ECSAA Welcomes the USS Tripoli and USS Palau

Transcription

ESCORT CARRIER SAILORS
& AIRMEN ASSN.
1215 N. Military Hwy #128
Norfolk, VA 23502
June 2016
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Norfolk, VA
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The CVE PIPER
ESCORT CARRIER SAILOR
& AIRMEN ASSOCIATION,
INC
1215 N. Military Highway
#128
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ECSAA Welcomes
the USS Tripoli and
USS Palau
The CVE PIPER is published
quarterly by the ESCORT CARRIER SAILOR &
AIRMEN ASSOCIATION, INC.
And is mailed by non-profit Veterans Permit from
Norfolk, Virginia
Send MEMBERSHIP DUES,
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E-mail: [email protected]
Board 0f Governors
Anthony Looney, President (Cindy)
USS Sangamon CVE-26
Convention Chairman
1203 Greenway Drive
Allen, TX 75020
Phone: 214.738.5949 (cell)
Email: [email protected]
Term 2016
(Art) Wayne Lowe, Vice President
(Joan)
USS Corregidor CVE 58
5 Longbow Court
St. Louis MO 63114
Phone: 314.429.1169
Term 2017
John W. Smith
USS Salamaua CVE-96
5815 Winwood Dr., # 204
Johnston, IA 50131
Phone: 515.331.8823
Fax: 515.289.8408
Term 2017
David Ryan, Membership
and Marketing (Patricia)
Norfolk, VA 23502
Phone: (855) 505-2469
Oscar (Clay) Hathaway III, Secretary
(Kim)
USS Casablanca
1310 W. 115th
Jenks, OK 74037
Phone 918.606.9757
Term 2016
Bob Evans, Treasurer (Janet)
USS Sangamon CVE-26
1649 Glenhill Lane
Lewisville, TX 75077-2728
Phone: 817.798.2369
Term 2018
Term 2018
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As this edition of The Piper
goes to press, we are adding some 400 members of
the USS Tripoli – CVE 64
to the ECSAA membership
roll. We are excited about
the Tripoli group joining
en mass with ECSAA – not
only are these great CVE
folks, but a most fun group! For the past several conventions Tripolitans have
included our membership in their auction which is always great fun. The Tripoli
sailors have always been very gracious in
contributing some of their auction proceeds to ECSAA. Their contributions are
most appreciated but above all, we value the friendships and camaraderie
established with the Tripoli group – WELCOME Tripolitans!
The Tripoli group took advantage of a special ECSAA membership pricing by
bringing their reunion to an ECSAA convention. The same incentive is
offered to any ship group wishing to join ECSAA. As individual ship groups
lose membership I’m hoping these (your) ship groups consider ECSAA as a
vehicle to perpetuate the legacy of your and all CVE’s. More information
related to membership can be found at www.ECSAA.org, or emailing
[email protected], or calling 855-505-2469, or writing to 1215 N. Military
Highway #128 in Norfolk, VA 23502.
As ECSAA membership increases we have greater influence in convention
planning, memorial establishment, and other incentives provided by membership. Our website (http://ecsaa.org) is becoming more robust almost daily with
the addition of ECSAA and CVE information. Some website information is
available to anyone “surfing the net”, but hard core historical or membership
information is limited to ECSAA members. To increase the value of our
historical database, you are encouraged to submit unique information about your
ship that can be archived for future generations. Who knows more about CVE’s
than those who have served on them? In time, I foresee our website as the place
for accurate historical information on CVE’s.
More frequently, I am being contacted by historians who have read The Piper
and are using past editions for historical research of CVE’s. To date, there are
some 25 years of accumulated information regarding CVE’s in those The Piper
editions. As those editions are being loaded into our website, CVE historical
information will be available to anyone who is a member of ECSAA. In
addition to growing attendance in conventions, I’m hoping that we are becoming
the “go to research location” for CVE contributions to our freedoms. I
personally anticipate receiving each new edition of The Piper wondering what
fresh information I will learn about these ships. This historical significance is
possible because of the vibrant membership of ECSAA.
At this year’s convention in Mobile, we will be awarding our 1st Scholarship to
a member or direct descendant of a member of ECSAA. The Scholarship
program was initiated for at least some of the following reasons (not necessarily
in significant order).
•
To return something back to members for their support of our
organization;
•
To support the educational process, encouraging continued learning;
•
To encourage ECSAA membership by adding descendants of veterans;
and
•
To promote the legacy of CVE’s and encourage the education of such
thereof.
Another benefit of being an ECSAA member is convention attendance. Greater
attendance to conventions allows for more bargaining power in convention
planning, including hotel, menu, and tour rates. Almost without fail, a
prospective convention site will verify prior convention attendance – the greater
the numbers, the more concessions are made to ECSAA. In today’s economy,
conventions of our size are a prized revenue stream to local economies and they
will do everything possible to secure our business.
I cannot think of a better way for veterans to re-bond and reminisce than our
conventions. ECSAA leadership strives to see that everyone has a great time
while showing honor those who served on CVE’s. My most fond convention
experiences have been “being a fly on the wall”, quietly listening to sailors recall
their CVE experiences. Those memories are priceless.
Finally, I hope you had a meaningful Memorial Day and look forward to seeing
“all y’all” in Mobile September 18-22! Take care and God Bless!
Anthony Looney
Welcome ECSAA’s Newest Governor - Dave Ryan
Dave Ryan got involved with ECSAA to honor and carry-on the the work of his late father and an ECSAA
founder, Lt. Paul (Pat) Ryan, USS Bogue CVE-9. After the closure of the Bogue Reunion Association,
Dave came to ECSAA and volunteered to take on the Membership & Marketing Committee in 2011. With
the help of a small but mighty committee, ECSAA has gone online, brought entire new ships into the organization and grown organization membership to beyond the 2000 mark for the first time in many years.
To pay the bills, Dave is a 33-year veteran of the high tech industry at IBM and Intel. He has held technical and business executive roles focused on ramping new businesses globally across multiple industries.
At Intel, he currently leads the company’s health and life science business explorations worldwide. Having
recently returned from a two-year assignment in China, he and his family live in the Fair Oaks suburb of
Sacramento, California.
His wife, Patricia Ryan, is the principle/owner of Two Pillars™ Early Childhood Consulting Group. Their
17-year old ECSAA-member daughter is in 11th grade. Dave earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from
Arizona State University and an MBA from Pennsylvania State University.
He is a guest lecturer on international business and new venturing at California State University Sacramento and he is the Chairman of the Board of RIE.org, an international non-profit focused on improving care
for all infants.
ESCORT CARRIER SAILORS & AIRMEN ASSOCIATION MEMORIAL DONATION
(BONDED) TREASURER, BOB EVANS, 1215 N MILITARY HWY #128,
NORFOLK, VA 23502 INCORPORATED IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF
VIRGINIA, IRS CLASSIFICATION 501-19 I.D. Number 54-1599146
Donor First Name __________________________________________________________________
Donor Last Name _________________________________________________________________
Address __________________________________________________________________________
City ______________________________________ St ______________ Zip __________________
Telephone: ___________________ Email _____________________________________________
Ship or Squadron you served on _____________________________________________________
Memorial Donations are Tax Deductible under ECSAA’s IRS Classification 501(c) 19
Check Number_____________________ Amount $________________ Date ____________________
I would like my donation to be used for:
Memorials ____ Scholarships ____ ECSAA General Funds ____ Conventions ____
The mission of ECSAA is to ensure that “The Greatest Generation is Never Forgotten”. With your
support, the Association is able to create and place memorials in museums across the country, build
stronger programs to preserve this critical chapter of heroism in the defense of freedom, and produce
the annual convention. Please be generous!
Credit Card Donation Form is Available online at:
http://ecsaa.org/Donations
A Night at the Auction
For the past 20 years the Annual Fun Auction has been a highlight event at all our
Tripoli Reunions. It is requested that every
attendee bring a wrapped item to be bid on in a blind auction. We
attempt to have quality items (no white elephants) within a theme
of Military, Patriotic, Hand Crafted, or something from your home
state. Please join us on Tuesday
September 20, at 7:00 - 9:00 for Tripoli Fun Auction, bring a
wrapped item (if you wish), your billfold, and a bag of laughs, for
this FUN Evening.
Proceeds from this event will be shared with ECSAA.
Thanks Bill Atkinson ---- USS Tripoli
Below is a list of names of new members who
attended the 2015 convention in San Diego.
Unfortunately, their addresses were not
received. Therefore, ECSAA is unable to send
a PIPER and a membership card. If any
member receiving the PIPER could assist with
addresses or phones numbers, please contact
[email protected].
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Olive Blackwell
Kae Christensen
Ann Cumbo
Carol Driscol
Michael Flores
Josh Flores
Jean Gardner
Aaron Green
Art Hutt
Pam Hutt
Janet Roberg
Allan Johnson
Eleanor Johnson
Linda Jones
Mary Koenig
Cheryl Lenoard
Martha Panchik
Dan McNamara
Jenny Rubio
Bobbie White
Lisa Whitley
Bruce Whitley
Steve Wyatt
Want to help our Scholarship Fund Grow?
We extend our deepest sympathy and condolences if you have
recently lost a loved one.
Giving in memory is a special way to remember the life of a loved one. Whether
it’s a partner, family member or companion animal, Memorial
Giving can be a practical and positive way for family members
and friends to come together at this difficult time. It’s also a huge
comfort to know that all donations, raised in memory of your
loved one will be used to further the education of our progeny
members.
USS Tripoli (CVE-64) was a Casablanca class escort carrier of the
United States
Navy. Tripoli
is the first U.S.
Navy ship
named for the
Battle of Derne
in 1805. It was
the decisive
victory of a
mercenary
army led by a
detachment of
United States
Marines and soldiers against the forces of Tripoli during the First Barbary War.
It was the first recorded land battle of the United States fought overseas. She was
built under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1101) at
Vancouver, Washington, and was laid down by the Kaiser Shipyards on 1 February 1943 as Didrickson Bay (ACV-64). Renamed Tripoli on 3 April 1943 and
launched on 13 July 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Leland D. Webb, and commissioned on 31
October 1943, at Astoria, Oregon, Captain Wendell G. Switzer in command.
Service history
World War II
Following shakedown training off the California coast, the escort carrier entered the repair base at San Diego, California. There, on 4 January 1944,
gasoline was inadvertently dumped into the water around the forward part of the
ship, on the starboard side. Acetylene torch sparks ignited the volatile mixture,
and flames quickly spread from the bow to frame 82, engulfing the forward galley walkway and the island superstructure. Yardcraft and the ship’s crew battled
the flames and soon had the fire under control, but not before two men had died.
Atlantic
Subsequently repaired, Tripoli departed San Diego on 31 January, bound
for the Panama Canal and duty with the Atlantic Fleet. She arrived at her new
home port, Norfolk, Virginia on 16 February. Embarking Composite Squadron
13 (VC-13) - 13 FM-2 Wildcats and TBM Avengers - the carrier put to sea on
15 March as the center ship in Task Group 21.15 (TG 21.15). Supported by five
destroyer escorts of Escort Division 7 (CortDiv 7), Tripoli patrolled west of the
Cape Verde Islands to break up German U-boat refueling activities in that area.
