n , i t was a n i n c r e d i b l e r u s h o f a i r a n d t h e e l e v - t o r , W'lich ••^-s
on r h e h a n g e r deck l e v e l
straight
down,
s i - ; p l y c a r e u p , j s a x a x r i j c f e t x s i r i x l g i i i n ' r e n t o f "e an-^ w e n t
right
up
can't
ror erher
ou:-
straight
t ! e r e t e •. -v- ang
or a n y t h i n g .
flew
out.
i n t e a i r r* :r ••rent r i ^ ^ h t
I just
any: o r e w-r s n ' t g o i n g
I
but
t'-e d ?. - -e c r n - r ' - l
ship.
I
the
myself
a i r ,^rr,:p w .: t h e n
o er t h - side
a personal
favorite
story
v o m m a n d , he was
loop
rfter
that
v -ocked
A
elevator j u ^ t
t - t f-e orde-
or non-ess e n t a i l
pretty
la::'esse-'tail,
t r d e p a r t , by
b u t he
b u t i t w^s
Zr. my
g n p t a i n Joh
a su^er
had
personnel,
i n the:-e
takne
uhac
, who
because
a l '
t r -p-o-a,-..-
<?t t h a t .
thnt
^^z.-"'s o-"
=^
s'se
^--t
were
clear
t'-en .'syc y-^^ t h r o " - ^
.-tbout J c h n - . o s b i n d s ,
was
c^-e
g TT~S o " e n d e d
f r o : t h e f 1 ' • h t dec": d s w n ,
iibci,rd
I
necessary.
p-^ties,
o f th-. a i r group,
r e - e - b e r '•pi.--
t h e nurrh'^r one
I re-e'-:''-er t h e t e - r - n o n - e s s e " t i - 1 a-e
0 considered
lines
"Jesus,
the r a d ^ r mast.
t a t t h t p-' " t t h ' - t p o u r i n g - a t e r
t o be
d c : - ' t • - e r e r b e r how
shoe': , I d o n ' t
t^ oUght
Sc v a t i d e c i d e d
over
ch-re i s
r'as a
gre-t
he h ^ d i . ' t
taken
com--ande s o he - - o u l d s p e n d p^
bardshar-mc-ney,
gre- t d e a l
side
of t i n e
i n the
Captain
E u r a h c e r w: s
felt,
friend
a
E
He
been
came a b o a r d
i
Eo
E
- he
-re'd
a
vi-.s he
ns
sore
Xt
short
-spine
(SJO
g-rad s s
faalirg
deserved.
"who
whereas
I 1±K±X
J o h n H o s k i n s was,
tire.
strike
and
was
on
of
'or
we' 1
ti^e.
a l l of
the
because
e a s y g o i n c - '•f'^erevfs Eur-^c'-er
d^ -"•'^'r^^evoe b e t w e e n b e l - \
for^-al
are,
on
a
w-s
passenp>~"'
Euracker
cc-
routein
s'-ipper,
thr.t
the
s i d e , but
com~a-:der
h-.d
th-t
a-^d
t""0, theg
they
was
was,
a y - - r was
two
years,
aboi^
normal,
of
a combat
the-e
dl'n'b
I
th?t
no-i^-al,
-.alsey's
or
,,_,•> g----^ t h - t ?
think
they
•"•an'-ed t o srre-^.^
job
wore
out
t'-e : c r e r i e n c e
-cnths
nav^l
~v^\^^"-.
i n p--ce t i - e .
officer
vessel.
before
3ur = kcer,
-.s s o r e
^et
13
b e c a u s e any
staff
aut -blogr 'phy),
sh^ p
t ere
cormands about
and
One,
c - i y keep
b e e n on
I k
type?
nor- a l t ' * ng?
long
reasons.
t o h a v e comr-and
Halsey's
'or a l
f o r t;-e'- t o r o t - t n
tt.a^t -.ras p e r f e c t l y
r->d
fcr-:al
only
that
t':^
handle i t .
i t f o r two
but
has
and
couhd
h.9.d
; ou
siie,
the
thr. a i r g r o u p
had
they
- r e y ou ? A r e
the
transferred?
time,
- i.iuracker
hecific
v.^as
on
you
t h - t race,
- Yeaii,
E
05;
i t -was
a ye-)r a t
would
as
- Ahey d i d
h
him
l o t o'
I'm
think
hadn't
long
so
.s a
he
of a d - i r a l
question,
bein_
- He
C-
It
h i r a l l the
t o kno"..'
sort,
so.
question
- one
a b o u t as
in
kind
think
n e v e r .any
3
th.e s h i p , b u t
t h - . t China: a
•'•here* s a
- Yeah, I
E
a i r group,
captain.
3 - 1
why
of
the
f o r q u i t e a xi:±i2x l e n g h t y p e r i o d
before
that
- what
C
saw
boa-d
gottea
w^E
for^-al.
being
h
i n cor^-and
on
just
roor. w i t h
strikes.
rat'-er
and
ready
b e c a u s e we
- He'd
?o2r:r.osa
7-7-7
2,
t'-._
that
f o r ry
ctttlcism
i n t r e Eouth
cne^ ,
of Eur=ch'~r
erd-tian t h - t
r
and
bardcL- I--.- ccriey, s i c e
but
rer-e: b e r fclie P r i n c e t o n
;--3S v e r y
strong
aw-n.y b e - - u s e
ri'ch
and
good.
t'^e w a r was
-c-e
relaAod
>new I '--es i n t h e
B
he's
- The
s t i l l
and
executive
ali-uG
thin^
and
z'r-.e
as
fa r a as
I know
many c a s u a l i t i e s
kxYKZHfxtkEX
as
half
- Well,
they
flat
had
my
thoughtfully
w^'S
that
really
t o prevent
and
pair
earlle- t---t
on ?•> ' ^ c e t
I talhed
t o him
g r a b b e d h i r i w~s
t h e y were
Itso
he was
d i d you pat o f
that
a
later
about
th:ey d i d n ' t
T'-ey
had
senseless,
r a t h e r than f i r e
al-ost
s t o l e n ±i
I was
m o r e t'-an
fighters,
show t o s e e a b o ^ t o- ' i r e .
a s q u a d r o n ' " a t e o f ^ i ne
a service
h
- I couldn't
3
- n e t ' o r a v i n i o n , bu;
get a
one
service
under your
from't
issue
arm
issue
na'-^ed I - l a n y e t ,
t o go
was
a.id a
o v e r a--d
.38
a
.-^5
^rns
t h e Arr.y i n WW I a n d
c a r r y i n g th~^t i n a shoulder
- i t ;;as a t i l l
at that
tis:e,
a
had
holster.
.^5
.Es
i tw s
s t i l l
a ss-ns-vf
issue
'o- a
side
.-5
as
t h e s h ^ p?
.i^5 C o l t a u t o m a t i c ,
B
y. - h u t t h . t
-
i n t h e <iX#"p, a l l
spectaters.
spectaters
m.ade a t i g t u l j ^ e
f a t h e r had
kept
t h e book
x hi-ston Fol^
I --ere t o g e t h - ; r a t t h e tim.e w^e d e c ' d e d
been c a r r y i n g a
and
t ^ ^ t way.
da-nun int=>r--; s t i ; " p
i i t happ-ened
.35
Liscirline
c o o k s , and
a pretty
- h'ell,
but a
t o be
of them were
h
revolver,
o ' s-'^p,
- I reTr.erber h i n b e c a ue
a ciidshipDan, a r e e l
the Princeton,
t c ( h ) - s o hew
had
sort
o' t - e B i r ^ i n . h ^ - i
the thing
C
I-.aniret, a n d
proud
t h e ^' - = t t ^ - e I s t e p r e d
I h ow
discipline
X B - i t w-~s
I
i ^ ' the -•-ter
no i - i c h e y !• c u s e o r t'^row
casual,
.-.-ere m e a n t
internal
as a v e r y
C^^'icer
officers
Boc
r-nlo
Navy.
conpany
h
so-e
o n , t;'-.ere I •"or, b--en on «» c ^ - r - i e r
c f d i c e r w h e n I was
have
I s w
T h e r e was
CO; p a n y
the
tb.- s b i y .
t'.e s ^ i i p .
I
I
Z-l-S
1 sa--; no iw.-f.3 or
:ct
was
Z,
-'-c my; p r ' z e
p o = S'=ssi o n «»rd I Vp-^w
the old
man
jcxsxsicxx bardsh.-.r-aooney,
side
would
^ o i n g t o do,
tun
l o n g I was
going
not
water,
li'-e whrt
and
had
w^s
a po^^erful
but
I
x±
i n t'-e w - t e r ,
gas
line.
didn't
pretty
and
i'eet f r o n
and
„ni-g t o na-d
ens
which
my
he
-i. didn'-^ want
was
- no,
uh,
3
- Cne
of
t h e '..rater,
going
'n
but
ne
my
grip
down hand
a^d
becouse
he
t o get
I 'igrred
a hel~ot
go
hnovr,
you
hand
-'-'te g m
we
of"
st---t-d
binrdy
it'
and i t ' s
and
letting
so
I went
oursleves
down
rem.onsts'ating -with
hadn' t done
kept
o:-ce
dox-r- e g.? - h o s e ,
over
were
w-t"r
t o - o-^
ae^-e
to t i e water,
-s we
I wish
but
i n a b i g hu^ry
I can't
i f ^ or
I
the
i t - - - ^ s n l t g'-in-
o'-.'-or bt^cau.: e t l ^ e g
steppr-ing
that.
o n m.y
t o t h e w^-^ter, s o
I --.'asted t o g o t
was
aiiKiJs:'
I x
but
i n t're r - t e r . . .
on?
must
h
i n the
Princeton a t h e n
I remember, you
break
have
-bout
the c a - r i e r
of saying ±
t o drop,
- d i d 3 ou
of
behind
h a n d s and
tli-
hc-es
l e t y.urself
right
didn't
h a n d s b e c a u s e hw
(?) of
gas
dech
i s a n i c e w^ay
Fortunately
B
gotta
was
i^
ycin:
I too'!- t h e s h o u l - ' e r k s s s i x h c ' s t o r - n ^
threw
the f l i g h t
t o be
a gun,
l o t of o t h e r t h i n g s ,
„ou
--an-et
stepped
him,
a
I Hnew I ••-sr.
an-"" I -'^asn't s c a r e d
so
Ihey
hare
big
first
he
s>7iiner
l o t : i t i n the shuggers
dox'n
75
i d e a how
t h t I ^"S;-'t
I went
you
no
I w-~.s
2,
o'
"nad
r e - e ~ b e r , T-e y x x r s i i S ^ - S ^ ^ h e l m e t s
on
i
t'^-
ready
room
on
and
the
thing.
I had
and
helmet
I'm
h
would
srl'an^
- ho,
had
t h e th.ings
that
f i l l
-bout
I didn't
hare
t r e - t r ^ d om-e
cn
f'e s t a r b o a r s s i d e - t h a t
she
was
jam~ed
I'm
f : s r era
not
sure
i n under
was
p e c : l e j u m p i n •; v ; i t h
water
and
area": j a w a s
har
have been
t'm.t
th-re,
cn
bad
h-l:.et,
- hard
is
gotten
i t w-s
by
with
fish
a n y t ; i n g i t "-oLild
t:re I r w i n
was
rlon;
s i d e o'
^cu^.^
" ow
t h e ^^un
on
-ot a
fli_ht
- clot'-, h e l m e t .
tubs
t'-t.
he
s i " -^ r - Priao-tcn,
be
i n y-
t-~ • I r w i n
cf
sort
of
got
my
I f
i n t-e
I^e
i;---olvcd,
the P r i n c e t o n
so
water
r o c o " ! . ' - c t i on
t^e I'r-iapha-
---c'-'s.
w-=s
that
helr.n.
o r any^r-i-..; 1 ' v e
fee g - i n c - t a -
ruch
a-'d
he"'.~ets
I — ' . but
she
'-as
-"=s
h-d
?
bardsh
r-m.-ney, s i d s
locked
i r . 3o-ewk.ere a r o i i r d
topet-ar.
I
figu-ed
ran
15
I hod
•'hen y o u ' r e
nothing's
and
go
ycu
IC-IC-IC
had
i n sight
ah
t e r , you
and
t h e v/orld
t h e v;ater would
not
like
gou
be
at
-A--S
nobody w i l l
a sa'e
12 y e - r
e v e r go
used
old
it's
^e
- ..nd
it's
p r Ob. b l :
- I f ^ or p u t
--hwt
did
gear
thjt
l o t of
you
wind.
see
anything,
and
y o u r up
and
then
t h e way
top
you
I figured i t .
swim-ing
sunk
i n -what's c a l l e d
25OO f a t h o m . s , a v e r y d e e p p a r t
to look
foi^otten
- .,"cw
I ' l l tell
o'f
riawaii,
a l l .
I stuck i t aboard.
I ' v never
not
like
the
of the
ocean,
r t h e r , and
i n the a't-^r p c r t i o n
peorle,
I had
th? t v-s
and
f o r hchenncn u -icbins
v i e w e r s , and
5
that's
be
up
people
c o a s t man
for
C
som.e ^m^s±
-water.
a
can't
i t p i c k s you
i t vfould
the i n t e l l i g e n c e
ger
is just
you
i n tVeve
t h e west
but
by
do'wn a n d
lewars Scotch
"as
re.rl,
go
the r r i n c e t o n
cci-^n
swim, b u t
of t h e ocaen
come u p ,
nice,
rolli:'o;
o f sol---g I n t h e - x x x t K X X
goes away, and
that
krow
t h e sh'ps r e r e
I know I c a n
just
t h e n you
F o l e l o ? / Deep, 7 r h i c h i s a b o u t
so
fear
oo
th.ere's t h e shiip and
b a c k down and
- well,
any
i n ti^e middle
i n t,:e w
i x i t w^as
n i d sk=p,
a niece of cake,
c f wind
see,
TTisured
but
rerer
that'-
knots
2,
I don't
a
c^se
g i v e n t o r e by
, who
re-enter
of
a guy
:•. e r e
how
th-^^-e
the
I £ot
crta
str* butc
i t cut cf
that.
o l d Scoter..
s t i l l
•irin'-.o'-le.
i n ^ o u r her'- _ c u r-rg h:-ve
lore
o-
'zc^^^
t ^ e s'-'p, y o i -
so- -'cod:' ^ e i
^
little
b-t
fewr
c'
c?.rdshar-~crne7,
3 - 1
sax
crap
re;.ecdc-.r
shoot
crunched
s i d ^ 3.