After providing air cover for a convoy routed to the British West Indies, Tripoli’s
Wildcats and Avengers searched the sea lanes northwest, southwest, and west
of the Cape Verdes before putting into Recife, Brazil on 5 April to refuel and
provision. Back at sea again two days later, Tripoli continued the routine of daily
launchings and recoveries of her aircraft, guarding the Allied sea lanes against
the incursions of enemy U-boats.
About one hour before sunrise on 19 April, one of Tripoli’s Avengers made radar contact with a German U-boat as the submarine cruised on the
surface awaiting the arrival of her “Milch Cow” or refueling partner. U-513 put
up a spirited anti-aircraft barrage while the Avenger made three attacks. A pattern of rockets bracketed the submarine on the first pass as the Germans prepared
to dive for comparative safety. On the second run, the aircraft’s depth charges
failed to release, giving the enemy submersible the time she needed to dive. The
U-boat evaded the aircraft’s last attack - a mine - but also missed her fueling
rendezvous with U-488.
Returning to Norfolk on 29 April, Tripoli underwent voyage repairs
before embarking VC-6 - 12 Avengers and nine Wildcats. She then formed up
with CortDiv 7 and departed Hampton Roads on 24 May for further searches in
the vicinity of the Cape Verdes. Four days out, she changed course to intercept
a German submarine estimated to be proceeding southwest from a position west
of the Madeira Islands. When no contact was made by 30 May, Tripoli and her
consorts steamed north to rendezvous with a convoy bound for Nova Scotia.
Following her return to Norfolk on 18 June, Tripoli spent two months in carrier
qualification training off Quonset Point, Rhode Island, before making port again
at Norfolk on 15 July. Embarking Composite Squadron 6, she conducted two
weeks of pilot qualifications in theChesapeake Bay area before departing Hampton Roads on 1 August, bound for her new base of operations, Recife.
Screened by O’Toole and Edgar G. Chase, the escort carrier proceeded
south until 1 August, when O’Toole developed a sonar contact and gave chase.
Aircraft from Tripoli laid patterns o sonobuoys at the initial contact point and
dropped smoke floats and float lights on an oil slick. Picking up the “scent”,
O’Toole straddled the floats with her Hedgehog projectiles and depth charges
and soon radioed victoriously “We hit the rodent!” A brief visual examination
of the evidence - debris and a large quantity of diesel oil - satisfied the hunterkiller group that they had indeed sunk an enemy submarine. However, a post-war
examination of German records did not confirm the kill. As night fell, Tripoli
vectored two aircraft to another sonar contact by O’Toole, and four depth bombs
were dropped - keeping another U-boat down and running.
Tripoli and her group then returned to Recife on 13 August and reported for
duty with Admiral Jonas H. Ingram’s 4th Fleet. Designated as the center of TG
47.7, the escort carrier put to sea on 22 August with the four destroyer escorts of
CortDiv 24 to operate against a homeward-bound German submarine estimated
to pass at 25° south latitude and 5° west longitude.
After a fruitless search pursuing two fading sonar contacts in the midSouth Atlantic narrows, Tripoli and her group returned to Recife on 11 September for provisioning and fueling. Underway again two days later, TG 47.7
headed out to conduct another search - this time along the estimated track of
U-201
two U-boats slated to rendezvous for refueling. One of the target U-boats was
U-1062, bound from Penang, British Malaya with a cargo of valuable petroleum
products for the German war effort. Ordered to fuel U-219, outward-bound for
the Far East, U-1062 prepared to rendezvous with her smaller sister boat in the
South Atlantic narrows - directly in the path of the Tripoli escort group.
Passing to the westward of the Cape Verdes, TG 47.7 made rendezvous with Mission Bay’s escort group to conduct a joint hunter-killer operation against the two enemy boats. Round-the-clock searches by radar-equipped
Avengers continued until 40 minutes after sunset on 28 September, when an
Avenger piloted by Lieutenant William R. Gillespie reported a definite contact
with the surfaced U-219 only 11 miles from the enemy’s estimated track.
Gillespie went in to conduct a low-level rocket attack, but was shot down
by heavy flak. Another Avenger, drawn to the battle, braved the flak to conduct
another rocket run and also dropped depth bombs, while a Wildcat strafed the Uboat which struggled desperately to dodge the harassing attacks by the American
aircraft.
U-219 emerged from the firefight unscathed, but U-1062 did not enjoy
similar good fortune. Fessenden, one of Mission Bay’s screen, homed in on
sonobuoy indications on 30 September and sank the “Milch Cow” with a fourcontinued on page 6
Tripoli (CVE-64) continued
charge pattern. In the meantime, U-219 was not yet home free - one of Tripoli’s
Avengers dropped depth bombs on the fleeing boat on 2 October. American
sonar-men felt that they had definitely “killed” the U-boat, but post-war accounting showed that U-219 had escaped to Batavia, Java.
When fuel supplies ran low, Tripoli returned to Recife on 12 October.
She conducted one further search of the narrows from 26 October - 12 November before heading for a much-needed overhaul at Norfolk. Subsequently, the
escort carrier sailed for the Pacific and, after transiting the Panama Canal and
touching at San Diego, arrived at Pearl Harbor on 10 January 1945.
Pacific
Tripoli transferred Composite Squadron 8 ashore to conduct operations
from Hilo, Hawaii, before she loaded a miscellaneous cargo of fighters and
bombers to be offloaded at Roi, in them Marshall Islands, where she made port
on 20 February 1945. Returning to Pearl Harbor after this ferry run, the escort
carrier commenced training operations which would continue through the end of
the war, and into late 1945. With Japan’s surrender and the end of hostilities in
the Pacific, Tripoli was assigned to the “Magic Carpet” operation.
Arriving at San Diego on 29 August with 500 Navy veterans, Tripoli
returned to Pearl Harbor on 8 September before resuming local operations - including night carrier qualifications - through November. She subsequently made
one trip with Army passengers to San Pedro, California, and a further “Magic
Carpet” run to San Diego. The carrier departed the west coast on 15 January
1946 for deactivation overhaul at Norfolk. On 22 May 1946, the need for her
services required, Tripoli was decommissioned and laid up in reserve.
Korean War
The outbreak of the Korean War in the summer of 1950 resulted in the
return of many of the Navy’s reserve ships to active service to support American
operations in the Far East. Accordingly, Tripoli was recommissioned at New
York on 5 January 1952, Captain Raymond N. Sharp in command. Assigned to
the Military Sealift Command (MSC), Atlantic Area, the former “hunter-killer”
began her new career as an aircraft transport and ferry.
Tripoli transporting F-84 Thunderjets in the 1950s.
Over the next six years, Tripoli
conducted 44 transport voyages,
mostly to European and Mediterranean ports, but with one visit to
Hawaii and two to the Far East.
Following the ship’s third voyage
to Europe, Tripoli was berthed at
the Port Newark Terminal on 5
August 1952, where she loaded 45
F-84 Thunderjets, 90 wingtip fuel tanks, and related gear for transport to the Far
East. After going to sea on 7 August, bound for Japan, Tripoli steamed via the
Panama Canal and San Diego and made port at Yokosuka with her vital cargo on
5 September, where cranes lifted the reinforcements ashore - soon to be in action
in their ground-attack role in Korea. After loading battle-damaged aircraft for
repairs in the United States, the carrier embarked 245 Navy and Marine Corps
personnel for rotation back to Alameda Naval Air Station, California. Making
port on the West Coast on 22 September, she then put to sea for the Far East a
second time, once again carrying jet aircraft to Yokosuka, as well as transporting
men of the Sea Echelon of Boat Unit 1. Loading a cargo of helicopters and military passengers, Tripoli returned to the west coast and arrived at Alameda on 11
November 1952. Subsequently making her sole Hawaiian voyage with the MSC,
Tripoli then headed east to finish her career with transport voyages to European
and Mediterranean ports.
At Alameda May 1954, fifty F-86D aircraft were loaded on board Tripoli
and cocooned for a 21-day trip thru the Panama Canal to St Nazaire, France.
June 13 approx. 500
US Air Force personnel
of the 440th FIS from
Spokane WA and 441st
FIS from Hamilton AFB
in San Francisco, CA
boarded the ship. July
2 the ship arrived at
the port of St Nazaire,
France. The two squadrons were bound for
Landstuhl AFB, Germany.
Receiving “smart ship” awards from in the intervening years, Tripoli was
reclassified a utility carrier and redesignated CVU-64 on 12 June 1955. Again
redesignated T-CVU-64 on 1 July 1958, Tripoli was decommissioned at New Orleans, La., on 25 November 1958 and subsequently struck from the Naval Vessel
Register on 1 February 1959. Her hulk was then scrapped by a Japanese firm in
January 1960.
References
1.
Jump up^ http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/
danfs/t/tripoli-i.html
•
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of
American Naval Fighting Ships.
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TAPS
To those who are silent that we may
breathe free. We honor you.
Name
Louis Bagley
Richard Knoth
Robert Pearce
Roland Mailloux
J. Whitfield Moody
David Smith
Glen L. Amundson
Frank Ray Malone
Kenneth L. Kearney
Wallace J. Nicholls
Raymond E. Frisby
Arthur D. Calvert
Samuel A. Lunsway
Lester A. Svartoien
Walter O. Fransen
Louis C. Logan
John V. Edgar
Irvin Spencer
Richard W. Smith
CVE
USS Chenango
USS Chenango
USS Chenango
USS Chenango
USS Chenango
USS Chenango
USS Gloucester
USS Badoeng Strait
USS Casablanca
USS Sicily
USS Makin Island
USS Rendova
USS Steamer Bay
USS Cape Gloucester
USS Shipley Bay
USS Tulagi
USS Makin Island
USS Tripoli
USS Tripoli
Date of Death
8/12/2015
10/21/2015
3/1/2016
1/1/2016
3/1/2016
12/15/2015
1/26/2016
3/12/2016
3/22/2014
3/4/2016
2/20/2016
2/13/2016
4/10/2016
4/9/2016
4/11/2016
3/18/2016
2/9/2016
11/25/2015
12/21/2015
Name
Angus Broussard, Jr.
John Seres
David Victor Johnson
Bob Tibbs
James Beard
Clarence Barrell
Jack Compton
Clay Coomer
Joseph Dedecko
Thomas Duffy
Ottis Dimick
William E. Kerens, Jr.
Lee Roy Kinsey
Charles Mauro
Clifford Osborne
Garry J. Pasman, Sr.