I nad a n e n v e l o p e v . i t r i
up d o l l a r
bills
records
.1 •'
hA
could
you couldn't
up v e r y
on t h e s h i p .
paid
right
i n Fearl.
away.
ycu s i t t i n g there
i n 15
foot
waves.
Did
jacket?
- Yeah, b u t I d i d n ' t i n f l a t e
types
you can't
and
I had e l e c t e d
they
i t becuase y o u see once you
b l o w up u n d e r y o u r a r c s ,
do a n y t h i n g ,
you dcn't
not t c i n f l a t e
have
that
they
f r e e m.oviement
because
bein~
i n t h e •a-.ter.
s t e r n o f the. I r ^ w n , " j e c n s s e
nets
o n t h e j r starbo-'-'-p
sh"e
i t f-ced
the I r i -
t'-e I r ' - i n
side, which
eton,
inflate
a keep you up,
o f yo r arms
I d i d n ' t knov- wh^-^t was
t o h a p p e n , a n d I ' d b e e n s'-imwinp 3 t o 5 m i l e s
I h a d no f a r b b c u t
the
lost
quic'-:ly.
( t o h ) , - so,we l e f t
but
so
f o r money
ev e r y h t i n g .
l i k e v;e j i a r w e r e p a i d
- we w e r e
ti^ose a v i a t c r s
„oina
collect
r e c o n s t r u c t t h e m ^ i c r c f i l m s , and by and l a r g e t h e pay
were picked
iaave a l i f e
h
I aron i n a
h a d m i c r o f i l m on e v e r y t h i n g , t h e m i c r o f i l m s w e r e m_aMed
r_ - seems
3
^ou
- they
and t h e y
stuff
i n i t
I'ia - t h e p a y - = s t e r l o s t
out
sor'e
game i n 3 n t l / . ' e t o k ( ? ) , i t h a d a h u n d r e d o r s o b u j a c k s i n
I'l - •^'hat's r i g h t
B
1-1-1
P^-ge
Sonehow
a d a y o f f Haw? i i ,
I d r l f t e ^ ^ a-'ovn'-' ' - e h i - d
h^^^ r i g.ed - 1 1 o ' '':er r«=scwe
nea - t t h - ' t s i " c e
and t - - e r e w e r e
t ' ^ t w-—
no - - e t r n--
their
starb---
t 9 ovtbo'-rd
s'de
T'-ere, w h e n w h e n y o u w e n t o f t h e F r i - c e t - ' " u p b y t h e b o w ,
'ch i s
we
whe-e z me^n o:"'. „ s n d r i f t e d a r - w n d l ' " - t h i s a--^ as->: .^ronn- a n d
.teaai
this
a b.cspitr.l
V, a n d
csr^sman
t^..'>i :s.ow3 g p.:::'s
f o r s o - -xxtr.-?
_ s-i, a couple
of t h i n g s ,
T h e r e was
w; che g r i x e t o n , I d i "n* t h ow h i s na..:e t h e - and
-.0-:,
pe(.;_ I r : .vho h-.- l e a n
buy
t h a t ' s where
bsti
s ^ h i m
i
l u i r s , t-w- r r i n c e t s -
r-asa-s,
I dcn't
k cv
w a
-ser
-o-nle
" i r g wit'- t - o
'-'e u-d v^-a^• i--- s'-c''
why, b u t what
he h a d
done
c-rdsh-r_-c.-nsy,
r.e li-ie
f-iee
aad
then
but
h e was
3,
side
a robe
l-'.-2-
cT so:, e b i n d
cb
he a s 1.. "he / / . i t e r w i t h
i;l--d
i t ^ro^j.-d
i h e - , boa h e
sv;ir-ina vrit , t h e rope
i n h.ls t f e e t h ,
tbe vaist
o f e a c h c.-.e
^ o t i n I don't
a h.e was
k-sow,
svri:.-:-ing t h e
7bre--st
strcb:e
and d r a g g i n j - t h e s e
unf o r < e t a b l e ,
I
h e was
have a v e r y ,
around
i between
cf
the roi'Mng
in
toward
Irvin
water
cf
the Princeton
thjt
lasted
there
-would
just
that
I have
they
no
Tor;.?
K
- well,
s e t t i n g "aboa-d
was
•' t b •
l i n e ? c-e :• t h e s i d e
:^ecv;--e r e " ' 'r-rr
sd t
sin
t l -es
;:g
fl;-_^-..:
fees
about
drift
really
- -'a--'-
^^--.s.
t t;--.:;e ^ u ^ e '.r a •. e^e
-e •"
-
srorrl
c h i n k in.,
the si::th
ti-e,
11
t gcrd
and
killed
the
couldn't
swic.
?' r s t o f 9 1 1
b'-e^
-
t'- e c -vgoe
-oe taa:
nets
'-/^ - - - t - - " .
; e a 1?
s"'i • - - ^ r s •
'w
gn
srutr
I r s ' • " , i.:'
o'-t
i t r--"
— s i '-••'^ I c l i b:s i t a b o u t
_uy i n t h e
i: u p , s o a f t e r
I decide-''
t h e bow
. e t us a l s s t t s - •e- - I sc:-1" ^^et
t . c: s ' u g e r s , s o r e
I could
they
e r e \s.' t ' e r e
c b i b ' - r " --mr
I "oubi
o f up s u r g e o f
the Princeton
'we--"-:"
: n^ 1 :._ t : ^:rb :r- t h ; s ; d ^ r d s h e I r - - i n .
ev-rgti±e
-would r o l "
i n t h e w - t e r between t h e
down t h r o u g h
great.
e^-r -• c - ' . " ^
. t i g t . g O b ' i t :H
because
the I r v i n
b i g sort
dc anyth.ing,
t r e c r ^ o n e t ^ : i r . ^ t , .o'e • . ,;re t b e _
li.:.-
tough
w h o 'were e i t h e r
- y ou c o u l : ' - ' ^ _ e t
a
B u t w h e n y o u .act
idea,
you g e t aboard
e^ = - h - ^
there
would
couldn't
any-ay
a n d i f y o u • e r e up t o w a r d s
i saw
and t h e n
they
be t h d s
just
g'jy t n . a t ,
guy.
get flattaened against
- ho-f'd
. :b s c e n e
that
p e o ' l e who w e r e
B
.. - _ r^. ^s
ZBX ccreagous
t h e g a - e g o t rea'''^y
cao.e t o g e t h e r
people
o f us, because
long
inci:
and c r u s h
and t h s P r i n c e t o n ,
seriously injured
How
then
h i r , i t w~s
o f t h e s h p s , t ^ E y |5r±H p e r i o d i c a l l y
-were X3i many
restsl
o:i
t h e tv;o s h i p s
t h e I r v i i n y o u :N(Ould
or
an i n c r e d i b l y
c l e a r p i c t u r e of seeing
aa t h e two ships
there
I
very
just
t/ro f e l l o w ^ s b e h i n ' '
"tris
t r ;:-u:d
I -..ent b a c k
^ r ^ b -e b y t'-e
i n the water
i s ^c^ ng t o k i 1 1 r e " i f I k e e p
ba: d s h a r - r ; c o n e y ,
on doii.v
having
tbis,
climdo.
there
u n f l
a Stewart'
enormous
I
life
I could
s -rate,
hconey
guy, b i gpowerful
a n d he was s o r t
so
I swai t
••^ater.
X
"loated
it
seemed
like
so
I p u t i t around
I C ' guys
slipped
perch
that
thing
-core
green,
•— " e s .
face
b i g lasso
that
from
were
time
t h e r e a-^s
an
back
arc p o i n
on t h e
t ' -g and
beCoUse
-
tami d i r e c t o r s , c a t a p u l t
d i r e c t o r s wore y e l l o w
cre'^s
I t h i n " ' -"cw w^s
down
i n t e w a t e r b u t he
and p o i n t i n g a t him
h i m a n d '-•old h i s h e a d
-"^d '••T'='-/.r t h i
i n the w-ter
of this
c r a n d mo
b u t o f t'"e
a n d i t l a nd ec o u t h t e r e
him. i n l i k e
d he j u s t
And I
" - e l t so good
' - c"
lb
i t o v e r h' = he-:d s-d
he was a b i g - " i s h .
i t o u t t c me, and I
r e : l a d r.e i i n l ' ' - e a h i p
i i n d m l " - 1 1 -'am
J:r-': r - ^ " i - ^
I don't
s 1^ ^.e o u t e v e -
^ y, sli.,ped
-e a 1 1 - e , ^ ' 1 1 h e l . „ o u . "
--he-"e:'r -n
c
could
d - i " t out
t ;e Princeton,
man h e made a l o - p a n d h e t h r e w
:e - b i - e c r . e f l - g ,
•-Wnrt
crc-^man
they
wore
hollaring
I
g u y , a n d I n d :-een a j u n i o r l i ' ' e s a v e r
the waist
2iii"3i::i:h2:rri-Kg:::;
th^^fc I s.-id " G i v e
•et
he w-s
deck
u n d e r h i s irrss and t h e cock r e e l e d
t h t great
that
cf myself,
o u t "-'.-^-"e a n d t'-e co-'- a ' t p - " a w h i l e ,
c--^g, -•^de a g r e ^ t
then
About
wby, n o t
knoi;-' - - r h i c h , o n t'-e l^"'\r,
pet behind
k n o w ho;.'-
And
care
b i t s o t h e c o o k was h o l l a r i n g
not'-.ing t c j u s t
I
ta>e
t o do.
of floating
ove>- a n d g o t t h i s
-r-d
Ib-t's
guy, s t r i p p e d t c the waist
tbie c o l o r s
handlers
i t .
t h ^ tI'd just
- '•'•'••is p r y had a hel...et o n t ' ^ - t
was r o v i n g a l i t t l e
and
o u t --•h'=t
o r c o o k , I ••'on't
- plane
s t M l
away, f i g u r i n g
o v e r a n d I saw- a f l i g h t
Bardsaar
t o nabe
jacket I could
figure
l a r d s h r ) what were
yellow,
not ^oing
o f t h e I r - w i n and I r e a l i z e d
looked
(to
my
So I f l o a t e d
black
f ant a i l
3-3-3-
xai-c I'm j u s t
indited
s t i l l
3»
side
-noe I g - t a b o a r d
he t u r n e d
cn -'
-n' "---t'-,
t o do so
^-o": - • •"
-'•-"-•
Irwin
s^::irg,
-r-r-'"-^ " r r
.:• cp-, • • ^ t e r .
xilp
bardshar-nooney,
s i d e 2>
I
incapable
VT-s p h : s i c a l l y
rhich
I
I fipvred
dcn't
I
think
rolling
they
t o 'r.-ow.
"thank
the Irwin
'was d a n g e r o u s l y
had a c o r b a t c r e w
Cat h - l i e
hut
i t ' s i n t'-e - - e c o r d s ,
extra
g-uys w e i g l i e d
so t h e " or^'e-'ed
c h a p l a i n on t'-e P r i n e e t o r ,
and
a f i n ^ t - h:,
h- a i r e
s-l'-
and t h . s h i p was
s o m u c h t h e r e vras a
a l l o f u s t o g-- b e ] ow.
e men',
thing,
was s t a y w l - e r e
t h e Japanese
t o stay ccol,
1 h=a m"
were
f c--• t
-^..— ir.::
co- i n g i n a n d n:abing
i n a " o d e s t l y upset
of ansty
state.
d o n e -.fas t c s t y a c o d , e n d t h a t
cool,
g l a ' .cu
- . -g a l l o w e d
t c t r y and s i n k
s?.id
" " i l l
torpedo
things
helped
me
' t t'-e -or^'r'^t
ct;
f'-'.s g\'y,
-
t ^ - e -o-e
I h a : -w-s t h e m a i n
^ e t o u t o' t h i s
runs
were
f is.
and
thing,
:her^-
I realized
I den't
rcurf
end t h a t
everybody
had t o be
k n o w how
i r circles
long
a-d t e l
' nd "^-en ft f c - s o - e
cn -'•^c"-, " ^ o - ' t r ~ e be-- - h y .
t l e P r e -?ceton
ca^s
was
h a , e n i -g a-d
greatly,
..'ust ---I'-'ed
't -- e l l
t e ge up
-e
"hile
a-on., a l l :-he I r ' - c e t - - ^
So t h e r - a i n t h i n g
l . - s t e d , maybe a n h o u r o r t w o , we
stay
aludes
r-ir^
ove a^cu-d .
• cu a r e and w e ' l l
3cro.fin-o had a l l ix±x k i n d s
a
d ^' hp -.'o- ^ 0---I - ~ t ,
t o t ^ e r - gUye s o we wal'-ed
and s a i d
whr n a r e s
- - l o n g a-d he x x 5 r
b^: •; th^. •• _ u y '
pecgle
time
o r f^C guys
b e l o w a n d s t dow" so--e!r e ••e i n a r-'o- a-" a ' t
c o - e a ; i t h me
overloaded
o f 25C o r s o o n t h e c a n , so--et'rrin,i. I ' - e
h a d p i c k e d u p some hCC
the
case
I ' ' e n t b a c k u p a n d S'loo'-' h i s
o u t o f t h e way b e c a u s e
dang^sr t{-> t h o I r w i n ,
people
h-^r.r who t h e
of order t o surv-vors t o
and because a l l t h e s e
of s a n i t y
twa f e e t .
a l l kinds
I went
it
by a t l e - s t
d-ring
you, thank you."
began
And
was
lowered
tl-e,
issuing
and t h e y
^reat
li'-e
then the Irwin
the hell
that,
C c e a n was
h-o-': w h p t h e g u y i n t h e w s t e r was a n d I d c n ' t
hand w a r - l y a d s a l e
get
c f a n y ' - i n c f a r same p r o t r - c t r d
the l a p i f i c
r-.-c'- w a s , b u t I ' d s u r e
5y
^-h-h-
-w-s
fant-stic.
.-r-d
i t
s i d e 3»
"bardshar-inccney,
T'-.ese ,"?y
I
'-^ t'-e
the
t e r r e d OS
Jesus
and
ordinance
and
they
,she'd
v/as
'was
an
so
and
around
and
up
so
on
i-possible
gcing
t c r.ls-,
seers
a
t t . e r e was
he was
u.
th'-hir^
a_.d
then
slight
- I
fish
leap
i t kept
strai
ad
::s,s
s
r-rn -r:l
'i
he
back
he'd
cn
-'-rlst,
s'e
f 1^
- -:s ::ra c . i i r "
• ere
^-es
a-d
shis havy
the
ship
^ t
i '
and
tl.ere
crank
-y
so"eone
a l l that
was
these
Job,
s! : t 1 "
cut
Irw'n
butt
'-is b u t t
-d
r ddc^r,
I r-
-nd i t
su"ered
- :
--ccl'-cthcs
asd
he
•oher
w^s
' to
t'.,
in
"'rsc'i-;
:d , - "d
•.r.
t r . s ' : r s : _ ' - t b„
pretty
'n.ad
f ^ l ^ s,
i t .prt e t . u
a ad
I thought i t ' s
s" i p - e r
see
thi-ps
dropping
s t r - a ' s i ng
as-
the
w-s
that
i t ' - e - t "-:-n:-g and
a l l over
•
'would
tcw-.rds
rl^hs
--ith
occureed
t u r n ^ . n g , and
o r ' d^e.
or sc-othing,
sail
I re-e-ber
t
thought
t o a l - o t a s t o p , sr.e
had
he
I
recollection
i t could
i t went
Irwin,
':een
s ; i t h hote:c
was
and
and
turning
h
ca;:e
ex;> l e s i o n
c "
and
cclli^in^
like
because
Irwin
t o ay
re-e-ber.
b i t accut
bslg beautiful
^ rou.nts and
interested
thint
ccvered
sha.z=
. s v.a. cz 'i:
this
t o si.nk i t ,
little
t h e y ' r e bent
she
locking
things I
the
o f f an^d
tc believe, i t started
cc- i n : r i ^ h . t
bad
e
this
and
pretty
trp-
and
on
a
in a l l this
t'ne B i g n i n g h a -
pretty
indg^nit:
that
like
pulled
t c s.,e th:.-.t ts.e c a p t a i n o f t h e
grave
that
had
t;:e t o r p e d o
I saw
then,
i t was
Irv/in
I hn^--
'-ount^
look
i n t h e vra<.ter
then
I -aas
torpedos,
they
thiey were g o i n g
old chief
torpedo
only the
t o s i n h P r i n c e t o n , so
sitting
i t - by
over
s.-on
the
i n th.e w ^ t e r
ciy hor.e
rcere c n
a t the
and
^'hey'd b e e n d o - a g e d
And
derd
t"".ls-rs
or. t h e P r i n c e t m
been ordered
aliLost
facts,
look right,
rere.
Princeton.
ght
I looked
tl-.ey d o n ' t
5-5-5
t
'e
• ••'-e
t'ir_.
/
•'-T'r-:
i •"
ho
.3-
t '
•-•
down.
sink
torpedo
shot
•-d
of vr
:.e':.-e
will
die.!"
one
?nd
end
amides': " p
i ^ - - e r t -p^i p'-t e g ,
^rd t h e n
t..ep
i t -ent
and
an.d
/•
• e*
tl.e r r i n c e t o n
net
^
_
• _
i t ree
and
•"
ed
I styed
-r,
tc
up
ri^ht
my
broke
like
and
re
-o
e
i- tr-t
I d'd
see
heno
the
- r o - e s s l n - n a l s an^
recollection
i n two
ho
r - - q n - ^ s t ' "' ':vt
-.v.-.-,»
f o r t k - . t and
i n ch.ere
i t just
^
i " s^-^-'^d
e t'le nord
J u s t wd-iipped
i n and
-ct---""':
is i t rigi^t
sunk.
There
was
they
righ:
instant
danage.
Bardshar
W k l l -was
the
- the performance
but
Irwin
I suspect
i.arsha
_ how
stearing
l o n g we-e
t c ha j u r o ,
asking
i f he
wanted
know.
which
on
-ay
he
early
torpedos.
hare
desmgn
the
part
I suspect
ccntr''.buted t o
of
t'.at
t'-e
proble-s.
I^^.-rin?
/rere on
i s wdnere we
would
- so
unt' 1
to
1 se-t
l 3.T3\:?
rwtioj:,
cf the
wo
i t that
were
n i g h t and
transferred
are '"e^-e
t o -^ir-ingh^m..
p n f i .
Inr-ishr
-
s\-re, b u t
..c--ror.ur
i-vg
too
got
B u r a c ' - e r and
guys
bs c k
fighter
and
and
did core
pilots,
I urp'nys
"'e-t b o c k
then
b^ch
we
on
su-ne,
in . a ju~o
reo
nnd
that
I
;.nd
'ay.
-gar'zed.
-ir?'in--'r---'?
lou
k-o".- we
h-^
a
eTes'yo-e i - t ' e a i r .
lir-i.o-r--r-
a r t ^ n i * »e--,'
s' e c-:-""" s--'g, a'--
went
-rite
•-^o'- t - g
-
--r^ile?
- - r l ''•-^^vv.
f - i:t
-ir.- n
.m:lsey,
t o F o l k w h e n I vms
t o Siapan
n ^ - e r had
r
e 2
1 -ck.
up
^irr-inha:
-
rerain-er
s i d e b --
on
seme o f y o u r
l.-rdsh._,r - s o r e
tolling
c a r r y us
o t • ers went
there
coney
ll
you
- I'es, I rn.e b e r
p e r ha •. s s c " e
ke
-cunts
i n the
i t Birmingham?
•^ardsh-r
and
torpedo
t h e r e were b a s i c
V.ocney - I d o n ' t
V;as
torpedos
scandalous,particularlysub'nrine
dam.ape t o t h e
pr-ble-
o f US
~'
i g. ^'--^.g- ,
is
—
the
d b o" i d ' s a : : r r - t e , - - s f
: h l l l i p i . - G S . . G . i r t h u r had c v s r o l l
aiithcnity,
•sculd
t h . t i s he d i d n ' t
do
o u t he a p . a r e n t l y
operation
boiled
no
was
loss
reports
relations
the
until
staff
ccure
way
through Ic.-rthur's
h"ow
rele-sed
a t s e a ^r/
f o r s-veral
tryin,_
Oi".e - n a i l r - e s s a ^ a x on t ' e l l s t l a
o u t psc.in)
t i s - e
you wrote
nn
e n v e l p e a s w e l l , and y o u c o u l d
it
by a i r "ros b l i t h e .
ry
f---ily
r-ised
f-e
>new
'-el''
pe-pl-
p-:g e r
- obviously
•^he
we w e r e
true
i t h-d no n - - t i ?:-~"
because o f
lists,
nllo-'Sd
but the
to -r'te
- e ' l envelsp-:S
?
t h i n a v d - i c h vr-s
t'-.e^ w o r l d
sin'-i-n
disp-tc'
f - t
f o r e^'ery'-ccy n-d t h - t
i - - o r ^ -nee b u t i n t - r s o f
i r v o " . - e d , -^e -"s-e o^ntr-ge'^.
- r ' b ......g^-..^
:C i n . l e v t . , I S c C .
t . : .^0 t o Ihin-..
fro.,
u n t - 1 t'-e f i r s t
I t was 5 day s a f t e r t h e s o t u a l
h o - n e y ' s w i "e "->:• '-o e i ' - h o c ' - e s t e 1 1 be
days
one o" t h o s e
I vr^s a l i v e a n d fc'-.at w-s
(-o-e t a l " ^ on ' - t i - _
he*
so t ' - - -eI-'t'-"es and
t h e •-escape o n t h i s
send
reports
t o t ' - - pre-s t h ^ t
KSKSX c a s u a l t y
to co-pile
t h e a-ord g o t o u t was w h e n we g o t t o b l i t h e
bade^
public
vray m e s s a g e s g o t o f f z t o who was a l i v e ,
t h e H'vy was b u s y
(sound
bu- h t e
t h e i n s t a n t t h - t t'-e b ' - t t l ' =
had b e e n l o s t
f r i e -ds o ' 12"'' p e o p l e d i d n ' t
the only
i t really
a t s e a i n t h e h'O'/y t h e r e a r e
i n t o : 0 r t h u r , t h - A r - y Ph p e o p l e
rail,
and s f l i a t
t h e n e - t o f h l n have been n o t i f i e d ,
was a n n o u n c e d
Halsey
then t e r co^-ander because t i e
i s lost
a l ost insta-'-ly,
c a r r i e r Princeton
sea
tlie
t c return t c the Philippines,
bf the Princeton
ca--e
was
-i -
:-u-;thority i n so e way, i f n e t
h a v e d i r e c t a u t h o r i t y o v e r V7hat
down t o w a s , w h e n a sY.xz
public
t dseei-- - t'-o l - r ^ i ^
thr- t i n e
He r a j o r e d
n l 11^ o i l r-ells,
)
, bg - - i t h
i n ..eolory
uninersit„
*: c h ' I d .
i n ooile„e,
o f Hoc'" e s t e r ,
b u - he Vn---
h= ..uS 1 1 t b t uc; r ^ s _^si.n_ t s '.e -• . . - r - b - ^ v i t o r .
•. n.ly r e a ^ u n h.-;
-•-ntsd
ent t o c o l i c . e i s because h i s o l d r a n said
he
G R E A T
and
A M E R I C A N
lepratrd
lomoyiiki
soon.
the message from
could not
been
brave
Yamashita
able
to
forces
l)elieve
in a n
Admiral
P I L O T S
O F W O R L D
W A R II
I ?F.
the beach, (ieneral
Y a m a s h i t a , the c o m m a n d e r of the J a p a -
nese forres,
actually
F I G H T E R
believe
that
enough
to
said
it
later
he would
attempt
to
kill
M a c A r t l i u r had
come
a.shoi(:
that
if
had
have
concentrated
he
MacArthur
to
so
been
his
avenge
Shis t u n u c l
eighty
Fighting
far
things
the J a p a n e s e
marshaling
air
and
had
gone
according
all
on
of
the
their
sea
remaining
for
a
as
daring
as
it
plex
scheme
called
for
every
plane
to
sprawling
be attacked
hit
our
was
But
(wo
in
the
counterattack
available
in
At
the
land-based
same
time
Leyte ( i u l f w a s to
flire<"tions.
Katly on D c t o b e r 24th the .Americans noticed increased enemy acli\'ity in the air. I n fact the J a p a nese
atlualiy
while
bjrd
(als
al
oiii
a
\\ d i d . l.it^lil
iici
154
I iiDi
of
dangcious
|)aliols ami
ail
o n c a i h big ( a i t i c i .
the
when
wcic
a
(King
laigc
ait
litiie.
jMit
ll
pilols lidin I'iqhling 27
( ' a i l I'mwn
!'> nil
contiol
pai t i< ii l a i K
( oitibal
on aicil
Icn.uil
icgaincd
a
W v donIlcll-
w a s toilunair
led b\-
(',,\l' over
•'biigie"
lot
sixiccii
was
im luding
shot
down
urgentlv.
ihtough
llic c a i i(|)(iite(l.
I f )
M U
I 'Ml:
II M -ir J r
]ai)ancse altai k loixc ol
sixtv-lue
flight
main
and
lighlcis.
Brown
with his lew
of
O n e enemy
them,
T'll's.
but
bombci
would
came
the
in
Fabled
der
David
his
wingman.
the
foiin
Fifteen
of seven
off
make
liel|j
had a l a
Lieutenant
Roy
Carrier planes soften up Leyte beachhearl
more
the
M c C a m p b e l l cleared
were
cunning. T h e com-
fleets.
iiuasion force
by sea horn
strength
smashing
was
our
plan.
had a plan of their own. T h e y
that
enemy
to
ix- a
-T.!
dinxt
hit on the Pinirrlon.
from
So
27
broken
Help
Gulf
to
the d.ingerous
needed
ready
Y a m a m o t o ' s death.
T h e B a t t l e of L e y t e
planes,
intercepted
was
oui
T W
Hellcats
Comman-
his guns and
Rushing,
took
with
on
/>
-
1/
their
tatsiets
Subu
F.av. C l a r k
.\n
ni H e l l i ats
carrier
over
Manila.
f
the most
Pacific.
violent
Before
week of aerial
it was over
fighting
in the
we h a d destroyed (V)0
enemy planes, a n d h a d lost only 89 of our own.
As
OctoVjer 2()th drew
armada
formed
Pacific
Even
not
at sea. F r o m
many
.Amciican
bases
in ilie
700 ships converged on tlie island of l,e\ie
from
have
Admiral
be
close, a great
high in an airplane
seen
an observer
all of the awesome
ITiomas
the attack
fleet
K i n k a i d ' s Seventh
force
at once
Fleet
was to
a n d also slicpherd this m a m -
moth convoy which was transporting
troops toward
could
193,841
Aiinv
the landing beaches. Halscv's T h i r d
Fleet w a s to stand off a n d give general support.
Early
from
f>n the mottling
of October
Mitschet's (arriers as well
Sprague's
three
groups
of
20th,
as .Admiral
escoi t
cariiers.
plan.',
1. (.
whleh
were with the landing force, took off for L e v t c and
other
152
islands
in
(he
Philippines.