Patrick Pica
Waverly Speight
CVE
USS Kitkun Bay
USS Salerno Bay
USS Nassau
USS Chenango
USS Roi
USS Tripoli
USS Tripoli
USS Tripoli
USS Tripoli
USS Tripoli
USS Tripoli
USS Tripoli
USS Tripoli
USS Tripoli
USS Tripoli
USS Tripoli
USS Tripoli
USS Tripoli
TAPS Notification Form, Donation Form and Membership Information
are available online at ECSAA.org
Date of Death
7-Mar-16
11-Mar-16
5/9/2016
4/1/2016
3/25/1969
2/18/2016
3/16/2013
10/2/2009
5/10/2014
9/13/2013
11/23/2014
10/25/2015
2/16/2016
9/26/2015
3/4/2016
1/15/2016
7/17/2014
3/21/2007
Article Details: The U.S. Home Front During World War II
Author - History.com Staff
Website Name - History.com
Year Published - 2010
Title - The U.S. Home Front During World War II
URL - http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/us-home-front-during-worldwar-ii
Access Date - May 08, 2016
Publisher - A+E Networks
After the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on the American naval fleet
at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the U.S. was thrust into World War II (1939-45), and
everyday life across the country was dramatically altered. Food, gas and clothing were rationed. Communities conducted scrap metal drives. To help build the
armaments necessary to win the war, women found employment as electricians,
welders and riveters in defense plants. Japanese Americans had their rights as
citizens stripped from them. People in the U.S. grew increasingly dependent on
radio reports for news of the fighting overseas. And, while popular entertainment
served to demonize the nation’s enemies, it also was viewed as an escapist outlet
that allowed Americans brief respites from war worries.
THE TASK OF WINNING THE WAR
On December 7, 1941, the U.S. was thrust into World War II when Japan
launched a surprise attack on the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor. The following day, America and Great Britain declared war on Japan. On December 10,
Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S.
Did You Know?
During World War II, as an alternative to rationing, Americans planted
“victory gardens,” in which they grew their own food. By 1945, some 20 million
such gardens were in use and accounted for about 40 percent of all vegetables
consumed in the U.S.
In the earliest days of America’s participation in the war, panic gripped
the country. If the Japanese military could successfully attack Hawaii and inflict
damage on the naval fleet and casualties among innocent civilians, many people
wondered what was to prevent a similar assault on the U.S. mainland, particularly along the Pacific coast.
This fear of attack translated into a ready acceptance by a majority of
Americans of the need to sacrifice in order to achieve victory. During the spring
of 1942, a rationing program was established that set limits on the amount of
gas, food and clothing consumers could purchase. Families were issued ration
stamps that were used to buy their allotment of everything from meat, sugar, fat,
butter, vegetables and fruit to gas, tires, clothing and fuel oil. The United States
Office of War Information released posters in which Americans were urged to
“Do with less–so they’ll have enough” (“they” referred to U.S. troops). Meanwhile, individuals and communities conducted drives for the collection of scrap
metal, aluminum cans and rubber, all of which were recycled and used to produce armaments. Individuals purchased U.S. war bonds to help pay for the high
cost of armed conflict.
THE ROLE OF THE AMERICAN WORKER
From the outset of the war, it was clear that enormous quantities of airplanes, tanks, warships, rifles and
other armaments would be essential to beating America’s aggressors. U.S. workers played a vital role in the
production of such war-related materials. Many of these
workers were women. Indeed, with tens of thousands
of American men joining the armed forces and heading into training and into battle, women began securing jobs as welders, electricians and riveters in defense
plants. Until that time, such positions had been strictly for men only.
A woman who toiled in the defense industry came to be known as a
“Rosie the Riveter.” The term was popularized in a song of the same name that
in 1942 became a hit for bandleader Kay Kyser (1905-85). Soon afterward, Walter Pidgeon (1897-1984), a Hollywood leading man, traveled to the Willow Run
aircraft plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, to make a promotional film encouraging the
sale of war bonds. One of the women employed at the factory, Rose Will Monroe
(1920-97), was a riveter involved in the construction of B-24 and B-29 bombers.
Monroe, a real-life Rosie the Riveter, was recruited to appear in Pidgeon’s film.
During the war years, the decrease in the availability of men in the work
force also led to an upsurge in the number of women holding non-war-related
factory jobs. By the mid-1940s, the percentage of women in the American work
force had expanded from 25 percent to 36 percent.
THE PLIGHT OF JAPANESE AMERICANS
Not all American
citizens were allowed to
retain their independence
during World War II. Just
over two months after
Pearl Harbor, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt
(1882-1945) signed into
law Executive Order 9066,
which resulted in the removal from their communities and the subsequent
imprisonment of all Americans of Japanese descent
who resided on the West
Coast.
Executive Order 9066 was the offshoot of a combination of wartime
panic and the belief on the part of some that anyone of Japanese ancestry, even
those who were born in the U.S., was somehow capable of disloyalty and treachery. As a result of the order, nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans were dispatched
to makeshift “relocation” camps.Despite the internment of their family members,
young Japanese-American men fought bravely in Italy, France and Germany
between 1943 and 1945 as members of the U.S. Army’s 100th Battalion, 442nd
Infantry. By the end of the war, the 100th had become the most decorated combat unit of its size in Army history.
BASEBALL AND THE BATTLEFIELD
In January
1942, Kenesaw
Mountain Landis
(1866-1944), the national commissioner
of baseball, wrote
a letter to President
Roosevelt in which
he asked if professional baseball
should shut down
for the duration of
the war. In what
came to be known
as the “green light” letter, Roosevelt responded that professional baseball should
Continued on page 9
The U.S. Home Front During World War II
continue operations, as it was good for the country’s collective morale and would
serve as a needed diversion.
During the war, 95 percent of all professional baseball players who
donned major league uniforms during the 1941 season were directly involved in
the conflict. Future Hall of Famers Bob Feller (1918-), Hank Greenberg (191186), Joe DiMaggio (1914-99) and Ted Williams (1918-2002) exchanged their
baseball jerseys for military fatigues. Feller, in fact, enlisted in the U.S. Navy
one day after Pearl Harbor. Because baseball was depleted of so many able bodies, athletes who otherwise likely never would have made the big leagues won
spots on rosters. One of the more notable was Pete Gray (1915-2002), a onearmed outfielder who appeared in 77 games for the St. Louis Browns in 1945.
Not all those who served in the military were superstars. Elmer Gedeon
(1917-44), an outfielder who appeared in five games for the 1939 Washington
Senators, and Harry O’Neill (1917-45), a catcher who played in one game for
the 1939 Philadelphia Athletics, were the two big leaguers who died in combat.
Over 120 minor leaguers also were killed. Other players overcame debilitating
wartime injuries. One was Bert Shepard (1920-2008), a minor league pitcher
turned air force fighter pilot. In 1944, Shepard’s right leg was amputated after he
was shot down over Germany. The following year, he pitched three innings for
the Washington Senators in a major league game.
THE MOVIES GO TO WAR
Throughout World War II, American moviegoers were treated to a steady stream
of war-related programming. The movie-going experience included a newsreel,
which lasted approximately 10 minutes and was loaded with images and accounts of recent battles, followed by an animated cartoon. While many
of these cartoons were entertainingly escapist, some comically caricatured the
enemy. Among these titles were “Japoteurs” (1942) featuring Superman, “Der
Fuehrer’s Face” (1943) starring Donald Duck, “Confessions of a Nutsy Spy”
(1943) with Bugs Bunny, “Daffy the Commando” (1943) with Daffy Duck and
“Tokyo Jokie-o” (1943). Documentaries such as the seven-part “Why We Fight”
series, released between 1943 and 1945 and produced and directed by Academy
Award-winning filmmaker Frank Capra (1897-1991), included Axis propaganda
footage and emphasized the necessity of America’s involvement in the war, as
well as the importance of Allied victory.
As for the main program, movie theaters showed non-war-related dramas, comedies, mysteries and Westerns; however, a significant segment of
feature films dealt directly with the war. Scores of features spotlighted the trials
of men in combat while demonizing the Nazis and Japanese who perpetuated the
conflict. “Wake Island” (1942), “Guadalcanal Diary” (1943), “Bataan” (1943)
and “Back to Bataan” (1945) were a few of the titles that centered on specific
battles. “Nazi Agent” (1942), “Saboteur” (1942) and “They Came to Blow Up
America” (1943) portrayed America’s enemies as spies and terrorists. “So Proud-
ly We Hail!” (1943) and
“Cry ‘Havoc’” (1943)
recorded the heroics
of women nurses and
volunteers at faraway
battlefronts. “Tender
Comrade” (1943),
“The Human Comedy”
(1943) and “Since You
Went Away” (1944)
focused, respectively,
on the trials of average
American women, communities and families
while exploring the
very real fear that a
loved one who went off to war might never return. The struggles of citizens in
occupied countries were portrayed in such films as “Hangmen Also Die!” (1943)
and “The Seventh Cross” (1944).
Meanwhile, some of Hollywood’s top stars joined the military. Many
appeared in government-produced training films and morale-boosting short
subjects. Others participated directly in the fighting. Clark Gable (1901-60), the
beloved, Academy Award-winning actor, served as a tail-gunner with the U.S.
Army Air Corps and flew combat missions over Germany. James Stewart (190897), another equally adored Oscar winner, had enlisted in the corps even before
Pearl Harbor. He eventually became a B-24 combat pilot and commander and
also flew missions over Germany.
PATRIOTIC MUSIC AND RADIO REPORTS FROM THE FRONTLINE
As the U.S. became immersed in the
war, Americans listened
to more patriotic or warrelated music. Even before
the country entered the
war, such ditties as “The
Last Time I Saw Paris,”
which evoked nostalgia
for a peaceful pre-war
Paris, and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” which
charted a young soldier’s
military experiences, were
extremely popular. Other
songs with self-explanatory titles were “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition,” “Comin’ In on a Wing and a Prayer” and “You’re a Sap, Mr. Jap.”
Radio was the primary source of news and entertainment for most American households during the war, and as the conflict progressed, people grew
increasingly dependent on radio for updates on the fighting overseas. They were
riveted by the frontline reports from such legendary journalists as Edward R.
Murrow (1908-65). Meanwhile, big bands, most famously the orchestra headed
by Glenn Miller (1904-44), and entertainers such as Bob Hope (1903-2003) performed before thousands at military bases. These programs were aired directly
on the radio to listeners from Maine to California.
Dramatic radio programming increasingly featured war-related storylines. One of the most jarring was “Untitled” (1944), a production penned by
writer Norman Corwin (1910-) and broadcast on the CBS radio network. “Untitled” traced the story of Hank Peters, a fictional American soldier who was killed
in combat.
Welcome...Shipmates and Families to the ECSAA 2016 Convention, Mobile Alabama
Preliminary Schedule
Date
Day
September 18
Sunday
Time
6:00AM - 10:00AM
10:00AM - 5:00PM
10:00AM - 10:00PM
10:00AM - 10:00PM
2:00PM - 4:00PM
5:00PM - 6:00PM
7:00PM - 9:00PM
Event
Breakfast available in Lafayette Restaurant
Registration Open - Ballroom C
Hospitality Room Open - Ballroom C
Breakout Rooms Available
Website Familiarization Workshop - Ballroom C
First Timer’s Meet and Greet - Ballroom A
Hotel Reception - Skyview Lounge (17th Floor)
September 19
Monday
6:00AM - 10:00AM
7:00AM - 8:30AM
7:00AM - 8:30AM
7:00AM - 10:00PM
8:30AM - 9:00AM
9:00AM - 4:00PM
4:00PM - 5:00PM
7:00PM - 8:00PM
5:00PM - 10:00PM
4:00PM
Breakfast Available in Lafayette Restaurant
Load Buses for Pensacola Naval Aviation Tour
Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum Tour
Buses Return to Hotel
Video Showing - “The Story of U-Boat 505” - Ballroom C
Hospitality Room Open; Dinner on your own
Busses leave hotel for Pirates Voyage Theater
September 20
Tuesday
6:00AM - 10:00AM
7:00AM - 8:30AM
7:00AM - 8:30AM
7:00AM - 10:00PM
8:30AM - 9:00AM
9:00AM - 3:00PM
3:00PM - 4:00PM
4:00PM - 10:00PM
7:00PM - 9:00PM
Load Buses for Mobile/USS Alabama Tour
Mobile/USS Alabama Tour
Buses Return to Hotel
Hospitality Room Open; Dinner on Yur Own
Auction Hosted by USS Tripoli - Ballrooms A&B
September 21
Wednesday
6:00AM - 10:00AM
7:00AM - 9:00AM
7:00AM - 6:00PM
10:00AM - 11:00AM
1:00PM - 2:30PM
3:30PM - 4:30PM
6:00PM - 7:00PM
7:00PM - 11:00PM
Memorial Service - Ballrooms A & B
Business Meeting - Ballrooms A & B
Legacy Member Meeting - Ballroom C
Banquet Social Hour - Ballrooms B, C, & D
Banquet (Dressy Attire) - Ballrooms B, C, & D
September 22
Thursday
6:00AM - 10:00AM
11:00AM
Checkout, No Later Than
Thank you for attending. Have a safe journey home and we hope to see you again
next year.
If you have any suggestions or comments about future conventions, please don’t
hesitate to contact us!
September 20, 2016
Historic Mobile and USS Alabama
Tour 9AM - 3PM
$79.00 Per Person
September 19, 2016 Tour
Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum
9AM - 4PM
$79.00 Per Person
Board the coach for a trip to America’s
premiere Naval Aviation Museum!
This outstanding collection covers the entire history of Naval Aviation, from fabric
wings to supersonic speeds. You can tour
on your own or join in with one of the volunteers who will give you the history and
background of the aircrafts and our rich
Naval Aviation history!
Board the coach for a leisurely tour of Mobile, Alabama. We will
tour Mobile’s downtown historic districts: Church St. East, De
Tonti Square, and the Oakleigh Garden District. We are sure you
will appreciate the architectural diversity, natural beauty, and rich
history of our community. We will visit the Basilica of The
Immaculate Conception, the Catholic Cathedral’ Featuring
beautiful stained glass, intricate gold leaf, and marble. We will also
stop and tour the Richards DAR house. A beautiful Italianate ante
bellum home where tea will be served.
Lunch will be served at Qubie’s on site.
We will then depart for the USS Alabama Memorial Park where
lunch will be served in the Aircraft Pavillion! Following lunch you
will have time to explore the Mighty Alabama and the USS Drum
WWII Submarine.
ECSAA 25th Anniversary Celebration/Convention
Historic Downtown Holiday Inn - Mobile, Alabama
September 18 - 21
Call (251) 694-0100 to reserve your room.
Ask for the ECSAA Convention rate or use
code ESC if reserving online.
Holiday Inn Mobile Downtown Historic District is ideally located in the heart of
the city, providing quick access to many popular local attractions. Next door to our
hotel you will find the Mobile Carnival Museum and within a few blocks is the Gulf
Coast Exploreum Science Center and IMAX Theater. The USS Alabama and the
USS Drum Submarine are a short drive and other attractions less than 20 miles from
our hotel include Bellingrath Gardens and several well-known golf courses such as
the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and Magnolia Grove Golf Course. Within blocks
of the hotel, you can visit the GulfQuest National Maritime Museum.
The Holiday Inn is located just steps from Historic Dauphin Street which features
dozens of shops, popular clubs, restaurants, and galleries. Many businesses and
facilities are within close proximity including Austal USA, the Brookley Aeroplex,
Signal Shipyard, Airbus, the Alabama State Docks, and BAE Systems.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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$89.00 per night plus taxes beginning March 1st
Rate will be honored 3 days before and after convention
$10 Breakfast Buffet
Cabs available for transport ($20 - $25)
Free Parking
Free wireless internet
In room refrigerators and microwaves
20 - 30 restaurants with-in walking distance
Registrant may request bay or city room view
ECSAA 25th Anniversary Celebration/Convention Registration Form
Historic Downtown Holiday Inn - 301 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama 36602
September 18 - 21, 2016
Name of Registrant: Full Name______________________________________ Last Name ______________________________________
Address __________________________________________________________ City ___________________________ State ______________ Zip ___________
Telephone __________________________ Email _________________________________________ Ship/Squadron ____________________________________
Is this the first time attending an ECSAA convention? _____Yes
_____No
What event(s) would you like to register for?
Wednesday Evening Banquet Meal Choice:
_____ Convention - $58.00 includes all taxes and gratuities
_____ 8oz. Prime Rib
_____ Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum (September 19) - $79.00
_____ Boneless Chicken Breast
_____ Historic Movile and USS Alabama Tour (September 20) - $79.00
_____ Baked New Orleans Fish
_____ Vegetarian
Are you attending with another registrant? If yes, list their name, address and relationship (i.e., spouse, companion, child, friend). If you have more than one guest,
please use additional sheets of paper.
Name of Registrant: Full Name______________________________________ Last Name ______________________________________
Address __________________________________________________________ City ___________________________ State ______________ Zip ___________
Telephone __________________________ Email ________________________________________ Relationship ____________________________________
What event(s) would you like to register your guest for?
Wednesday Evening Banquet Meal Choice for Guest:
_____ Convention - $58.00 includes all taxes and gratuities
_____ 8oz. Prime Rib
_____ Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum (September 19) - $79.00
_____ Boneless Chicken Breast
_____ Historic Movile and USS Alabama Tour (September 20) - $79.00
_____ Baked New Orleans Fish
_____ Vegetarian
Please make checks payable to:
ECSAA Convention Account
Mail your check to:
Escort Carrier Sailor and Airmen Association, Inc.
Norfolk, VA 23502
If you have any questions email:
[email protected] or call
Toll Free in the USA: 855.505.2469
Want to hear your favorite songs? Send them to
[email protected] so the DJ can add
them to his list.
You can register online using your credit card at:
http://ecsaa.org/2016-Convention-Information
Cut off date for Banquet and tours:
September 10, 2016
or the food they need
to provide as lunch for
the active duty troops
marching in the parade.
I’m Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is
You may remember me as the actor from shows like CSI NY, Criminal
Minds: Beyond Borders, and movies like “Apollo 13” and “The Green
Mile”. One of the most impactful roles I’ve ever played was Lt. Dan in the
movie, “Forest Gump”. For
me, that one role has created
an enduring connection to servicemen and women throughout the military community.
While we can never do
enough to show our gratitude
to our nation’s defenders, I
believe we can always do a
little more. This is why I put
aside BBQs with friends and
going to the beach on Memorial Day. Instead, each year I head to DC to remember and honor our
fallen.
I remember how thrilled I was when the American Veterans Center
reached out to me back in 2005 to tell me they REVIVED the National
Memorial Day Parade, an event that had been dormant for nearly 70 years.
They invited me to DC to participate in the first parade, and guess what?
I’ve come back every year since.
those years ago.
That is one reason why
my foundation, the
Gary Sinise Foundation, is paying to bring
in about a dozen WWII
vets to be in the parade. These great men
are coming in not to be
thanked, but to honor
their buddies who
didn’t make it home all
Why am I telling you this? Because I hope you will join me in supporting
the parade.
In fact, I’m challenging you to support this great event with a donation
of $41 to represent the year the US entered WWII, or $75 for this special
75th anniversary. If you can give more, please try, because I know that
this is an important event that NEEDS help, which is why I am honored to
support it and hope you will, too.
Your support will help pay for some additional WWII vets and their families to come to the parade. Your dollars also pay for lunch for the hundreds
of active duty troops participating in the parade.
Listen, I know you may not be able to join me in Washington to honor our
fallen, but if you can’t send a gift to help support the parade, I do hope
you will take time out of your Memorial Day and go to a local veterans’
cemetery, send a note to a family of the fallen, visit a veteran and thank
them for their service, or just take time out of your busy day to honestly
think about the men and women who gave their lives to defend OUR daily
freedoms as an American.
This is a special year for me. You see this year, we’re commemorating the
75th anniversary the American entry into World War II. Seventy-five years
ago, the nation was hit at Pearl Harbor and the entire country pitched in to
help. More than 16 million Americans served in WWII, and over 400,000
didn’t make it home.
Again, I believe the American Veterans Center’s National Memorial Day
Parade is an important way to honor our fallen and remember the great
country we live in. I hope you, too, will consider supporting this great
event.
Sincerely,
Gary Sinise
Honorary Grand Marshal, National Memorial Day
Parade
I’m not sure if you know this, but the U.S. Government is not providing any funding to remember this important anniversary. With nearly 600
WWII vets dying every day, this is likely the last major anniversary many
of them will see. The sad part is that the National Memorial Day Parade
has to actually PAY the government about $80,000 just for the permits to
put on the parade! That doesn’t even include the additional costs to run
the parade, like what the American Veterans Center pays to fly out to DC
Donations made to the American Veterans Center are
tax-deductible. The American veterans Center is a
project of The American Studies Center, which is a
501(c)(3) non-profit educational foundation.
If you would like to donate online this is the link:
https://secure.campaignsolutions.com/avc/list/fojm/
parade/?initiativekey=2KCXHZC0OZLF
Navy Historical Facts and Trivia
http://www.ussbrainedd630.com/histfact.htm
“Heads up” - Former Sea Services personnel. If, in years past, you have
ever been lying around a ship’s berthing compartments, dying for a candy bar
or pack of crackers, but since the ship was not out beyond the 3-mile limit, the
“geedunk” was not open. What do you do? Well, about that time a shipmate,
passing through your compartment says “the roach coach is on the pier,” Eureka,
your hunger pains will be satisfied. Has this ever happened to you?
If this sounds Greek to you, then the following naval glossary and word
history may help. . .
GEEDUNK - To most sailors the word geedunk means ice cream, candy,
potato chips, and other assorted snacks, or even the place where they can be purchased. No one, however, knows for certain where the term originated, but there
are several plausible theories.
- In the 1920’s a comic strip character named Harold Teen and friends
spent a great amount of time at Pop’s candy store. The store’s owner called it
The Geedunk, for reasons which were never explained.
- The Chinese word meaning a place of idleness sounds something like a
gee dung.
- Geedunk is the sound made by a vending machine when it dispenses a
soft drink in a cup.
- It may have derived from the German word tunk - meaning to dip, or
sop either in gravy or coffee. The ge is a German unaccented prefix denoting
repetition. In time it may have changed from getunk to geedunk. Whatever the
theory we use to explain geedunk’s origin, it does not alter the fact that Navy
people are glad it all got started.