T h e names nl
27
together
Planes
foririation
and
began
Jaijancse.
n cigai'tte.
of Zetds
.Although
slashed
to fall
in
a
When
I'hen
the
from
LieutenaiU C o m -
Ilellcats
were
out-
(he Japanese
while only
into
it
was all
the
of
landings on Levle's
noti(cd
his hps. It
liafl
to l ) u i i i
siN(\-six
was
Mellcals was
l)uiti
T h e wlu.)le fighl
failed
them
27's
soinething
six of ours
}a[)aiiese.
Brown
o v e r .
Fighting
lost
tlie
the sk\^ M a n i l a
as long as the cigai'etle took
'File
Brown
welcoming c o m -
ditectK
he fell
was his cigarette.
day
'Then
CatI
" F r e d , " he yelled
all - and e\er\e
nf)t one of
missing,
lasted
down.
planes
just
Fhat
in the air
to rctuiii.
east
coast
near
I'aclo-
and Diilag were a sue( ess. (ieneral Mac A r i h u i
sailed
vilh.
Lieutenant
five to one, B a r d s h a r called his figbteis
thirt\-eighl
(hat
l-'i( Id,
tVoiii tbe
of waitirn;
to light
topside."
numbered
Nichols
a m thing to shoot at
liiKl
I ted Bardshar. "\e
niander
ban
ring
liis radio to sf|uaclron leader
mittee
of
Iduhting
fired
decided
a large
o\'ei
Pilots in the ready room of their aircraft carrier
tamiliar
(I
Field.
coiiklu'l
I'nn-.i
Brown
saw
had a
(J'
in with
I'hat
the inN.ision
afternoon
force
he radioed
a!.io,u<! llie .\'rJr
a
message
the islands: " T h i s is the \()i<c ol Irr-edojii,
Mat Aithui
speaking.
People
lo ail
(Jeiieial
f)l the P l i i l i i ) p i i K s : I
have K ' t u m c d . . . ." .A little latei
he waded ashor<'
153
Frederic A. Bardshar
r-
<
k a r s h a L. C l a r k
379^ S t a n t o n C o u r t
Sirai V a l l e y , C a l i f .
Dear Mrs.
A p r i l ^7,
19o:,
93036
Clark,
y.y f i r s t r e a c t i o n t o y o u r l e t t e r o f A p r i l 1 , r e g a r d i n g n.y exp e r i e n c e s on t h e use P r i n c e t o n (CVL 23) was t h a t I d i d n ' t nave t h e t i r . e
and w h a t w o u l d I say ? I ' v e haa s e c o n d t h o u g h t s and a:.: w i l l i n g t o g i v e
i t a t r y . Ky c o n t r i b u t i o n i n t r y i n g t o save t h e s h i p was n i l , w h i c n has
a l w a y s b o t h e r e d a e , I e n j o y e d t h e r e u n i o n i n Peno so iruch t n a t t h e
meno r y o f t h a t g r e a t s h i p has t a k e n on new m e a n i n g .
Ky t o u r on t h e '' P e e r l e s s P " was s h o r t . 1 j o i n e d t h e s h i p a t
E n i w e t o k i n e a r l y J u l y 194^+, so I was w i t h t h e s h i p l e s s t h a n f o u r m o n t n s .
My memory o f t h e " p e o p l e i s h a z y . Pjy c l o s e s t f r i e n d s were V i c I ' . o i t c r e t ,
Seymour P a r s o n s , and Pay Pgan.
i was o r d e r e d t o t h e P r i n c e t o n a f t e r r e q u e s t i n g sea d u t y w h i c h
I d i d b e c a u s e I m i s s e d p r o m o t i o n f r o m L t . t o L t . Cmdr. ( t h e r e a s o n was
X
l a c k o f sea d u t y ) . At t h e t i m e I was P r o d u c t i o n i i l e c t r c a l O f f i c e r a t
Mare I s l a n d N a v a l S h i p Y a r d where I had r e p o r t e d f o r a c t i v e d u t y as an
E n s i g n i n A p r i l 19^+1. ( My c o m m i s s i o n d a t e a f r o m Aug. 1938,
the month
I t u r n e d t w e n t y - o n e , and two m o n t h s a f t e r g r a d u a t i n g f r o m S t a n f o r d U n i v e r s i t y
i n i : : i e c t r i c a l E n g i n e e r i n g . ) A f t e r c o n s i d e r a b l e correspondence I oroke out
of t h e f r o z e n j o b a s h o r e when my o r d e r s came, i was l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o
m a k i n g t h e Navy my c a r e e r .
I'.y p r e f e r e n c e was c r u i s e r s . I knew t h i s c l a s s o f s h i p f r o m A t o
Z. I had s e r v e d b r i e f l y on t h e USS C h e s t e r (CA 2? ) , i n 1939
out my r e a l
e x p e r i e n c e was as a s h i p r e p a i r o f f i c e r a t Mare I s l a n d , I saw much b a t t l e
damage b e g i n n i n g w i t h two B r i t i s h c r u i s e r s and t h e n t h e dam^aged s h i p s
froffi P e a r l H a r b o r . I v;as r e p a i r o f f i c e r f o r t h e USS H e l e n a , USS I n d i a n a p o l i s , USS B o i s e , USS C h i c a g o and t h e USS I n d e p e n d e n c e (CVL
22).
I e x p e c t e d o r d e r s t o t h e Birmingham, and v/as s u r p r i s e d when o r d e r s came t o t h e P r i n c e t o n . I knew l i t t l e a b o u t a i r c r a f t c a r r i e r s b u t I
knew t h e h u l l w e l l and l o o k e d f o r e w a r d t o t n e a d v e n t u r e .
My e a r l y n a v a l r e s e r v e cruises:.- v/ere as c o m m u n i c a t i o n s o f f i c e r
above d e c k s , j u n i o r i'l'atch o f f i . c e r , a ! : i p r e : ' i : i t e r e s t i n g s p o t t o be t h a n i n
t h e " b l a c k gang " b e l o w . I-iy t h r e e y e a r a c t i v e s h o r e a s s i g n m e n t i n s u r e d
t h a t I w o u l d be an e n g i n e e r i n g o f f i c e r . 1 r e p o r t e d a b o a r d ana i n a m a t t e r
of a few d a y s t o o k o v e r as " E " d i v i s i o n o f f i c e r . My b a t t l e s t a t i o n was
r e p a i r V, t h e r e p a i r s t a t i o n j t n r t r b e l o w t h e f o r w a r d p a r t o f t n e h a n g a r d e c k ,
Cn t h e m o r n i n g o f O c t , 2li we were c a l l e d t o go a t dawn, w h i c n
was u s u a l f o r a p l a n n e d day o f combat s t r i k e s , P e p a i r '." was c r a m p e d , r e a l l y
j u s t a p a s s a g e w a y s e l e c t e d f o r i t s l o c a t i o n s l i g h t l y f c r e v / a r d and a b o v e
t h e two f i r e r o o m s and e n g i n e r o o m s , P o u t i n e l y men were b o r e d and w o u l d
p r e f e r t o go b a d : t o t h e i r bunks o r s e c u r e and go t o b r e a k f a s t , '-epair was
n o t an e x c i t i n g p l a c e u n t i l t h e bom.b h i t .
T h e r e was no v / a r n i n g , V.e v/cre s h a k e n and d e a f e n e d by a e x p l o s i o n
i n what s o u n d e d t o me l i k e t h e h a n g a r a r e a j u s t above u s . :y f i r s t t h o u g h t
was t h a t one o f o u r p l a n e s o r i t s armaments had l e t go by a c c i d e n t . T h e r e
was a s m a l l s c u t t l e d o o r i n t h e h a t c h f r o m r e p a i r V t o t h e h a n g a r d e c k .
I opened t h i s , s t u c k my head t h r o u g h t o t a k e a q u i c k l o o k and saw w h a t
a p p e a r e d t o be a l a r g e f i i - e a f t . 1 assumed t h a t t h e h a n g a r decK r e p a i r
pai'ty was i n c o n t r o l . I w a i t e d o r d e r s and began c h e c l c i n g by phone a l l t h e
s u b s t a t i o n s o f e n g i n e e r i n g . I t was t h e n I l e a r n e d we
-.vere h i t by an enemy
bomb and t h a t t h e r e was t r o u b l e i n t h e e n g i n e e r i n g s p a c e s , m i o s t l y smoke,
as w e l l as t h e h a n g a r decl;.
I t r i e d t o c o n t a c t t h e c h i e f e n g i n e e r , Grridr, W h e e l e r , b u t w i t h out s u c c e s s , I t l w a s o n l y a m a t t e r o f m i n u t e s b e f o r e we t o o were i n t r o u b l e .
The a u t o m a t i c s p r i n k l e r s y s t e m i n t h e h a n g a r d e c k was v / o r k i n g f o r e . v a r c , ov
our h e a d s , anc p o u r i n g t o n s o f w a t e r on t h e r a g i n g f i r e , S u c c e s s i v e e x p l o s i o n s f r o m g a s o l i n e a n d armv, u n i t i o n opened up t-he h a n g a r deck above us
and s c a l d i n g w a t e r began p o u r i n g i n t o o u r a r e a .
I h a d been t o f i r e f i g n t e r s c n o o i a t -^reasure I s l a n d i n San - r a n c i s c o and knew how t o c o n t e n d w i t h smoke and f i r e b u t I was t o t a l l y u n p r e p a r e d f o r s c a l d i n g v/ater on t h e d e c k w n i c h b u r n e d o u r f e e t and a n k l e s
and ;^mkle a n y k i n d o f w o r k i m p o s s i b l e . 1 g a v e _ t h e o r d e r t o m,cve f o r e w a r a
and away f r o m t h e f i r e w h i c h was a m i d s h i p s , i knew t h e m a j o r g a s o l i n e
s t o r a g e was f o r e w a r d and b e l o w us b u t I tnoug^^- i t was f a r enough f o r e ward t o be s a f e .
Some m.en i n r e p a i r V d i d n o t h e a r m.e o r c o u l d n o t see because o i
the dense sm;oke, I d i d n ' t r e a l i z e t h a t some v/ere m i i s s i n g u n t i l we too:-:
c o u n t . E n s i g n ***** w a f n t e d t o t r y a r e s c u e b u t t h e n e a t was t o o i n t e n s e
and we h a d t o g i v e u p .
L e a v i n g r e p a i r V w a s n ' t e a s y . We g o t o u t b y c l i m b i n g on bui:<head boxes a n d f i t t i n g s w h i c h were above t h e s c a l d i n g w a t e r a n d by h a n g i n g
on t o f i x t u r e s on t h e o v e r h e a d , I was t a l l a n d c o u l d hang f r o m c a b l e r a c k s
t o keep my f e e t c l e a r . Some o f t h e s h o r t e r mien s u f f e r e d s e v e r b u r n s ,
l ^ was c r o w d e d on t h e f o r e c a s t l e d e c k . On t i i e CVL c l a s s t h e i l i g h
deck s t o p s s h o r t o f t h e f o r e c a s t l e and we c o u l d see a n d t a l k t o t h e men
above us on t h e f l i g h t d e c k . T h e r e was t a l k o f a b a n d o n n i n g s h i p b u t no
s p e c i f i c o r d e r was g i v e n , Som:e were j u m p i n g o v e r b o a r d .
T h r e e d e s t r o y e r s a n d a c r u i s e r v/ere c o m i n g c l o s e a l o n g s i d e t o g i
a i d and t o p i c k up men i n t h e v / a t e r , I v/atched t h i s f o r a v / h i l e v / n i l e w a i t
o r d e r s fromi t h o s e on t h e f l i g h t d e c k who seemied t o have t h e b e s t com.m.uni c a t i o n s w i t h C a p t , B u r a c k e r and knew t h e c o n d i t i o n o f t h e s h i p ,
M e a n t i m e t h e f i r e was g e t t i n g much v/orsE a n d m.ore were f o r c e d
t o abandon s h i p . The USS I r v / i n v/as c l o s e a b o a r d on t h e p o r t s i d e a n d I
made my d e c i s i o n t o swim t o h e r , I ' m . n o t a s t r o n g swim.mer b u t t h e - a v y
had t r a i n e d me hov/ t o go o v e r t h e s i d e , , t o swim i n heavy, s e a s w i t h f u e l o i
ami d e b r i s , a n d t o c l e a r a s t r i c k e n s h i p a n d f i n d a r a f t o r w h a t e v e r , I
made i t t o t h e I r w i n by sv/imim;ing a r o u n d h e r bow t o h e r p o r t s i d e and away
f r o m t h e c h a o s betv/een h e r a n d t h e P r i n c e t o n , ;-Iany w e r e l o s t o r i n j u r e d
i n t h e s e a betv/een t h e s h i p s , I was t o o e x h a u s t e d when I g o t t o t h e I r w i n
t o p u l l m y s e l f u p . The s a i l o r v/ho h a d throv/n mie t h e l i n e p u l l e d me u p .
The n e x t t h i n g I knew I was on ray back on t h e d e c k l o o k i n g up a t a f a m i l i a
f a c e . I t seemied u n r e a l a n d f o r a mioment I d i d n ' t know where 1 was. The
f a c e s p o k e , " B e c k e t t , what t h e h e l l a r e y o u d o i n g h e r e ? " I t was t h e exe
of t n e I r v / i n , I ^ t , Cmdr, J o h n D a l e P i e Hodapp, a classm.ate f r o m P a l o A l t o
H i g h S c h o o l , I h a d n ' t seen h i m s i n c e he v/ent o f f t o t h e K a v a l Academy,
The I r w i n ended up v / i t h , I t h i n k , t h r e e h u n d r e d s u r v i v o r s a n d t h e d e c k s
v/ere c r o w d e d a n d t o p h e a v y ,
C a p t , B u r a c k e r s e n t a message t h a t t h e r e p a i r c r e w s were t o g e t
r e a d y t o r e b o a r d v/hen t h e f i r e s were c o n t r o l l e d . The B i r m i n g h a m went c l o s e
a b o a r d up w i n d a n d p r e p a r e d t o p u t sone o f h e r r e p a i r c r e w a b o a r d . The h u l
were i d e n t i c a l , V/hile I w a t c h e d t h i s t h e bombs i n t h e a f t e l e v a t o r w e l l
l e t g o . I t was a huge e x p l o s i o n . T h i s was t h e end , we w o u l d n o t r e b o a r d .