GOAT LOCKER - Entertainment on liberty took many forms, mostly
depending on the coast and opportunity. One incident which became tradition
was at a Navy-Army football game. In the early sailing years, livestock would
travel on ships, providing the crew fresh milk, meats, and eggs, as well as serving as ships’ mascots. One pet, a goat name El Cid (meaning chief) was the
mascot aboard the USS New York. When its crew attended the fourth NavyArmy football game in 1893, they took El Cid to the game, which resulted in the
West Pointers losing. El Cid (The Chief) was offered shore duty at Annapolis
and became the Navy’s mascot. This is believed to be the source of the old Navy
term, “Goat Locker.” MIND YOUR P’s AND Q’s - Nowadays a term meaning
“Be on your best behavior.” In the Old Days, sailors serving aboard government
ships could always get credit at the waterfront taverns until pay-day. As they
would only pay for those drinks which were marked up on the score-board, the
tavern-keeper had to be careful that no Pints or Quarts had been omitted from the
customers list.
CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS - An Executive order issued by President
Benjamin Harrison dated 25th of February 1893, and issued as General Order
No.409 of 25 February 1893, gave a pay scale for Navy enlisted men. It was divided into rates and listed Chief Petty Officers. Both the Executive and Circular
No. l listed Chief Petty Officers as a distinct rate for the first time and both were
to take effect on the 1st of April 1893. It appears that this is the date on which the
Chief Petty Officer rate actually was established.
NAVY COLORS - On the 27th of August of 1802, the Secretary of the
Navy signed an instruction which set a pattern for the dress of the U.S. Navy
Blue and Gold.
UNIFORM REGULATIONS - The first uniform instruction for the U.S.
Navy was issued by the Secretary of War on 24 August 1791. It provided a distinctive dress for the officers who would command the ships of the Federal Navy.
The instruction did not include a uniform for the enlisted man, although there
was a degree of uniformity. The usual dress of a seaman was made up of a short
jacket, shirt, vest, long trousers, and a black low crowned hat.
FOULED ANCHOR- The foul anchor as a naval insignia got its start as
the seal of the Lord Howard of Effingham. He was the Lord Admiral of England
at the time of the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. During this period their
personal seal of the great officer of state was adopted as the seal of his office.
The fouled anchor still remains the official seal of the Lord High Admiral of
Great Britain. When this office became part of the present Board of Admiralty,
the seal was retained on buttons, official seals, and cap badges. The Navy’s
adoption of this symbol and many other customs can be directly attributed to the
influence of the British Naval tradition. The fouled anchor is among one of them.
THE CPO FOULED ANCHOR - The Fouled Anchor is the emblem of
the Rate of Chief Petty Officer of the United States Navy. Attached to the Anchor
is a length of chain and the letters U.S.N.
KHAKI - Originated in 1845 in India where British soldiers soaked white
uniforms in mud, coffee, and curry powder to blend in with the landscape. Khakis made their debut in the U.S. Navy in 1912 when they were worn by naval
aviators, and were adopted for submarines in 1931. In 1941 the Navy approved
khakis for on-station wear by senior officers and soon after Pearl Harbor chiefs
and Officers wee authorized to wear khakis ashore on liberty.
BROWN SHOES - In 1913 high laced shoes of tan leather first appeared
in Uniform Regulations and were authorized for wear by aviators with khakis.
The color changed to russet brown in 1922. Uniforms exclusive to the aviation
community were abolished in the 1920’s and reinstated in the 1930’s. The authorized color of aviators shoes has alternated between brown and black since then.
BELL BOTTOM TROUSERS - Commonly believed that the trousers
were introduced in 1817 to permit men to roll them above the knees when washing down the decks, and to make it easier to remove them in a hurry when forced
to abandoned ship, or when washed overboard. The trousers may be used as a
life preserver by knotting the legs and swinging them over your head to fill the
legs with air.
THIRTEEN BUTTON ON THE TROUSERS - There is no relationship
between the 13 buttons on the trousers and the 13 original colonies. It was not
until the broad fall front was enlarged that the 13 buttons were added to the uniform and only then to add symmetry to the design.
FLAT HATS - Were first authorized in 1852. The flat hat was eliminated
on 1 April 1963 due to non-available materials. The original hats had unit names
on the front, however, unit names were taken off in January of 1941.
WHITE HAT - In 1852, a white cover was added to the soft visorless
blue hat. In 1866, a white sennet straw hat was authorized as an additional item.
During the 1880’s the white “sailors hat” appeared as a low rolled brim highdoomed item made of wedge shaped pieces of canvas to replace the straw hat.
The canvas was eventually replaced by cotton as a cheaper more comfortable
material. Many complaints on quality and construction led to modifications ending in the currently used white hat.
JUMPER FLAPS - The collar originated as a protective cover for the
jacket to protect it from the grease or powder normally worn by seamen to hold
hair in place.
STRIPES AND STARS ON JUMPER UNIFORMS - On 18 January 1876, Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce recommended a collar with stars and
stripes as a substitute for the plain collar used on the frocks of seamen. Three
stripes on the collar was proposed for all grades, with the stripes on the cuffs to
indicate grade. One strip for E-1, etc.
DISTINGUISHING MARKS/RATING BADGES - In 1841, insignia
called “distinguishing marks” were first prescribed as part of the official uniform.
An eagle and anchor emblem, forerunner of the rating badge, was the first distinguishing mark.
In 1886 rating badges were established, and some 15 specialty marks
were also provided to cover the various ratings. On 1 April 1893, petty officers
were reclassified and the rating of chief petty officers was established.
Continued on page 18
Liberty Ships
With war clouds gathering fast on the horizon, rebuilding the American merchant
marine fleet became a priority, even before Pearl Harbor. When the Japanese
plunged this country into war, it became a global war involving fighting the
Japanese in the Pacific, and the Germans and Italians in Europe. Many cargo
ships were needed fast to carry food, war materials, and other items to the fighting fronts. New shipyards had to be built and much unskilled labor had to be
recruited quickly and trained, to turn out the many freight carrying vessels that
became a necessity.
It was in this fashion that the famous Liberty ships were born.
There were over sixteen hundred Liberty ships built by eighteen shipbuilders and twenty engine makers, under eighteen U.S. Navy classifications.
These classifications included cargo, troop-carrying, hospital, general stores,
technical and scientific research, aircraft repair and supply, aircraft ferry, radar
station ship, miscellaneous auxiliary ships, experimental minesweepers, radar
picket ships, and distilling ships.
We did it before and we can do it again!” So echoed the clarion call to
American shipbuilders to mobilize for construction of a new fleet of troopships
in 1941.
“Built by the mile and chopped off by the yard,” and delivered at the rate
of one a day, American ingenuity and can-do — facing a global challenge at the
end of 1941 — transformed its shipbuilding industry and produced more than
2,700 Liberty ships in five years to move men and materiel to the front. (In the
photo at left, a small armada of Henry J. Kaiser’s “Liberty Fleet” awaits delivery.
The Liberty ships — a vast new fleet for the war effort — was built in
a national “Virtual Shipyard” that harnessed skills, resources, and facilities all
across America. From 1941 to 1945, the United States increased its shipbuilding
capacity by more than 1,200% and produced over 2,700 Liberty Ships, 800 Victory Vessels, 320 T-2 Tankers, and various other commercial and naval auxiliary
vessels for a total of 5,200 ships constructed for the period.
This accomplishment required a revolution in shipbuilding, or, more
precisely, ship production. Under the ingenious leadership of Henry J. Kaiser,
yards were laid out along revolutionary principles as assembly plants for the
30,000-plus components, produced in thousands of factories in more than thirtytwo states, that went into the making of a Liberty Ship. Modular construction
techniques were created which forever changed the face of shipbuilding, portable
units for continuous welding were developed, and conventional tools and ways
were abandoned. Shipbuilding technology was advanced by at least 20 years
during this period and man-hour requirements were reduced by about one-third
of those previously required in construction of similar ships.
Perhaps most remarkable was the diversity of the Americans who built
Kaiser’s “Liberty Fleet” — probably only one in 200 had seen a shipyard before
and 25% had not ever seen the sea. Many of his executives had not previously
faced ship construction problems, and so they approached their new tasks — as
indeed the whole organization did — with open minds and no preconceived theories about conventional shipbuilding, but with the determination to get things
done quickly, efficiently, and with the minimum wastage of time, materials, and
labor.
Liberty ships formed the backbone of a supply line that enabled the Allies to wage total war against the Axis Powers during World War II. In what has
been called “the most stupendous building program the world will probably ever
see”, some 2,700 Liberty ships — making up nearly three-quarters of the 40
million dead-weight tons of shipbuilding in the United States during the war —
were built at an average cost of US$1.6 million each in 18 shipyards.
Baltimore’s Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard was the largest and most efficient of its kind.
Upon seeing the design for the Liberty ship, which was based on a British ship first built in 1879, President Roosevelt named her “the ugly duckling.”
Ten to twelve months were required in 1917-18 to build an oceangoing
ship. Liberty ships, though a third larger, were built in 1943 in as little as 16
days in regular production in one of the most efficient yards. America’s wartime
shipbuilding capacity for oceangoing vessels is 2,000 or more annually, provided
manpower and materials are available.
A Liberty ship could carry an amount of cargo equal to four trains of 75
cars each.
A shipyard with 50 ways built 69 riveted ships aggregating 517,000
deadweight tons in 1919. In 1943 a 12- way Maritime Commission yard turned
out 205 welded ships totaling 2,150,000 tons.
United States shipyards, responding to a Presidential directive to build 16
million deadweight tons of shipping in 1943, exceeded the goal by 20 percent,
building a total of 19.2 million tons. Only 1.1 million tons were built in 1941,
and 8.0 million in 1942.
The first Liberty ship, the Patrick Henry, was launched on September 27,
1941, at Baltimore, MD. The sponsor was Mrs. Henry A. Wallace, wife of the
then Vice-President. She was built to a standardized, mass-produced design. The
250,000 parts of a Liberty were prefabricated all over the country, and the 250ton sections, complete with portholes and mirrors, were miraculously welded
together in as little as four and a half days once production hit its stride.
The Liberty (officially an EC2) was 441 feet long and 56 feet wide. Her
three-cylinder, reciprocating steam engine, fed by two oil-burning boilers, produced 2,500 hp and a speed of 11 knots. Her five holds could carry over 9,000
tons of cargo, plus airplanes, tanks, and locomotives lashed to its deck. A Liberty
could carry 2,840 jeeps, 440 tanks, or 230 million rounds of rifle ammunition.
Cotinued on page 17
Liberty Ships Continued
Libertys carried a crew of about 44 and 12 to 25 Naval Armed Guards. Some
were armed with the following armament: 4-inch stern gun, two 37-mm bow
guns, four .50-caliber machine guns, and/or two .30-caliber machine guns.
Libertys sailed with no name painted on their bows so as to give the enemy no hint as to their mission or cargo.
About 200 Libertys were lost to torpedoes, mines, explosions, kamikazes, etc. during WW II.
The War Shipping Administration was created by Executive Order in
February, 1942. It had complete control over United States ocean shipping for
the duration of the war.
The Liberty ship Robert E. Peary was built in a West Coast shipyard in
the world’s record time of one week flat.
Services of more than 40 skilled trades were required to build a Liberty
ship.
Every Liberty ship had its own distillation system to make sea water
drinkable.
Forty-one percent of all of the ocean-going shipbuilding in United States
merchant shipyards since 1913 was done in the single year of 1943, when 1,896
vessels were built.
The Maritime Commission in 1937 embarked on a ten-year program
to build 500 cargo ships. The cargo ships built between that time and March
1, 1945 included more than 2,500 Liberty ships, about 450 C-type cargo vessels, 550 oceangoing tankers, 175 Victory cargo ships, and a variety of military,
coastal, and smaller craft.
Trained personnel of the American Merchant Marine increased from
about 55,000 on December 7, 1941 to 215,000 in March 1945.
The Liberty ship construction program of the Maritime Commission,
after producing more than 2,500 ships in 3.5 years, ended in 1945.
Female workers constituted 13 per cent of the 700,000 merchant shipyard
employees in 1943, and 18 per cent of the 585,000 total in October 1944.
Despite the tremendous wartime merchant shipping losses suffered by the
United Nations, they were replaced in the aggregate before the end of 1943 by
production in American shipyards.
The Nation’s wartime merchant shipbuilding capacity was increased
considerably by building ocean vessels on the Great Lakes. The only way of
getting these large vessels to salt water was via the Chicago drainage canal and
Illinois-Mississippi river system to New Orleans. Superstructures were removed
to get under Chicago bridges, and steel pontoons were attached to the sterns for
the river trip, to lift them out of shallow water.
Some yards building Liberty ships delivered the 441-foot vessels in 16
days in regular production.
The first Liberty ship required 244 days to build. By the end of 1945, the
average building time for all Liberty shipyards was under 40 days.
The first Liberty ship was named after Patrick Henry. The last 100 were
named for merchant seamen who died in wartime service.
One hundred and fourteen Liberty ships carried the names of women;
eighteen Liberty ships were named for African-American individuals.
There are 121,000 board feet of lumber in a Liberty ship and 72,000
square feet of plywood.
A Liberty could carry 440 light tanks, or 2,840 Jeeps, to battle fronts.
Improved loading methods and speedup of turn-around added the equivalent
of about 125 ships to the East Coast merchant fleet in each of the three months
before D-Day in France.
In the last half of 1942, construction of dry cargo ship tonnage in United
States shipyards was three times that lost by sinkings. In the first half of 1943,
construction outstripped sinkings 5 to 1 and in the last half of the year the ratio
was 10 to 1.
Of the shipbuilding companies, J.A. Jones Construction Company had
two shipyards: one in Brunswick, Ga., and one in Panama City, Fl. The Panama
City yard operated under the name of Wainwright Yard. The Maritime Commission persuaded Jones to first install a shipyard in Panama City. Eventually,
Brunswick also got a shipyard. Before Wainwright Shipyard was built, Panama
City had a population of 20,000.
Three years later the population had jumped to 60,000. The shipyard
firm, in addition to building Liberty ships, also built needed housing, restaurants,
and other facilities to attract workers. It also delivered milk to the community
and supplied them with tools, trucks, and furniture on credit. If there were any
losses involved, these were offsetted against profits from the company’s other
activities.
In October 1943, Wainwright Shipyard stopped making Liberty ships
temporarily, switching to making a special type of ship carrying army tanks.
Later it also produced a transport for carrying boxed aircraft.
Wainwright Shipyard produced 66 Liberty vessels, costing 2,020,000
dollars each, plus 8 vessels for army tank transporting and 28 vessels for transporting boxed aircraft.
There were many ships lost during the war, particularly from sinkings by
submarines. Britain lost 1,190 ships. Other allies and neutral countries lost 980
vessels, while the enemy lost 1,000 ships altogether.
When World War II ended, more than forty million tons of new shipping
was owned by the USA. Our country was again a leading maritime nation. During the war, 130 shipping companies operated America’s merchant fleet as agents
of the government. Now, many of these companies wanted to continue in business for their own commercial investment purposes.
There were also many foreign companies wanting to acquire some of
America’s wartime merchant fleet. Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis was one of
these, and there was a lot of controversy over his negotiations on the subject.
Many of the American shipyards now had to reverse gears and go into
dismantling and scrapping the Liberty ships. The wartime Liberty ships speed
averaged 11 knots per hour, which was considered slow in comparison to the
post-war need for ships traveling 15 knots per hour.
The 1950 Korean War conflict confirmed the fact that America had to
hold onto some of its fleet for emergency use. And, of course, the Vietnam war
confirmed the need for freight carrying vessels, too.
http://www.skylighters.org/troopships/libertyships.html
Deck Department
First Mate
Second Mate
Third Mate
Deck Maintenance Man
Boatswain (Bos’n)
Carpenter
Able Seaman (6)
Ordinary seaman (3)
Naval Armed Guard
Engine Department
Chief Engineer
First Assistant Engineer
Second Assistant Engineer
Third Assistant Engineer
Deck engineer
Oiler (3)
Fireman/watertender (3)
Wiper (2)
Purser-Pharmcist’s
Mate
Lieutenant, JG or Ensign Radio operator (Sparks)
Gunners, radio operators, and signalman (12
to 27)
Steward’s Department
Chief Sreward
Chief Cook
Second Cook
Baker
Messman (6)
Galleyman
Navy Historical Facts and Trivia continued
Until 1949 rating badges were worn on the right or left sleeve, depending on
whether the person concerned was on the starboard or port watch. Since February 1948, all distinguishing marks have been worn on the right sleeve between
the shoulder and elbow.
RIGHT ARM RATES - Established in 1841 and disestablished 2nd of
April of 1949, originally signified men of the Seaman branch. During WWII
these rates included Boatswains Mate, Turret Captain, Signalman, Gunners
Mate, Fire Controlman, Quartermaster, Mineman, and Torpedomans Mate. Other
ratings wore rates on the left sleeve.
MEN’S NECKERCHIEF - The black neckerchief or bandanna first appeared as early as the 16th century and was utilized as a sweat band and collar
closure. Black was the predominant color as it was practical and did not readily
show dirt. There is no truth to the myth that the black neckerchief was designed
as a sign of mourning for Admiral Nelson’s death.
NECKERCHIEF SQUARE KNOT - There is no historical significance to
the knot other than it was a knot widely used by sailors which presented a uniform appearance.
DUNGAREES - In 1901 regulations authorized the first use of denim
jumpers and trousers, and the 1913 regulation originally permitted the dungaree
outfit to be used by both officers and enlisted personnel with the hat of the day.
DITTY BAG - Ditty bag (or box) was originally called ditto bag because
it contained at least two of everything: two needles, two spools of thread, two
buttons, etc. With the passing of years, the “ditto” was dropped in favor of ditty
and remains so today. Before WWII, the Navy issued ditty boxes made of wood
and styled after foot lockers These carried the personal gear and some clothes of
the sailor. Today the ditty bag is still issued to recruits and contains a sewing kit,
toiletry articles and personal items such as writing paper and pens.
CLOTHES STOP - A small diameter cord, approximately 12 inches, used
to tie laundry to a clothes line - the early Navy clothes pin. Issued to recruits
until 1973.
ENLISTED WOMEN - The first enlisted women’s uniform was comprised a single breasted coat, blue in winter and white in the summer. Long gull
bottomed skirts and a straight-brimmed sailor hat, blue felt in the winter and
white straw in the summer, black shoes and stockings.
BOATSWAIN’S PIPE - No self-respecting boatswain’s mate would dare
admit he could not blow his pipe in a manner above reproach. This pipe, which
is the emblem of the boatswain and his mates, has an ancient and interesting history. On the ancient row-galleys, the boatswain used his pipe to call the stroke.
Later, because the shrill tune could be heard above most of the activity on board,
it was used to signal various happening such as knock-off and the boarding of
officials. So essential was this signaling device to the well being of the ship, that
it became a badge of office and honor in the British and American Navy of the
sailing ships.
AVIATION GREEN UNIFORM - In September 1917 the “Forestry”
Green uniform of the U.S. Marine Corps was authorized for aviation officers as
a winter working uniform. The earliest use of the
uniform by enlisted men came in 1941 when chief
petty officers designated as Naval Aviation Pilots
were authorized to wear the uniform. In November
1985 Aviation Working Greens were authorized for
wear by women in the aviation community.
NAVY GRAY UNIFORM - Gray uniforms
in the same style as khaki were first introduced on
16 April 1943 as an officers uniform. On 3 June
1943 the uniform was extended to include Chief
Petty Officers. On 31 March 1944 cooks and steward were rmitted to wear the gray uniform. The
Navy abolished use of the “grays” on 15 October
1949.
COCKED HAT - A hat worn by officers with ceremonial uniforms commonly refereed to as a “fore and aft” hat. During the 1700’s the hat was worn
parallel to the shoulders, but in the 1800’s was modified to be worn with the
points to the front and back. Wearing of the Cocked Hat was discontinued on 12
October 1940.
TATTOOS - A tattoo of a pig on one leg of a sailor and a rooster (cock)
on the other is a charm against drowning.
ANCHORS AWEIGH - Music written by Bandmaster, Lieut. Zimmerman. In 1906, Lieut. Zimmerman was approached by Midshipman First Class
Alfred Hart Miles with a request for a new march. As a member of the Class of
1907, Miles and his classmates “were eager to have a piece of music that would
be inspiring, one with
a swing to it so it could
be used as a football
marching song, and one
that would live forever.”
FIRST FEMALE
CHIEF PETTY OFFICER - NYC Loretta
Perfectus Walsh.
SPLICE THE
MAIN BRACE “Splice the main brace,
all hands forward to” is
a summons to an extra
ratio of grog for work
well done. From the
book A Sailor’s Treasury by Frank Shay, Copyright 1951.
DAVY JONES - Davy Jones and His Locker American Sailor would
rather not talk about Davy Jones and his infamous locker. They are ready enough
to refer to him and his dwelling place, but just leave him an indefinite, unbodied character who keeps to his place at the bottom of the sea. Pressed, they will
profess that they do not know what he looks like, his locker is to them something
like an ordinary sea chest or coffin, always open to catch any sailor unfortunate
enough to find himself in the sea. Some English sailors incline to the belief that
his name is a corruption of Duffer Jones, a clumsy fellow who frequently found
himself overboard. From the book a Sailor’s Treasury by frank Shay Copyright
1951.
The only time Davy comes to life is in a ceremony of crossing the line.
Then he is usually impersonated by the smallest sailor on board, given a hum,
horns and a tail, and his features made as ugly as possible. He is swinish, dressed
in rags and seaweed, and shambles along in the wake of the Sea King, Neptune,
playing evil tricks upon his fellow sailors. From the book a Sailor’s Treasury by
frank Shay Copyright 1951.
Old sailors, rather than speak of the devil, called him Deva, Davy or
Taffy, the thief of the evil spirit; and Jones is from Jonah, whose locker was the
whale’s belly. Jonah was often called Jonas, and as Davy Jones, the enemy of all
living sailors, he has become the mariner’s evil angel. To be cast into the sea and
sink is to fall into his locker and have the lid popped down on one. It is generally
agreed that the Christian sailor’s body goes to Davy Jone’s locker, but his soul,
if he is a proper sailorman, goes to Fiddler’s Green. From the book a Sailor’s
Treasury by frank Shay Copyright 1951.