Her s t e r n was b l o w n o f f b u t she remiained a f l o a t .
The o r d e r camic t o s i n k t h e P r i n c e t o n , The I r w i n was o r d e r e d t o
f i r e a t o r p e d o w h i c h she d i d b u t i t c i r c l e d a n d s t a r t e d t o come t o w a r d t h e
I r v / i n , W r e c k a g e h a d damaged t h e I r w i n and she h a d o n l y one s c r e w f u n c t i o n a l
She w e n t f u l l ahead t o p u l l o u t o f t h e way m o v i n g v e r y s l o w l y a t f i r s t as
the t o r p e d o was c l o s i n g a t a b o u t f o r t y k n o t s . We c l e a r e d b u t n o t by much.
Then t h e USS Keno g o t t h e o r d e r and d i d t h e j o b , ( l-ly c o u s i n was g u n n e r y
o f f i c e r on t h e Peno,)
I n c i d e n t a l n o t e s : When I f i r s t r e p o r t e d anc r.et v / i t h C a p t , F u r a c k e r
and V i c K o i t o r e t t h e y t o l d me t h e g y r o comapss n a c a b a a n a c i t o f g o i n g
b e r s e r k u s u a l l y a t a c r i t i c a l moment. They hopea 1 c o u l d f i x i t . Ana d u r i n g t h e weeks b e f o r e we had been h i t I had w o r k e d on t h e p r o b l e m , i t was an
i n t e r m i t t a n t f a u l t , v e r y h a r d t o f i n d . But I f o u n d i t , A s m a l l p ^ j i c e o f
s n a r p m e t a l from, b o r i n g h o l e s i n t h e d e c k t o i n s t a l l e q u i p m e n t a t t n e l a s t
o v e r h a u l had v/edged i t s e l f betv/eenlhe c a b l e s and w o r k e d i t s w a y i n t o t h e
i n s u l t a t i o n c a u s i n g an i n t e r m i t t a n t s h o r t c i r c u i t . The e l e c t r i c i a n s F i a t c
was e x t a t i c , we had f i x e d t n e dar.n t h i n g ! i n i s v/as l a t e i n t h e day b e f o r e
we v/ere h i t .
T h a t same day t h e c l o t n e s d r y e r nad b u r n e d o u t , '.vitn t h e l a r g e
s h i p ' s crew and t n e a i r c r a f t c r e w t h e l a u n d r y was a v i t a l p a r t o f t h e s h i p ,
V.e had no s p a r e p a r t s and i t w o u l d be weeks b e f o r e v/e c o u l d hope f o r a r e p l a c e m e n t , Tv/o o f t h e e l e c t r i c i a n s m.ates f o u n d somie v/ire t h e r i g h t s i z e
and s p e n t a l l n i g h t r e w i n d i n g t h e m o t o r , t n c y had i t i n s t a l l e d and r u n n i n g
j u s t b e f o r e v/e w e n t t o Gt on O c t , 2/4.,":.-" d i v i s i o n w o u l d have been h e r o e s
t h a t day i f e v e n t s had been d i f f e r e n t , Tne e l e c t r i c i a n mate wno d i d m o s t o f
the r e p a i r s was l o s t w i t h t n e s h i p .
The I r v / i n t o o k us t o U l i t h i A t o l l v/here v/e v/ere p u t a s h o r e on a
s a n d s p ^ t and l e f t t o w a i t f o r t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , I g o t a s e v e r e s u n b u r n ; t h e r e
was no s h a d e . T h e r e v/as l o t s o f b e e r a t a s m a l l c l u b t n e K a r i n e s had b u i l t
b u t l i t t l e f o o d , V.e v/ere t h e r e a b o u t t h r e e d a y s b e f o r e b o a r d i n g t h e m e r c h a n t
t r a n s p o r t Cape i'.ev/enhami. T h i s was a m i s e r a b l e e x p e r i e n c e .
We s t o p p e d a t Guam b u t were n o t a l l o w e c o f f t h e s h i p . At f i r s t
tne e n l i s t e d men were n o t a l l o w e d a Dove d e c k s b u t o u r s e n i o r o f f i c e r s h a d
t n a t c h a n g e d . The m e r c h a n t s a i l o r s were a r r o g a n t ana u n p l e a s a n t t o a l l o f u s .
T h e i r u n i o n r e p . was p a r t i c u l a r l y n a s t y and I t h o u g h t t h a t some o f o u r
m^.
m i g h t t h r o w himi o v e r b o a r d . We f i n a l l y g o t t o T e a r l where we were g r e e t e d
w a r m l y and were j o i n e d by t n e r e s t o f t h e c r e w who a r r i v e d b e f o r e u s . Then
t n e r e v/as t h e t a s k o f r e p o r t s t o make and l e t t e r s t o t h e f a m i l i e s o f t h o s e '
who were l o s t .
Ky p r o m o t i o n t o L t . Cmdr. car.e w h i l e I v/as a t P e a r l . I - was
still
o f f i c i a l l y a t t a c h e d t o t h e P r i n c e t o n so i t was e n d o r s e e b y C a p t . B u r a c k e r .
Ky s u b s e q u e n t d u t y was a s s i s s t a n t e n g i n e e r i n g o f f i c e r on t n e
USS New Y o r k (EE 3 4 ) . We were a t Iwo J i m a and O k i n a w a . Tne Lev/ Y o r k v/as a
p r e WW 1 v i n t a g e s h i p c o n s t a n t l y b r e a k i n g dcv/n and c a l l e d
" tne bucket of
b e l t s ". Drop a hammer and i t w o u l d go r i g h t t h r o u g h t h e b o t t o m .
The f i r s t atomiic bomb f e l l on my b i r t h d a y Aug. 6, I v ' ^ p . I n a t was
tne end o f t h e v/ai' f o r me, i had t h e p o i n t s and was headed home and v/as
s e p a r a t e d from, a c t i v e d u t y on S e p t . 3»
1943
I t o o k some l e a v e and s t a r t e d l o o k i n g f o r a j o t anc began p l a n n i n g
a c i v i l i a n c a r e e r . A j o b was a f i r s t p r i o r i t y as - had a w i f e and tv/c c h i l c ren.
1 j o i n e d Wesix l - J l e c t r i c h e a t e r Co. as c n i e f e n g i n e e r . A f t e r f i f t e e n
y e a r s I r e s i g n e d and j o i n e d H e v / l e t t P a c k a r d Comjpany. I r e t i r e d f r o m P 1
a f t e r twenty t h r e e years ( s i x t e e n as
d i r e c t : . r ' o f govei-nment r e l a t i o n s ) .
I ajr, now i n a new c a r e e r i n v e n t u r e c a p i t a l , h a v i n g j o i n e d w i t h
an o l d s c h o o l m a t e . I have t h r e e s o n s and f i v e g r a n d d a u g h t e r s a l l l i v i n g
n e a r b y , '-^y s e c o n d son went t h r o u g h CCS a t Pew P o r t
r ' . I . and s e r v e a i n
v'iel Lam w a t e r s on a Dl:].
While w i t n
PP i n P'alo A l t o i v/as i r - v o l v e d i n c i v i c a f f a i r s arid
was b o t n a S t a t e and l o c a l t r a n s p o r t a t i o n cc;;:miS5ioner w i t h i n t j . c Bay A r e a .
/. f e l l o w c o m m i s s i o n e r f r o m S a n t a C l a r a Co. was Adm.
I n g l i s , skipper of the
Pirminghajrj t h a t i l l - f a t e d day. We r e m i n i s c e d a b o u t o u r e x p e r i e n c e s , i.e was
c o l d a n d deter;:,inod t o save t h e P r i n c e t o n a n a . x i g / . t have nad o u t bomb m.agazine not expiodec.
WATCH ON THE BRINE
presented by
Frank E. B e l l
The Torch Club o f Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
May 23, 1966
WATCH ON THE BRINE
This i s not an age of heroics.
We are a l l p r e t t y self-conscious
about p a t r i o t i s m - though one of my e a r l i e s t memories i s of vigorously waving
a f l a g at the Armistice Day paradejending World War
I.
Now we are so
used
to pictures of the horrors of war, t o the t h r e a t of a n n i h l l l a t i o n - because
of the atom bomb - that we f o r g e t there are moments of humor, excitement
and s a t i s f a c t i o n even b a t t l e .
From my b a t t l e s t a t i o n aboard the a i r c r a f t
c a r r i e r Princeton i n World War I I , I would l i k e to r e c a l l a few of the good
moments of the war i n the P a c i f i c , and - i f y o u ' l l bear w i t h me - even a
few heroics.
To^begin a t the ;*hd, several ^(^nths a f t e r my discharge from the
Navy i n Nov^nber 1945, nn/ w i f e and I Went to play Bridge w i t h some new f r i e n d s .
The f r i e n d s knew t h a t I had been on/the Princetpn wnen i t was s u n k / b u t we
not dis^mssed the w a ^ i n any d e t i ^ l .
had
Therefore,/! was q u i t e unp/epared t o
meet tli^e two excite4 l i t t l e soni who had stayedf up past bedtim^ to see a/real
"surmvor."
As
a r t i v e d f o r the Bridge game, the two l i t t l e boys hung
/
expectantly ovey the bannislfer, then came /downstairs to say " H e l l o . " / Their
faces f e l l as they saw
"But mother/* said the older boy, "Mr./Cell's
nd s u r v i v o r ^ He looks Jfuat l i k e everyone e l s e !I I I
Like almost every other man
service i n 1942.. The V-5
i n ny age group, I had gone i n t o the
program of the Naval Reserve had been organized
by
Commander Tom Hamilton to t r a i n c i v i l i a n coaches and a t h l e t i c d i r e c t o r s to
be a t h l e t i c o f f i c e r s aboard ships and a t shore s t a t i o n s . My own four years
of coaching and teaching a t W i l l i s t o n Academy i n Easthampton, Massachusetts,
q u a l i f i e d me f o r the V-5
program, and w i t h a large group of Reservejl o f f i c e r s /
cadets, I imderwent i n d o c t r i n a t i o n and basic t r a i n i n g a t Chaj^t H i l l ,
North
Carolina, f o r s i x months.
The next assignment was almost too good t o be t r u e .
I n January
of 1943 I was sent f o r s i x months t o the Naval A i r S t a t i o n i n Daytona Beach,
Florida.
Friends i n more rugged assignments made plenty o f remarks about
t h i s good duty ashore:
"What a way t o spend the winter.'"
But by June o f
1943 I was looking forward to j o i n i n g the a i r c r a f t c a r r i e r Princeton as
Athletic Officer.
Captain W i l l i a m Buracker, VWl9mr describes the c a r r i e r i n the
National Geographic o f August, 1945:
The Princeton ^egan l i f e on the ways as a l i g h t c r u i s e r . Early
i n the war, the Navy desperately needed more f l a t t o p s ; so f l i g h t decks
were added t o i ^ a l ^ c r u i s e r h u l l s and the Independence-class c a r r i e r
was bom.
Princeton was the second o f these.
Our ship, about h a l f the tonnage o f a b i g Essex-class c a r r i e r ,
c a r r i e d only one scfuadron each of f i g h t e r s and'^orpedo bombers. But
she had plenty of speed.
B u i l t by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation o f Camden, New
Jersey, she was chttstened by Mrs. Harold Dodds, w i f e o f the President
of Princeton U n i v e r s i t y , i n honor o f the B a t t l e o f Princeton, January
3, 1777, which followed George Washington's recrossing o f the Delaware.
Her f i r s t commanding o f f i c e r was Captain George Henderson, U.S.N.
A f t e r commissioning, he took the Princeton w i t h her a i r group t o the
Caribbean f o r a shakedown b r u i s e . Most of the p i l o t s and crew were
green; only a few had had b a t t l e experience. I *
I t was a t the close o f the shakedown c r u i s e i n the Catibbean t h a t I
reported aboard, j u s t |^t the time the ship returned t o the Philadelphia Navy
Yard, July 3, 1943.
U n t i l July 21 we reamined a t the Navy Yard t o make the
changes i n gear and equipment which the shakedown c r u i s e had shown t o be
necessary/
Those o f you f a m i l i a r w i t h the Philadelphia area know t h a t the Navy
Yard i s q u i t e a few miles south o f the Willow Grove Naval A i r S t a t i o n where
our
A i r Group was S4;y4«g during t h i s time.
My f i r s t s i g h t o f our A i r Group
waa unforgettable - not what I Imagined a t a l l .
Instead o f the planes f l y i n g
to Join us as we steamed down Delaware Bay, the planes were taxied under t h e i r
own power down the s t r e e t s o f Philadelphia l i k e an army o f bugs, wings folded
but wheels spinning, and then the planes were hoisted aboard the c a r r i e r .
At the time we l e f t P h i l a d e l p h i a , we c a r r i e d divebombers as w e l l as
the f i g h t e r and torpedo bombers.
However, our divebombers, the SBD's, proved
i m p r a c t i c a l from the standpoint o f space, since t h e i r wings would not f o l d up.
When we reached Pearl Harbor i n August, the dive bombers were removed from
the Patnceton and the other CVL's.
A d d i t i o n a l f i g h t e r s were t r a n s f e r r e d t o us
to replace the dive bombers.
Our voyage from fHiiladelphla t o Pearl Harbor, by way o f the Canal
3MM,
-.Met uneventful from the m i l i t a r y standpoint.
a i r p a t r o l s , anti-submarine
taking o f f and landing.
Our planes f l e w
combat
p a t r o l s , and the p i l o t s got valxiable experience
Aboard ship we had d r i l l s f o r every emergency:
General
Quarters, when we would r e p o r t o t our b a t t l e s t a t i o n s i n preparation f o r enemy
a t t a c k ; f i r e - f i g h t i n g d t t l l s ; abandon ship d r i l l s .
My own p a r t i c u l a r job as Ship's A t h l e t i c O f f i c e r was t o keep the p i l o t s
I n good physical c o n d i t i o n and t o arrange a t h l e t i c events f o r a l l the o f f i c e r s
and men aboard.