SCUTTLEBUTT - Navy term for rumor. Comes from a combination of
WWII Aviator, Bill Overstreet
Detail of Len Krenzler of Action Art’s painting of the Berlin Express’s Eiffel Tower victory.
(Image Credit: Len Krenzler / Action Art )
(Image Credit: Len Krenzler / Action Art )
Hailing from Clifton Forge, Virginia, Bill Overstreet was born on April
10, 1921. On the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Bill was working as
a statistical engineer for Columbia Engineering and attending Morris Harvey
College (now the University of Charleston) in Charleston, WV. Wanting to get in
the Air Corps as a fighter pilot, Bill enlisted and did a lot of fast talking to get accepted into the program, and by February 1942 he was a private, waiting for an
opening as an Aviation Cadet. After several months, he was sent to Santa Anna,
California, for preflight training, and after several months at preflight, he was
sent to Rankin Aeronautical Academy in Tulare, California, for primary flight
training flying Stearmans.
Tex Rankin, the Rankin
school’s founder and chief instructor
was a champion aerobatic pilot and
often took the opportunity to demonstrate his skills. In keeping with
Rankin’s vision, the school employed
some unusual methods to produce
skilled aviators, including surprising students mid-flight. One story
Bill relates is how his instructor, Carl
Aarslef, while on the downwind leg
of a landing pattern, at 500 feet, would suddenly turn the Stearman upside down,
cut the engine, and say, “OK, you land it.” Of course, for Bill it was easy, as
he puts it: “just quarter roll it into a left turn, line up with the runway and set it
down.” Bill theorizes that the real test was for his reaction to the unexpected, and
learning to keep one’s head in an unanticipated situation, where one second can
mean the difference between life and death, is a useful skill for a pilot, and was
certainly put to use over the course of Bills flying career.
The next phase in Overstreet’s training was basic flight training at Lemoore, California, where he flew the Vultee BT-13 Valiant, a faster and heavier
plane than the biplanes utilized in the initial phase of training and introduced
aspiring pilots to two-way radio communications with the ground, operating
landing flaps and adjustable propeller pitch. The third phase of training took
place at Luke Field, in Arizona. Piloting North American T-6 Texans and later
on Curtiss P-40 Warhawks was a revelation to Bill, and while the commanding officer had picked Bill for additional training for multi-engined aircraft,
Bill was able to convince the CO to instead assign him as a fighter pilot rather
than going on to become a bomber pilot.
Upon graduation, Overstreet was initially assigned to Hamilton Field,
California. Later he went on to the 357th Fighter Group, 363rd Fighter
Squadron. The squadron was being moved from Nevada to Santa Rosa,
California, and Bill got to fly with experienced pilots from whom he learned
a great deal. Bill throughly enjoyed flying out of Santa Rosa, saying “Flying at Santa Rosa
was great. There was
enough moisture in the
air to leave streamers
from the wing tips in
a tight turn. Our goal
was to get a flight of
four, come to the end
of the runway, peel up
in a tight turn and land
before the first plane’s
streamers had faded. I
flew with several flight
leaders, but mostly
with Lloyd Hubbard. He
was good. We all thought
Bill and his 1938 Buick in California in 1943
we could buzz pretty closely,
but while we may be able to
“mow the fairway” on a golf course, only Hubbard could “mow the greens.”
“Hub” also liked to take a flight of four to the Golden Gate Bridge and do
loops around it. You know we were having fun! Complaints came in and charges
were placed. Jack Meyers, our legal officer, told me years later that he was able
to hold up action on bushels of charges, and took most home with him after the
war. We liked to buzz farmers, sunbathers or anything. Years later, I asked Don
Graham why we got by with so much. He replied, “If you were picking pilots
for combat, who would you pick? The fellows who flew straight and level or the
ones who pushed the envelope and tested the limits of their planes?”
Bill was in combat training in June 28th, 1943 when he had his first
crash, at the controls of an Bell P-39 Airacobra, which went into a dreaded flat
spin, a condition uniquely devastating for the model and which claimed many
a pilot’s life. Bill and his squadron-mates were practicing aerobatic maneuvers
when his plane strated tumbling and he couldn’t control it. Bill went to release
the Airacobra’s doors but the air pressure prevented them from opening. He
finally managed to get a knee against one door with his shoulder against the
other, trying to overcome the pressure, and the moment he got out, he pulled the
ripcord on his parachute. The moment the chute snapped open Bill found himself
standing amidst the wreckage of his plane right by the propeller. He was so close
to the ground when he escaped his doomed plane that none of his flight-mates
even saw his chute deploy, Bill belives he was perhaps the first pilot to survive
the crash of a tumbling P-39, and he made a point on tracking down the man
who packed his chute to personally thank him for a job well done.
After additional training, flying P-39s in Oroville, California and Casper,
Wyoming, Bill was declared “combat ready” and was sent to Camp Shanks in
New Jersey before being loaded on the Queen Elizabeth to cross the Atlantic for
deployment at Raydon Airfield as part of the Ninth Air Force. There were no
planes available at that point, so Bill felt fairly useless there, but as luck would
have it, North American P-51 Mustangs were becoming available, and the Ninth
Air Force traded Bill’s plane-less squadron for a squadron of pilots and Republic
P-47 Thunderbolts with the Eighth Air Force, so Bill found himself stationed at
RAF Leiston. Bill got to fly a p-51 for the first time on January 30, 1944, and as
the inventory of the planes increased, the opportunity to fly them increased as
well.
Bill and his P-51, “Berlin Express”
Bill named
his first P-51,
which he
received in
February, 1944
“Southern
Belle,” but it
was lost along
with its pilot on
a combat mission a couple
of weeks later.
Re-thinking the
name, given
that by that
time they were
regularly flying
sorties to Germany, he named all of his subsequent planes “Berlin Express.”
On March 6, 1944 just after their first Berlin raid, the 357th received their first
Citation, which stated: “On 6 March, 1944, the newly operational 357th Fighter
Group provided target and withdrawal support to heavy bombardment aircraft
bombing Berlin, which was the deepest penetration of single-engine fighters
to that date. The 33 P-51 aircraft went directly to Berlin and picked up the first
formations of B-17s just before their arrival over the city. They found the bombers being viciously attacked by one of the largest concentrations of twin-engine
and single-engine fighters in the history of aerial warfare. From 100 to 150
single-engine and twin-engine fighters, some firing rockets, were operating in
the immediate target area in groups of 30 to 40 as well as singly. Each combat
wing of bombers was being hit as it arrived over Berlin and although they were
sometimes outnumbered as much as 6 to 1, flights and sections of the 357th
Group went to aid each combat wing as it arrived over the target, providing support in the air for over 30 minutes. Upwards of 30 enemy aircraft at a time were
attacked by these separate flights and sections, and driven away from above and
below the bombers. Some of the P-51s left their formations to engage enemy
fighters below the bomber level in order to prevent them from reforming for
further attacks. Though fighting under the most difficult conditions and subjected
to constant anti-aircraft and enemy aircraft fire, so skillfully and aggressively
were their attacks on the enemy fighters carried out that not a single aircraft of
the 357th Group was lost. In driving enemy fighters away from the bombers, 20
Nazi fighters were destroyed, one probably destroyed and seven others damaged.
On withdrawal, one flight of five P-51s strafed a large enemy airfield in central
Germany, damaging three twin-engine and single-engine aircraft on the ground
and killing 15-20 armed personnel before regaining altitude and returning to the
bombers.”
Bill relates, “Not long after (the March 6th Mission), I had a freak accident. I think it was a mission to southern France. While over enemy territory, a
burst of flak cut my oxygen line. Since I was at about 25,000 feet, I soon passed
out. The next thing I knew, I was in a spin, engine dead since the fuel tank it was
set on was dry. Somehow, I recovered from the spin, changed fuel setting, got
the engine started, and dodged the trees that were in front of me. Then, I looked
at my watch. Ninety minutes were not in my memory. I had no idea where I
was, but remembered where I had been headed so I reversed it. I was able to find
the coast of France and headed for Leiston. By this time, I was low on fuel, so
I landed at the Fourth Group base. The officer I talked with was Captain Mead,
who had lived a couple of blocks from my home in Clifton Forge, Virginia. To
top it off, the mechanic who repaired my plane was “Hot Cha” Tucker, a former
schoolmate, also from Clifton Forge. I still have a picture of Tucker and me with
a P-47. Many weeks later, this story got a lot of publicity – Lowell Thomas on
radio, newspapers and TIME magazine.“
Another mission that didn’t turn out as expected occurred when Bill flew
with a sinus infection. He and his group were escorting a sortie of bombers, and
in chasing German fighters away from the flight, he engaged in a power dive
from 30,000 feet, chasing after a Messerschmitt Bf 109. The extreme change in
pressure caused his eyes to swell shut, blinding him. Bill was able to keep his
plane in the air by control feel, but had no way to determine his heading or carry
out a landing. Calling on his radio for help, one of Bill’s mates, Indicated that he
could see Bill’s plane and gave him instructions to get the plane pointed in the
right direction, then got on his wing and together the two made their way back to
the base in England. Bill was talked through a straight-in approach and landing.
It took several days under the care of the Base’s doctors before the swelling had
gone down enough for Bill to see again.
In the spring of 1944 Bill and his P-51C “Berlin Express” were near
Paris when the scene that is immortalized in the artwork by Len Krenzler of Action Art that leads this article took place. Bill had followed this Bf 109 from the
bombers he was escorting when most of the German fighters left. The two planes
had been in a running dogfight. The German pilot flew over Paris hoping that
the heavy German anti-aircraft artillery would solve his problem and eliminate
Overstreet and the “Berlin Express,” though Bill managed to get some hits in at
about 1500 feet. The German’s engine was hit, and Bill stayed on his tail braving
the intense enemy flak. His desperation undoubtedly growing, the German pilot
aimed his plane at the Eiffel Tower and in a surprising maneuver, flew beneath
it. Undeterred, Bill followed right behind him, scoring several more hits in the
process. The German plane crashed and Bill escaped the heavy flak around Paris
by flying low and full throttle over the river until he had cleared the city’s heavy
anti-aircraft batteries.
On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Overstreet and his group took off at around
2AM in terrible weather, climbing to about 20,000 feet to get out of the overcast.
He recalls it as beautiful when they had finally cleared the clouds, with a bright
moon and the sight of all of the aircraft rising from the clouds after their long
climb to get above the weather. With all the planes in the air, his wing never did
find their assigned flights, so they just formed up in flights of four, knowing that
their mission was to get to France and make sure no German fighter planes could
interfere with the invasion as well as preventing German reinforcements from
being brought up. Their first mission was six hours, then they had to return to
base for fuel. His group flew eight missions on the day of the invasion.
June 7th brought a sortie that saw Bill and his mates strafing trains,
trucks and military vehicles. On the 10th, more hits on German supply lines were
carried out, with attacks on trains, trucks and barges. On the 29th the group’s
success continued with Bill knocking out an Fw 190 and with Allied air superiority well established, Bill only used 40 rounds that entire day. General Kepner
issued another commendation for the 357th and the 361st Groups, who destroyed
48 enemy aircraft without losing a single bomber.