Before long I also began t o study n a v i g a t i o n , and eventually was
TOP
made Assistant Navigator.
I t h e r e f o r e became q u a l i f i e d t o stand^deck watches
w h i l e the ship was underway.
This l e d t o some e x c i t i n g moments, when the Princeton
reached the combat area.
What was the combat s i t u a t i o n i n the P a c i f i c l a t e I n the summer o f 1943?
Commander James Shav, U.S.N.9 has w r i t t e n :
" By the close o f 1942, a f t e r the b a t t l e s o f Coral Sea, Midway, Eastern
Solomons and Santa Cruz had been fought, both Americans and Japanese
expected
that c a r r i e r vs. v a r r l e r b a t t l e s would be repeated. But these
f l a t t o p duels ceased a b r u p t l y w i t h the end o f the Guadalcanal
campaign, p a r t l y because both sides wished t o r e b u i l d t h e i r
depleted c a r r i e r strength and t r a i n new a i r groupujlf^but mostly
because the f i r s t A l l i e d offensives o f 1943 i n the South and
Southwest P a c i f i c could be r e a d i l y covered by land-based planes.
The Navy's s h i p b u i l d i n g program Included 25 large Essexclass c a r r i e r s (27,OOOtons) and l i g h t c a r r i e r s . . . b u i l t on
c r u i s e r h u l l s . By the simmier o f 1943 these ships were J o i n i n g
the P a c i f i c F l e e t and t h e i r a r r i v a l ushered i n a new phase o f
c a r r i e r warfare, the hit-and-stay o f f e n s i v e .
The Princeton along w i t h the c a r r i e r s Lexington and Belleau
Wood a r r i v e d i n Pearl Harbor August 9. The Yorktown. Essex
pendence were there already.
and Inde
Operating f a r t h e r out i n the P a c i f i c were
the Saratoga and E n t e r p r i s e ? The c a r r i e r f l e e t was b u i l d i n g up f a s t . * The Princeton began her a c t i v e war owi^Hn^ i n the assault and
occupation o f Baker I s l a n d i n August and September 1943.
The ^ ^ l i | 7 e r a l l
plan w n t o c o n s t r ^ t - an a i r - s t i r i p on Baker I s l a n d so t h a t the islands
i n the G i l b e r t Group q|uld be attacked by army bombers.
I n company w i t h
the Belleau Wood, f o u r destroyers and h a l f a dozen transports loaded w i t h
troops and equipment, we headed f o r Baker I s l a n d .
a i r resistance waa very l i g h t .
As i t turned o u t , Jap
Princeton p l l o t a shot down three Jap planes
much t o the envy o f the Belleau Wood p i l o t s who d i d not shoot down «ny. 4
A f t e r Baker I s l a n d was occupied, we p a r t i c i p a t e d i n some a i r
s t r i k e s against Tarawa and Makln i n the G i l b e r t Islands.
But d u r i n g
the operation our c a t a p u l t broke and we had t o r e t u r n t o Pearl Harbor
Navy Yard f o r r e p a i r a and new orders.
On Octobir 10 we suddenly received secret orders t o proceed
to E a p l r i t u Santo i n the New Hebrides.
There we Joined the c a r r i e r
Saratoga and a number o f other ships f o r a p r a c t i c e i n J o i n t operations.
I n November 1943 we r e a l l y found ourselves I n the t h i c k o f the f i g h t
P f o t e c t l n g lendlngs I n the Solomons.
many s t t t k e s against
With E f t p l r l t u Santo as our base, ve made
the Japanese ships t r y i n g t o break up our landings
^
Empress Augusta Bay. " T h e n , s t i l l I n November, i h e Princeton Joined our main
c a r r i e r force t o give a i r support-IMr the Marines a s s a u l t i n g Tarawa and
f o r the occupation o f other G i l b e r t I s l a n d s . "
$
t
Captain Buracker give|l an o v e r a l l p i c t u r e o f t h i s type o f action*c:
it The r o l e o f the c a r r i e r s i n the G i l b e r t s was a prelude f o r many
amphibious operations I t t e r . F i r s t we roamed the >eaj», knocking out
Jap a i r c r a f t , shipping, and i n s t a l l a t i o n s ; then we gaie the immediate
o b j e c t i v e a going ov%r. During the approach and landing, our c a r r i e r s
kept the a i r c l e a r o f Jap a t r t c a f t and attacked any Jap s h i p , gun,
p i l l b o x , troop concentration o r other t a r g e t which might impede our forces.
We operated as p a r t o f Task Force 58.
To p i c t u r e a task force you
must f i r s t imagine a task group composed o f f o u r a i r c r a f t c a r r i e r s a t the center
of a c i r c l e .
Ringing the f o u r c a r r i e r s a t a dlatance o f about 2,000 yatds
would
be up t o s i x c r u i s e r a o r b a t t l e a h l p a .
The outer c i r c l e o f the taak group was
made up o f about eighteen deatroycra.
Our p a r t i c u l a r taak group waa designated
58.3.
From our group's center p o s i t i o n , we could Juat aee the superstructures
of the ships i n the other three groups c r u i s i n g ten miles away, each group a t
a 120 degree an|le from the center o f the taak f o r c e .
From high i n the a i r
the taak force would look l i k e three separate, b r i a t l i n g c l e c l e s inila t r i a n g u l a r
formation, and a f o u r t h b r i a t l i n g c i r c l e i n the middle.
^
The e f f e c t l v e | e a s o f our ^Mk f o r c e seemed t o Increaae w i t h each operation.
The G i l b e r t Islands were secured by the end o f 1943.
I n January and February o f 1944
the Princeton supported amphibloua landlnga i n the Marahalla; l a t e i n March we
proceeded t o the Carollnea, s t r i k i n g the Jap lalanda o f Palau, Yap and Woleai.
I n May o f 1944 the Princeton was ordered t o Pearl Harbor f o r minor r e p a i r s .
The p l l o t a o f A i r Group 23 had fought aslnef combat miaslona and were due f o r replace-
ment.
A i r Group 27 then joined/westward again t o r e j o i n our task f o r c e ,
v i t h orders t o capture the Marianas.
I t was good t o be back i n the taak f o r c e i n the midst o f our
screen o f c r u i s e r s , battlewwsona and destroyers. During the day t h i s was
a t h r i l l i n g and reaaauring s i g h t .
by radar.
A t n i g h t we kept our proper distances
But a t the height o f combat, there could be problems.
I n June o f 1944 w h i l e making n i g h t a t r i k e s on Saipan i n the
Marianas, I had a cloae c a l l .
June 15 was D-Day f o r the 2nd and 4 t h
Marine D i v i s i o n s , and a rough day I t waa.
Four daya e a r l i e r we had deatroyed
150 Jap planes, ao that we were able t o b r i n g our ahips i n cloae enough t o
the islanii^ t o bombard the beachea.
Yet the Jap r e s i s t a n c e waa f i e r c e .
The Japs sent out a a t r l k e o f Bettys t h a t n i g h t against ua. The
Bettys were twin-engined torpedo planea.
They f l e w low t o the water so
t h a t they would not be picked up e a r l y by our radar.
Aa aoon a t they were apotted on our radar acreen, however, the
whole taak group turned t o meet the a t t a c k head-on.
I t i s customary t o
t u r n d i r e c t l y toward a contact l i k e t h l a o r d i r e c t l y away from i t I n order
to present as small a t a r g e t t h e enemy as possible.
When the Bettys reached our c i r c u l a r acreen o f deatroyera, they
kept coming r i g h t on down through the taak group.
f i r e on them.
A l l o f the ahipa opened
I have never aeen auch a d i a p l a y o f f i r e w o r k s .
The mult^
colored tracers looked l i k e thousands o f Roman candlaa going o f f a l l over
the place.
The e n t i r e apactacle looked I l k * a J u l y f o u r t h c e l e b r a t i o n
exploding i l l a t one*.
A few o f the planea f i n a l l y reached a p o i n t i n between the Prlnceton and two »• the battlewagona, the Indiana and the North Carolina, which
were o f f our port bow about f i f t e e n hundred yards.
I could see by the tracers
t h a t ve vere going t o be h i t by the g t m - f l r e from e i t h e r o f both of our ovn b a t t l e v a g ^ s ao I shouted t o the men, " H i t the deck.'"
Almoat Immediately the Princeton waa h i t .
on our b a t t l e s t a t i o n saved our Uvea.
F o r t u n a t e l y the s p l i n t e r s h i e l d
A large hole was blown I n our ship about
S-hlbi-0
eighteen Inches from me.
Another s h e l l or two h i t the s p l i n t e r shl4ed and
s p l a t t e r e d l i k e shrapnel, k i l l i n g two men and wouMi^g several others who were
d i r e c t l y a f t of us a t a gun sponaon.
There were other c a a u a l l t l e s aboard the Princeton as a r e s u l t t o f t h i s
a c t i o n and a l l were caused by the gun f i r e from our own ships. This waa
understand-
able i n an engagement o f t h l a n a f ^ e , but one i n c i d e n t t h a t occurred i n connection
w i t h i t haa made a l a a t l n g impreaaion on me.
A l l d u r i n g the a t t a c k we were, o f cottrae, a t General Quartera.
Our
medical o f f i c e r w i t h the rank o f f u l l Commander waa auppoaed t o be i n the Ward
Room which was t o be used aa an operating room.
the
Inatead he was out watching
flreworka and was wo^tMad s u p e r f i c i a l l y i n the l e g .
He l a t e r received the Purple Heart f o r t h i s , but I have f e l t r a t h e r
c y n i c a l about the whole t h i n g .
instead o f being wottl4ed.
our other c a s u a l l t i e a .
Our medical o f f i c e r could hav# been k i l l e d
then would have had no surgeon t o take care o f
I n e f f e c t , he was decorated f o r not
being a t h i a
b a t t l e a t a t i o n d u r i n g General Quarters, and could have cauaed the death o f
aome other men who needed h i a treatment.
When the b a t t l e f o r Saipan was over - a t l e a a t the Navy's p a r t - we
knew that the Japanese would t r y t o ;ti^»p ^s from f u r t h e r a c t i v i t i e s i n the
Marlanaa. Aboard ahlp we t r i e d t o get aome r e i t w h i l e planes were refueled
f o r another emergency.
Adrr the ahipa were l i t e r a l l y acrubbed down w i t h large
Navy mops.
At about t h l a p o i n t . General Quartera waa rung becauae a submarine
perlacope had been sighted by the ship 4;just ahead o f us.
attack.
We braced f o r the
Suddenly the periscope ceme c l o s e r - and t u m e ^ ^ u t t o be a mop
handle
which had slipped overboard I n the general confusion.
Even w i t h a few days' r e s t , we knew the Japs would soon make an a l l out e f f o r t t o stop the e f f e x t l v e n e s s o f our task f o r c e .
With almost a l l the
P a c i f i c Islands s t i l l i n Japanese c o n t r o l and linlthtithelr Mobile F l e e t a t peak
s t r e n g t h , t h e i r plan was t o send carrier-based planes eastward against our
f l e e t , bomb our ships, f l y the planes to i s l a n d baaes f o r r e f u e l i n g and rearming
and h i t us again on t h e i r r e t u r n t r i p .
"A-Oo
Thla plan waa c a l l e d by the Japanese
Operation." ^
On June IS Japaneae Admiral Toy|^a aent t h i s measage t o h i s f l a g and
commanding o f f l c e r a :
On the morning of the 15th a strong enen^ f o r c e began landing i n the
Saipan-Tlnian area. The Combined F l e e t w i l l a t t a c k the enemy i n the Marianas
area and a n n i h i l a t e the Invaalon f o r c e . A c t i v a t e A-Go Operation f o r
declalve b a t t l e , ta
Four daya paased before the b a t t l e took place.
On the American aide
Admiral Raymond Spruance i n command o f the 5 t h F l e e t and Admiral Marc Mltscher
i n eoomand of Task Force 58 had decided t o watch and w a i t , not wanting t o go so
f a r from Guam and Saipan aa t o endanger our amphibious forces there.
t o r i a n s s t i l l argue the wisdom a l t h i s defensive meaaure.
Naval h i s -
We were f u l l y ready f o r
Jap a t t a c k , yet d i d n ' t know j u a t where i t would be.
The o f f i c i a l Naval h i s t o r i a n , Samuel E l i o t Morison, says, "The
usual
tenaaness that precedea a b a t t l e was enhanced by a f e a l i n g a k i n t o exasperation
over the f a i l u r e o f a i r search t o discover the Japaneae."
Early on the nanmlng o f June 19, however, our conibat a i r p a t r o l and
a i r search radar reported l a r g e nunibers o f Jap c a r r i e r planea coming from
the weat.
Our skipper. Captain Buracker, had decided t o keep the Princeton's
crew and o f f i c e r s Informed o f a l l the day's developments v i a the P.A. system .
Before long he announced t h a t there were many bogejiy on the screen and s h o r t l y
thereafter^ t h a t our task force f i g h t e r s were engaged i n i n t e r c o p t i n g the
Japanese planes.
(At t h i s point l e t me remind you t h a t Task Force 58 was d i v i d e d i n t o
four task groups - 58.1, 58.2, 58.3, and 58.4.
Without t h i s Information
the continuance o f t h i s n a r r a t i v e would be p o i n t l e s s . )
The next announcement t h a t came over the P.A. system was " F i f t y e i g h t p o i n t one i s now under a t t a c k ! "
Almost immediately
the next r e p o r t came f o r t h , " F i f t y - e i g h t p o i n t
two now iinder attack.'"^
The next words I heard were n o t over the P.A. system, but were
equally loud, and they came from the mouth o f my favorlt^/9i^^^»^4|^ mess attendant
whos b a t t l e s t a t i o n was a t the gun sponson j u s t a f t o f my b a t t l e s t a t i o n .
"WHo's we?" he shouted.
When I r e p l i e d , "We're f i f t y - e i g h t p o i n t three, " there was j u a t a
moment's pause before h i s voice came back.
"Oh - o h I "
As i t turned out, my mess attendant had a good day, b u t f o r the
Japanese the b a t t l e on the nineteenth o f Jime was a catastrophe.
and two o f t h e i r planes were l o s t .
The Princeton p i l o t s
Four hundred
We c a l l e d i t the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot.
alone knocked down twenty-seven enemy planes and the guns
Bu-r W t r ^ iO Los ^
of our ship accounted f o r three more, although w*-lo*t two o f our p i l o t s . Not
A
one o f the American ships was s e r i o u s l y damaged, and only eighteen American
p i l o t s and s i x alrcrewmVn l o s t t h e i r l i v e s i n t h i s major a c t i o n .
You can imagine the excitement aboard our ships.
The p i l o t s were
issued two b o t t l e s o f beer apiece t o cairn them downf •s-Vi; Ce<-t <?/?y97t .
We were more than ready t o go^i on the a t t a c k , search out the Jap
f l e e t and do as much damage as possible before enemy planes and p i l o t s could
be replaced. "Unluckily,** w r i t e s Morison, "the great weakness o f the U.S. c a r r i e r s
here as a t Coral Sea and Midway was search.
I t was not u n t i l 1600 (4 FM) on the
f o l l o w i n g day, June 20, t h a t Mltscher had any u s e f u l i n t e l l i g e n c e o f h i s enemy
from search planes.*'
And here was the problem i n Admiral Mltscher's
A c t i o n Report:
Taking advantage o f t h i s o p p o r t u n i t y #q destroy the Japanese f l e e t
was going t o cost us a great deal i n planes and p i l o t s because we
were launching a t the maximum range o f our a i r c r a f t a t such a time
that i t would be necessary t o r v c i v e / them a f t e r dark. This meant
that a l l c a r r i e r s would be recovering d a y l i g h t - t r a i n e d a i r groups,
a t n i g h t w i t h consequent loss o f some p i l o t s who were not familiiTr
w i t h n i g h t landing and who would be f a t i g u e d a t the end o f an extremel y hazardous and long mission. I ^ Yet Mltscher knew the s t r i k e must be made.
pep t a l k a t 4:10:- **Give 'em h e l l , boys.
Wish I were w i t h you^"
I t took two precious hours o f d a y l i g h t
t o rejich the Japanese
,*'.••
ships.
He concluded a l i t t l e
' i
As the sun set a f u r i o u s a i r - s u r f a c e b a t t l e took place, and the Jap
c a r r i e r Hiyo was sunk by f o u r planes from the Belleau Wood.
Japanese planes were destroyed.
Slaty-five additional
Admiral Ozawa i n command o f Operation JMO saw
h i s a i r power reduced from f o u r hundred and t h i r t y planes on the morning o f June
19 t o t h i r t y - f i v e planes on the evening o f June 20.
The American p i l o t s s t r u g g l i n g back through the darkness j^ew they had
achieved a great v i c t o r y , but they never guessed what a welcome they would have.
For the f i r s t and l a s t time i n the war a l l the l i g h t s o f the c a r r i e r s were turned
on. "The c a r r i e r s turned on t r u c k l i g h t s , glow l i g h t s t o o u t l i n e f l i g h t decks,
and red and green running l i g h t s , and flashed s i g n a l s t o i d e n t i f y
themselves...."
Planes were given orders t o land on any c a r r i e r a v a i l a b l e ; planes from e i g h t or
nine d i f f e r e n t c a r r i e r s ended up on the same f l i g h t deck.
As f u e l ran out,
some planes ditched i n t o the sea, and the b l i n k i n g o f l i t t l e f l a s h l i g h t s from
l i f e r a f t s and from p i l o t s swimming i n the water made the sea look l i k e "A
meadow f u l l o f f i r e f l i e s i n June." ' ' I '
I t was a h e c t i c n i g h t .
Deck crashes and d i t c h i n g
of men and planes than the b a t t l e I t s e l f .
took a heavier t o l l
When a l l losses were t o t a l e d
up.slmteen
p i l o t s and t h i r t y - t h r e e latecrewmen had given t h e f r l i v e s the second day o f the
B a t t l e o f the P h i l i p p i n e Sea.
As t o the outcome o f the b a t t l e , Morison w r i t e s :
)' The Immediate r e a c t i o n i n Task Force 58 t o the B a t t l e o f the
P h i l i p p i n e Sea was one o f disappointment and vexation. Admiral
Clark, only ten daya a f t e r , told t h i s w r i t e r , " I t was the chance o f
a century missed." Admiral Mltscher thus concluded h i s a c t i o n
r e p o r t : "The enemy escaped. He had been badly h u r t by one
aggressive c a r r i e r s t r i k e , a t one time he was w i t h i n range.
His f l e e t was not sunk.^*
The argument went on and so d i d the war. I n August o f 194A Admiral
Spruance was r e l i e v e d by Admiral W i l l i a m F. Halsey, J r . , and the Princeton
became a part o f Halsey's 3rd F l e e t .
/
The operations o f the summer were b r i n g i n g us c l o s e r t o the P h i l i p p i n e s .
/'
Theiii e a r l y i n October we met an enemy more savage than the Japanese - a P a c i f i c
typhooi^.
We had received orders t o proceed t o U l l t h l A t o l l which was t o be used
at a hirbor
the
and advanced baae f o r the f l e e t .
Our ships wer the f i r s t t o enter
a t o l l since i t had been r e c e n t l y taken away from the Japanese.
' / We dwlll no maps or charts o f our own t o make the entrance, but
h«d t o r e l y s o l e l y on Japanese charts that had been taken from them.
Luckily
the charts were f a i r l y accurate and we had no d i f f i c u l t y .
Each ship was given a " b e r t h " which was no more than an i n d i c a t i o n
on the chart where we/ were to anchor.
go anchors.
The Princeton found i t s b e r t h and l e t
A l l was w e l l f o r a ^ t ^ i l e , but the wind kept gaining i n v e l o c i t y .
Before long the wind had increased t o such I n t e n s i t y that sane of
the
ships were dragging anchor and were f l o a t i n g around endangering other ships.
Shortly the order was received t o get underway and put t o sea so t h a t we could
r i d e out the typhoon i n open water.
I t seemed t h a t a typhoon was coming i n the d i r e c t i o n of U l l t h l .
The
S.O.P.A. w i s e l y decided t o get underwy^ on the ocean so we would a t l e a s t not be
i n the worst of the storm area.
I'm sure the a t o l l would have been a d i s a t e r
area i f we had remained i n the anchorage.'
The typhoon was f i e r c e .
We were fortxmate t h a t we d i d not have t o
r i d e i t out i n the center of i t s path.
The poor destroyees tooktUie worst beating.
They seemd to disappear completely imder water;
coming to the surface a f t e r each wave.
they looked l i k e submarines Just
Even the c r u i s e r s and battlewagona had
green water over t h e i r bows.
Aboard the Princeton we were b e t t e r o f f than those on the smaller ships.
A l l o f our plznes had t o be double-lashed t o the deck t o keep them from t i p p l i n g -t'l ppvi
i n t o the sea.
We had green water over our bow,too, and the water was splaahlng
over the forward part o f tha f l i g h t deck.
For those who are u n f a m i l i a r w i t h the n a u t i c a l terms, the " p i t c h " i s
the
forward and backward motion as i n a r o c k i n g c h a i r .
aide motion.
The " r o l l " i s the side t o
At the worst of the storm our r o l l was 34 degrees.
I f you can
imagine the f l i g h t deck i n a r o l l from p o r t )X atarboard ao t h a t i t pointed
up t o the sky a t an angle o f 34 degrees, you have some Idea o f the I n t e n s i t y
of the typhoon.
There were a few bumps and bruises as some men were tossed and
buffeted around the ship.
I n f a c t , we keard there were some men washed over-
board from one o f the other ships.
There was also mpnor damage t o some o f the
ships, but nothing that couldn't be repaired w h i l e underway.
Even w i t h a l l t h i s pounding the 7th and 3rd f l e e t s were a t peak
strength f o r the B a t t l e o f Leyte Gulf beginning October 24.
Our f l e e t s were
once again p r o t e c t i n g amphibious landings and t h i s time there was a special
element o f drama.
General MacArthur had promised t o r e t u r n t o the P h i l i p p i n e s ;
t h l ^ was h i s r e t u r n .
Everyone has seen the p i c t u r e s o f the General wading ashore
memorable day.
that
Unfortunately, a l o t o f other people got wet, too.
On October 24, 1944, our c a r r i e r task group was steaming close t o
the
eastern shore o f Luzon I s l a n d .
Our plan o f a t t a c k was t o get close enough so that
we could launch an a t t a c k against parts o f the Japanese f l e e t which we knew t o be
•JBifflie western shore
o f Luzon.
That morning we were f l y i n g the combat a i r p a t r o l f o r our group when
word came from radar p l o t that many, many bogeys were ccxaing An our d i r e c t i o n ,
e v i d e n t l y from Manila. A c t u a l l y there were close t o one hundred Jap planes i n
the
attack.
The other c a r r i e r s scrambled t h e i r f i g h t e r s and we scrambled what
we had l e f t .
Qur planea were f i r a t t o make the i n t e r c e p t i o n .
A l l o f tha f i g h t e r a d i d
an outstanding job and knocked a l l but ten o r f i f t e e n planes which turned back
A
toward Luzon.
A l l o f t h e ^ , I say, escept one, which e v i d e n t l y escaped our
f i g h t e r planes and had gotten i n t o the cloudsMpbove our taak group where the
planeif couldn't be picked up by our radar.
About 9:40 AM I happened t o be looking up I n t o the sky from my
vantage p o i n t on the forward p o r t comer o f the f l i g h t deck, and I spotted the
lone Jap plane I n a dive on the Princeton.
I t waa f o l l o w i n g the l o n g i t u d i n a l
axla o f our c a r r i e r , coming I n on our bow I n a ahallow Idve.
Other men, I n c l u -
ding our iookouta, aaw I t a t the aame time, b u t i t waa too l a t e t o take any
evaalve a c t i o n , f o r the clouda were low.
I followed the plane w i t h my eyea and could see the bomb strapped tmder
the plane's fuselage.
I saw the bomb as i t was released, and I watched the
plane p u l l out o f i t s d i v e .
late.
Our gvns opened f i r e on the plane, b u t we were too
The bomb went through our f l i g h t deck near the a f t e r e l e v a t o r , went
through the hangar deck and exploded j u s t underneath i t .
You would n o t t h i n k one f i v e httndred pound bomb could do much
damage t o an a i r c r a f t c a r r i e r ; that depanda on where the bomb h l t a .
bomb happened t o h i t a vulnerable apot.
This one
The exploalon aet the hangar deck on
f i r e and wrecked the a p r l n k l e r ayatem o f the hangar deck
aimu|||taneoualy.
That moming our torpedo planea were-aoeMBid^itoid ready f o r the a t r l k c
which we were going t o make, b u t when the Jap planea made t h e i r attack^our
f i g h t e r a had i n t e r c e p t e d them.
I t waa then neceaaary t o have our f i g h t e r a
land, r e f u e l and rearm,for they were going t o f l y cover f o r our bombera. I n
order t o land our | i g h t e r a , we had t o f S t the loaded torpedo planes down on the
hangar deck.
And they were thara whan tha bomb s t r u c k and tha f l r a s t a r t e d .
Without our aprinklera^operating^ the f l r a apread q u i c k l y . Before long
one o r more torpedoea exploded, blowing up the a f t e r elevato^.
raging below decka.
The f i r e waa
Ammunition i n l ^ a t we c a l l the ready magazinea aeemed t o
be explo</ing a l l the time.
The f i r e kept puahing the men forward on the c a r r i e r .
The next major explosion came when more o f the torpedoes blew up, s h a t t e r i n g
the
forward elevator.
Rear Admiral Sherman had to proceed w i t h h i s s t r i k e , but he detached
the
c r u l a e r Reno and three deatroyera t o give h e l p and p r o t e c t i o n t o us a f t e r
ve were h i t .
the
L a t e r , ifhen he r e a l i z e d how badly we were h i t , he also sent
c r u i s e r Birmingham and
another deatroyer t o our a i d .
The Birmingham came along our port aide t o help f i g h t the f i r e w i t h
her hoses; the destroyer Morrison came along th€ atarboard aide t o do l i k e w i s e .
More trouble f o l l o w e d : the Morrison*a auperstructure caught iribetween our stacka
ani
l a t e r had t o be p u l l e d looae by another destroyer.
Both ships were doing a
remarkable job i n f i g h t i n g the f i r e , making alow but ateady progr|as.
At t h i s
c r u c i a l ^ime another group of bogeys waa sighted on our radar screen.
Evidently the ^ap pilot^Mko had h i t us radioed t o h i a base that there
waa a c r i p p l e d c a r r i e r o f f Luzon.
a f t e r ua.
A group of about a dozen more planea came
However, f r i e n d l y f i g h t e r a knocked them a l l down and none of them
got close to us.
When the bogeys f i r s t appeared on our radar acrean, the Birmingham
and the Merrlaon p u l l e d away from ua, so that they would be f r e e t o maneuver or
take evaalve a c t i o n .
the
The f l r a b u i l t up i n i n t e n a i t y d u r i n g t h l a time.
Then
Birmingham attempted t o coma alongside again a f t e r the Jap planea were
knocked down.
Just aa tha Birmingham eama abraaat o f our a f t e r e l e v a t o r , tha worat
explosion so f a r occurred as Our reserve bomb and torpedo atowage blew up together.
Tha whole atarboard aide o f the Birmingham waa h i t w i t h fragmenta
shrapnel^ and aome holes blown I n the s h i p were one t o two f e e t i n diameter.
like
Their
Caption had warned h i a men t o atay below deeka, except the onea who were t o f i g h t
the f i r e .
But we a l l know about C u r i o s ^ y .
I n t h i s one explosion the
Birmingham s u f f e r e d two hundred and twenty-nine dead and f o u r hundred and
twenty i n j u r e d .
During t h l a same explosion serious c a a u a i t t i a took place on the
Princeton.
A t the beginning o f the operation atmie days e a r l i e r , Captain
John Hoskina had come aboard bur ahlp w i t h ordera t o r e l i e v e Captain Buracker
w|en
the Leyte Gulf operation waa over.
The tremendoua exploalon threw
Captain Hoskins t o the deck and then a large fragment o f the f l i g h t deck almost
severed one l e g above the ankle.
He had applied a t o u r n i q u e t by himaelf t o stop
the bleeding; when the senior medical o f f i c e r reached the J[aptaln, the f o o t was
amputated then and there.
The capt4||,in r e | ^ i v e d no aneathetlc o r p a i n k i l l e r
t i l l he waa being removed t o another ahlp. IHla bravery was an i n a p l r a t i o n t o
every man who knew what he was s u f f e r i n g .
L a t e r on i n the war when a new Baaex-claaa c a r r i e r waa chriatened
the Princeton. Captain John Roakina waa made i t a aklpper.
He was one o f the
very few men w i t h an a r t i f i c i a l l e g ever given command o f a f i g h t i n g ahlp.
He aurely deaerved t h l a t r i b u t e from the Secretary o f the Navy.
IT
Back on the burning Princeton f^t was decided t h a t I t would be f u t i l e
TRY
to i(tr^ t o aave the ahlp.
Wca^p
Haa^ was paaaed t o abandon ahip{ the men d i d not
need a aeeond command! Some had gone overboard e a r l i e r , but moat o f them
war* crowded on the forward p a r t o f the ahlp and went over the aide i n the
recommended manner o f going down l i n e a .
Many o f the men were apraad over a wide araa o f tha ocean a a aome had
jumped e a r l y when we were a t i l l underway.
Some men wer* i n groupa avimming
together, some i n l i f e r a f t a and aoiM j u a t f l o a t i n g i n t h e r l i f e jacketa
hoping t o be picked up by one o f the c r u i a e r a o r deatroyera which had been
>
l e f t t o help us.
My b s t t l e s t a t i o n was vhAt I s c a l l e d BAT 2 o r secondary c o n t r o l s t a t i o n .
I f anything happened t o put the bridge out o f order, I was t o take c o n t r o l o f
the ahlp from t h i s spot, j u a t o f f the forward port c o m e r o f the f l i g h t deck.
A c t u a l l y , BAT 2 was auppoaed t o be the b a t t l e s t a t i o n o f the Executive O f f i c e r ,
but he preferred
t o be I n Radar P l o t .
I waa about ready t o abandon ahlp, I put on the only l i f e
l e f t a t our b a t t l e a t a t i o n .
jack4t
At the time, I d i d n ' t r e a l i z e t h a t EXECDTIVE OFFICERI
was a t e n c l l l e d across I t s back.
One o f my beat frienda aboard ahlp waa the Commanding O f f i c e r o f the
detachment o f Marlnea, Capcain Sam Jaakllka.
( I n c i d e n t a l l y , he l a now a MA
-eolourt aaalgned-.Ao^-tha--JoiHt->Ch<;afa-^fH^fcagf'-iir>te
J ix' /\ /^7B.
Peutagotw)
4 • sfar
His b a t t l e
a t a t i o n waa a f t o f mine, and ha had come forward t o my apot aa the f l r a kept
sweeping i n our d i r e c t i o n .
>
We decided t o abandom ahlp together when the word
was given.
We went down l i n e a f a i r l y cloae t o each other and
the water
almoat almultaneoualy. Although I waa a f a i r l y good a t h l e t e i n thoae daya,
I had never been a competent awianer.
The ocean waa choppy, the r o l l o f the
Ship dunked ua up and down on thoae l i n e a aa though we were toys, and i f i t
hadn't bean f o r Sam'a encouragement, I might n o t be here t o r e l a t e a l l t h i s .
Aa i t waa, we apent about twenty minutea I n the water s t r u g g l i n g away
from tha Princeton, heading toward tha destroyer I r w i n t i l l we ware near enough
t o grasp the cargo n e t alung over tha side.
Whan I f i n a l l y p u l l e d myself over
the r a i l , I waa so t i r e d I couldn't budge.
My own r i c e p t i o n aboard the I r w i n aurpriaed me:
were ao s o l l c l t o u a o f my welfare.
o f f l c e r a and men
Soon they a t a r t e d t a l k i n g |^ about forming
/
a boarding party o f our men i n case we decided t o go back aboard the Princeton.
About t h l a time I r e a l i z e d I s t i l l vas wearing the Executive O f f i c e r ' s l i f e
jacket.
Destooying the c r i p p l e d Princetpn waa the l a a t h o r r o r o f t h e day.
Morison describes t h i s v i v i d l y :
I n order n o t t o leave her a d e r e l i c t . Admiral Sherman ordered
t h i s g a l l a n t l i g h t c a r r i e r , which had ahared h i a g l o r y and o l d
Saratoga'a i n t h e memorable 19A3 s t r i k e on Rabaul, t o be destroyed
w i t h torpedoes.
c
Destroyer I r w i n , cramped and crowded w i t h aome 600 a u r v i v o r a ,
was given the j o b . Unfortunately her torpedo d i r e c t o r had been
ao pounded alonaide Princeton as t o be uaeleaa. She stopped
broadside t o the c a r r i e r one nU^lve away and f i r e d No. 1 torpedo,
which curved l e f t and h i t the Princeton*a bow. The aeeond torpedo
missed astern. T h i r d torpedo porpoised, broached and headed back
d i r e c t l y f o r I r w i n . The Captain rang up f l a n k apeed and hard l e f t
rudder, and the " f l a h " paaaed about 30 f e e t away on a p a r a l l e l
courae. "Whatever morale waa l e f t i n the 600 aurvivora vaniahed
i n those few aeoonda.'" Noa. 4 and 5 mlaaed ahead. The t r a c k o f
No. 6, unbelievably, waa I d e n t i c a l t o t h a t o f No. 3 and missed
I r w i n by a c l o s e r margin. More than one a u r v i v o r was t h i n k i n g
of taking d r a a t i c a c t i o n on the b r i d g e , when the taak group
COTnmander r e l i e v e d I r i f i n o6 her a i n k l n g assignment.
R
F i n a l l y the Reno
ordered t o launch a apread o f torpedoea.
When
theae
tdcace h i t , the Princeton blew up completely, w i t h only a alab o f the f l i g h t
deck t i l t i n g g r a c e f u l l y i n t o tha aaa and s e t t l i n g , we praaume, i n the deptha
of the P h i l i p p i n e trench.
Night f e l l and we ateamed away from tha b a t t l e area.
On t h a t l a a t
day the- Princeton f a d l o a t 10 o f f l c e r a and 98 men from a crew o f 1500.
We were
headed! f o r Guam and e v e n t u a l l y a 30-day S u r v i v l r ' a Leave i n the United Statea.
Although some o f the Princeton *a men
were aent t o aea again, moat o f ^ u a
v«re given shore esslgmnents.
The ending mis both r e a l and apparent.
I had locked my wrist-watch
and other valuables s a f e l y I n my v a u l t aboard the Princeton and now my watch
WAS not on the b r i n e but under the b r i n e .
I have n o t - ^ M i r the P a c i f i c Ocean since r e t u r n i n g from the tour o f
go
duty
I have described.
But I hope acmteday to/back and r e t r a c e the path of
the Princeton i n the P a c i f i c .
ll
Next time I ' l l take a camera.
Footnotes
1. William H. Buracker, "The Saga o f the C a r r i e r Princeton." National
Geographic Magazine. LXXXVIII, No.2 (August 1945), 189.
2. James Shaw, I n t r o d u c t i o n t o v o l . V I I of Samuel E l i o t Morison's H i s t o r y
of United Statea Naval Operations i n World War I I . p . x x v i i .
3. Edward L. C l i f f o r d , Unpublished Memorandum t o George K. Brakeley,
October 23, 1945, paragraphs 15-16.
4. I b i d . . para. 19.
5. Buracker, 0£. c i t . . p.190.
6. I b i d .
7. I b i d . , pp.191-192.
8. I b i d . , p.192.
9. Samuel E l i o t Mprison, H i s t o r y o f United States Naval Operations i n
World War I I . v o l . V I I l , p.215.
10. I b i d . , p.221.
11. I b i d . . p.258.
12. I b i d . , p.284.
13. I b i d . . p.285.
14. I b i d . , p.291.
15. I b i d .
16. I b i d . , p.302.
17. I b i d . , p.304.
18. I b i d . , p.313.
19. Morison, 0£. c i t . , v o l . X I I ,
20. Buracker, o£. c i t . . p.218.
pp.182-183.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A l l Hands;
The Bureau o f Naval Personnel Information B u l l e t i n , June 1945.
Buracker, William H., "The Saga of the Princeton." National Geographic
Magazine, vol.LXXXVIII, No.2 (August, 1945) 189-218.
C l i f f o r d , Edward L., Unpublished Memorandum t o George K. Brakeley, Vice
President, Princeton U n i v e r s i t y , dated October 23, 1945.
Morison, Samuel E l i o t , H i s t o r y of United States Naval Operations i n World
War I I . v o l s . V I I , V I I I , and X I I , Boston, L i t t l e , Brown and Company,
1953-58.
Princeton Alumni Weakly. vol.XLV, no.34, June 20, 1945, pp.
Les
Real
On
CAG27
Blythe
name i s R o b e r t
Oct.
was
24th
the
least
we
into
we
that
shared
two
the
initial
of
the
h i t the
miss
all
and
shot
flight,
of
the
chasing
plane
shot
him
just
told
t h e r e , they
signal
on
before
Q:
How
d i d you
A:
They
were
My
Q:
do
you
you
guys
A:
I missed
you
shot
first
and
fine
a couple
rolled
place.
him
He
joined
We
as
first
over
and
the
He
with
miles
t o come on
I didn't
One
so
I got
on
them
I couldn't
and
we
back
were
to
I picked
a plane
on
the
up
his
tail
I could
shoot
the
I don't
think
he
back
the
to the
fleet.
fleet
before
t o use
every
aboard
just
ready
and
room
was
and
we
recoga
few
when i t h i t .
Murphy?
h a v e any
squadron
can
so
back
i n the
people.
you
run
time
i n but
Burracker
stories
that
down,
patrol
i n on
those
me.
from
I landed
I was
went
I
shot
on
of
had
going
we
burn.
g u y ' s name, b u t
endedup
20
one
got
planes.
one
the
intercepted
That
intercept
i t turned
up
toward
few
I saw
squadron.
on
back
and
at
officers
relate
close
and
about
contact
the
with
commander.
other
battles
in?
the
of
the
a
Shirley
down
fleet.
that
By
about
h a v e any
a sad
The
i t down on
broke
c o n t a c t s were w i t h
fought
down q u i t e
o f f from
bomb.
feel
the
We
approach.
the
into
Red
shot
t o 25000 f e e t
i n on
the
us
intercept
I closed
about
told
20
in dogfighting
excited.
to o r b i t
them.
shot
i n the
I closed
an
coming
I c a n , t remember
minutes
and
We
down.
guys
on
down t h r e e .
when we
cover
new
and
up,
nition
tell
for.
off his t a i l .
being
got
top
we
I shot
planes
run
sent
planes
launch.
several intercepts
to a l t i t u d e
s c a t t e r e d a l l over
main
one
day,
On
were
o f Jap
credit
and
we
Men
a b i g d o g f i g h t and
think,
Ensign
i n v o l v e d i n a predawn
climing
l a r g e group
Blythe,
leader.
planes.
Philippines
a
were
division
two
L.
fight
story
i n the Marianas
there.
o t h e r s , about
There
6 or
was
8 of
Turkey
Shoot.
myself
and
us
i n the
I
Robert
ready
can
hill
room
Les
when t h e y
group
the
first
general
Turkey
Shoot.
When t h e y
of planes
coming
people
they
of the people
their
i n , they
i n the ready
the planes,
rest
cont.
sounded
Marianas
in
CAG27
Blythe
division
took
room
delayed
quarters
on t h e m o r n i n g
realized
went
t o man
there
t o general
Then
h a d come up t o t h e r e a d y
together
was a b i g
quarters
the a i r c r a f t .
the launch.
they
o f f on t h e t u r k e y
did
f l y i n the afternoon,
shoot.
but things
room.
told
we g o t
time the
The e x e c g o t
us i n t h e p l a n e s
we j u s t m i s s e d
had p r e t t y
and
After
by t h a t
a n d came up a n d r e l i e v e d
and
of the
well
that.
We
quieted
down .
One s t o r y
that
you might
including
T o w n s e n d , who was a r e a l
qualify
on c a r r i e r s
We w e r e
trained
coast
were
Pearl
until
and t h e n
to Espiritu
Commander C u r t i s .
days o p e r a t i o n ,
I made
the
four
t o Pearl
We
and Townsend
t o be o u t f o r 3 o r 4 m o n t h s
groups
made
that
we d i d n ' t
pecked
served
go b a c k
out i n Corsairs, but
there
two.
We
ashore.
I went
o f VF23.
I
think
out with
T h e n we
went
only out
I t h i n k you
t o go b a c k .
actually
that
In a
landings.
to the States.
on t h e P r i n c e t o n .
went t o
a couple of
B e c a u s e we w e r e
We
Santo.
gave us t r a i n i n g -
to qualify
up by V f 2 7 .
got to
t o t h e west
some p l a n e s
6 weeks as p a r t
had
air
They
a n d VF23 was r e l i e v e d .
and were
were
o f us
on E s p i r i t u
u s o u t on c a r r i e r
a short
Pearl
We
brought
for
at
several
never
went
g o t checked
came i n .
checked
f o r about
time,
pilot,
and t h e n
Santo.
They
landings
Princeton
back
they
good
i s that
we q u a l i f i e d f o r c a r r i e r s .
m o n t h s when t h e P r i n c e t o n
was
caost
training.
out before
interesting
we g o t t o t h e f l e e t
on t h e e a s t
forcarrier
shipped
find
were
We
stayed
i n both
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ul
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y-l
LL'
au.y
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ic
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