On August 6, 1944, Overstreet flew his first long distance shuttle mission
along with the 357th Fighter Group, which was selected to escort B-17s from the
8th Air Force’s 3rd Bomb Division on a shuttle mission to the Soviet Union. The
group rendezvoused with the bombers seventy-five miles northwest of Gydnia,
Poland. The group engaged several Me 109s near Gydnia, shooting down two of
the German fighters. They regrouped after driving off the rest of the Me 109s and
continued to escort the bombers until reaching Kiev. Seven and a half hours after
taking off from Leiston, all of the 357th’s P-51s landed at Piryatin.
The group then escorted B-17s to Cracow, Poland, on the 7th and to Foggia, Italy, on the 8th. One thing that wasn’t in short supply in Russia was beet
vodka, and not expecting resistance from the Luftwaffe on the group’s one-way
mission to Foggia, Overstreet volunteered to trade the .50 caliber ammunition in
his Mustang for bottles of vodka and loaded them into his now-empty ammunition bays. During the flight from Russia to Italy, the eminently predictable happened, and Bill’s group ran into some Me 109s on the way. The Mustangs gave
chase, scaring one of the 109′s Pilots enough for him to bail out of his plane, and
while Bill’s plane was the closest and therefore he could have claimed the kill,
but wasn’t comfortable with the idea of bringing down an enemy fighter armed
only with vodka. They managed to make it to Italy with both the formation and
the vodka intact.
A memorable mission flown from Italy was escorting some C-47s to Yugoslavia to pick up downed airmen that had been collected by the Marshal Tito
and the Yugoslav Partisans Serbian Chetniks, many of whom had been hiding the
airmen in their homes for months. When the Allied plane reached the appointed
airfield to pick up the airmen, and the C-47s took turns landing loading and
taking off, the Allied airmen would throw their shoes, clothes and anything else
they had on them out of the plane for their rescuers, who were in desperate need
of such supplies, helping those brave resistance fighters who had helped them
survive for this Allied pick-up.
On September 3, 1944 Overstreet flew a top secret escort mission, escorting a radio-controlled Consolidated B-24 Liberator. The B-24 had been stripped
down and converted into essentially a flying bomb. After take-off it’s pilot bailed
out via parachute, and the plane was controlled by a remote operator within the
formation which guided the plane to some German U-Boat pens that were built
under a large rock formation and had proved too difficult a target to damage with
Continued on page 21Navy Historical Facts and Trivia continued
the word “scuttle,” to make a hole in the ship’s side, causing her to sink, and
“butt,” a cask used to hold drinking water. Scuttlebutt literally means a cask with a hole in it. Scuttle
describes what most rumors accomplish if not to
the ship, at least to the morale. Butt describes the
water cask where men naturally congregated, and
that’s where most rumors get started.
SHOW A LEG - In the British Navy of
King George III many sailor’s wives accompanied them on long voyages. To avoid dragging the
wrong “mate” out of the rack at reveille, the bosun
asked all to “show a leg” If the leg wore silk, its
owner was allowed to sleep in. If the leg was hairy
and tattooed, the owner was forced to “turn to.”
DEVIL TO PAY - Originally this denoted
a specific task aboard ship such as caulking the
ship’s longest seam. The “Devil” was the longest
seam on the ship and caulking was done with
“pay” or pitch. This grueling task was despised by
every seaman and the expression came to denote
any unpleasant task.
KEELHAUL - An extreme punishment given in which an offender was tied
hand and foot, with heavy weights attached to his body. He was lowered over
typical bombing from above. The B-24 was flown in low, entering the facility nearly at water level, with the resultant explosion destroying the otherwise
impenetrable facility from the inside out. * Our research would indicate that
the plane was likely a B-17, employed under Operation Aphrodite, that though
intended for Germany’s Heligoland U-boat pens, instead the remote control operator flew the aircraft into Dune Island by mistake. It’s possible that at the time
of the mission, the pilots believed it to be a success, or the fog of many years
having passed since then has caused the details to get muddled.
Overstreet’s performance on the top secret Mission saw him assigned for
OSS missions, flying supplies to the Free French and picking up downed airmen
and intelligence dispatches from behind enemy lines. His tour of duty ended in
October, 1944 and Bill returned to the states. His next assignment was to teach
at the gunnery school in Pinellas, Florida. Overstreet was released from active
duty, but kept in Reserves. So, he
returned to Charleston, West Virginia where he worked as General
Manager of Charleston Aviation.
Overstreet eventually moved to Roanoke, Virginia in 1950 and worked
for a CPA firm, before striking out
on his own, retiring in 1984. Bill
has been active and enjoying air
shows and gatherings of WWII veterans through his long retirement,
and we were honored that he took
the time to sit down and talk to us
about his experiences.
Mr. Overstreet passed away in
2014.
Article taken from WarBirds.com
the ship’s side and dragged under the ship’s hull. If he did not drown, which
was usually the case, then barnacles usually ripped him, causing him to bleed to
death.
SKYLARKING - Originally, skylarking
described the antics of young Navymen who
climbed and slid down the backstays for fun.
Since the ancient word “lac” means “to play”
and the games started high in the masts, the
term “skylacing.” Later, corruption of the word
changed it to “skylarking.”
NAVY MASCOTS - The Navy mascots
name is Bill XXVIII (28), there have been 2
cats, 1 dog, 1 carrier pigeon. Goats have been
the mascot since 1904.
OLDEST U.S. MILITARY AWARD - The
Navy’s Medal of Honor, authorized December
21,1861, is the oldest continuosly use military
award in America. Source US Military Medals:
1939 to Present. Foster and Borts, Medals of
American Press.
************
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF INFORMATION
SOURCE
LTC Daniel D. Smith, Sr (TN)*
The USS PALAU, a class Commencement Bay aircraft carrier
was launched on August 6, 1945, receiving his first commission in January 1946
when he had to collaborate on tasks related to war demobilization.
After this first allocation the ship remained on his home port in Norfolk
until May 1947, when after making training maneuvers in the Caribbean, embarked on a journey through South America and Africa, and later assisted in an
operation in the Mediterranean under an agreement with Turkey.
Upon his return to the east coast of the United States in November 1949
would be assigned to a scientific expedition in the Caribbean that involved the
launch of several “Skyhook” stratospheric balloons from the deck of the ship,
sailing in an area southeast of the Jamaica strait. The aim of the expedition was
to conduct studies on cosmic rays for several universities od the United States.
The balloon operations were under supervision of General Mills Inc. and was
a continuation of other similar that had been done earlier that year in the same
area, but using other carrier: the USS Saipan. That was the only involvement of
the ship in balloon operations.
After that, the Palau remained operating between the Caribbean and the
east coast of the United States until 1952 when took part of an operation in the
Mediterranean sea with the 6th Fleet. In 1953 while it was being considered its
withdrawal from the active service the ship made one last trip to transport planes
to Yokosuka, Japan. It was finally decomissioned in June 1954 and in July 1960
was sold to a scrapping firm in New York. USS Palau (CVE–122) was a Commencement Bay class escort carrier of the United States Navy.
She was laid down by the Todd-Pacific Shipyards Inc., Tacoma, Washington, 19 February 1945; launched 6 August 1945; sponsored by Mrs. J. P.
Whitney; and commissioned 15 January 1946, Capt. W. E. Cleaves in command.
Commissined as the Navy began its post-war demobilization, Palau
completed shakedown off California, transited the Panama Canal, underwent post
shakedown availability at Boston, and on
11 May moved down the coast to Norfolk
where she was immobilized until May 1947.
On 22 May she steamed south to Cuba for
refresher training, after which she headed
north to Norfolk and New York, whence she
steamed to Recife, thence to West Africa.
She returned to the east coast 16 August and
after another availability at Boston was again
immobilized at Norfolk, December 1947 –
March 1948. During the spring of 1948 she
conducted operations off the east coast and
on 3 June departed for the Mediterranean
to deliver planes, under the Turkish Aid
Program, to representatives of that country
at Yesilkoy. During this mission the ship
and crew helped in the evacuation of U.N.
delegation and officials from Haifa on 8 July
during the second phase of the Arab–Israeli
War. Transiting to Isle of Rhodes and staying there until 24 July with their return to
Haifa after a truce was negotiated in the war.
Returning to Norfolk 7 August, she remained
in the western Atlantic, ranging from the Maritime Provinces to the West Indies,
until April 1952. Then departing Norfolk she returned to the Mediterranean to
operate with the 6th Fleet until late June, when she resumed duties with the 2nd
Fleet on the east coast.
The Palau, which was designated for inactivation in early 1953, was retained in commission to perform one final ferry assignment, planes to Yokosuka
(8 August – 22 October). On her return she entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, decommissioning 15 June 1954. Berthed
with the Philadelphia Group, Atlantic Reserve
Fleet, Palau remained a unit of that fleet until
struck from the Navy List 1 April 1960 and
sold, 13 July 1960, to Jacques Pierot, Jr. and
Sons, New York.
Some parts were salvaged from the scrapyard
in Sestao, and installed in Picos de Europa as a
mountaineers’ hut.
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American
Naval Fighting Ships.
Back in the Day-1966...Taken from the Sunday, 04.24.16 | COMPASS | THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
“Two sailors stationed aboard the frigate Dewey discover a derelict dinghy as they are walkng along the beach in Norfolk’s East Ocean
View near midnight. They decide to take the small boat on a voyage into the bay with the plans to row west to the Naval Shipyard in
Portsmouth where their shop is undergoing repairs. A concerned bystander who warned the pair but assisted them in launching the boat,
notifies the police who notify the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard dispatches a cutter and the Navy dispatches an Oceana-based helicopterat dawn after the pair can’t be found by the Coast Guard ship. The pair is finally discovered over 13 hours later; it appears the young
sailors lost their bearings as they were discovered floating in the Atlantic three miles east of the Cape Henry lighthouse.”
Taken from News Fox Insider
May 3, 2016 - NEW ORLEANS — A 110-year-old
Louisiana man who enlisted in
the Army during World War II
to serve his country has died.
Multiple media outlets
described him as the country’s
oldest World War II veteran but
that could not be independently
confirmed. Local television station KPLC-TV in Lake Charles reported that
Frank Levingston died Tuesday.
Levingston was born Nov. 13, 1905, and grew up in northern Louisiana.
ABC News reported that he enlisted in the Army on Oct. 6, 1942, less
than a year after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and launched the U.S. into
the war raging in Europe and the Pacific.
“He felt the obligation to give to the country whatever he possibly could,
and he was very excited about it,” his nephew Lee Levingston told ABC News.
“He gave it his very best.”
In December, Levingston was part of a group of veterans who traveled
to Washington, D.C., for a ceremony marking the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl
Harbor.
Ahead of the trip, Levingston was honored at a ceremony.
A soldier lays a wreath with Frank Levingston, of Lake Charles, La., left, and Rear Adm. Craig
Faller, center, during the Pearl Harbor remembrance day at the World War II Memorial on Dec. 7
in Washington. Levingston is 110-years old and is believed to be the oldest World War II veteran
in the United States. (Photo: Daniel Woolfolk/Staff)
District Attorney John DeRosier, speaking at the ceremony, said when
he looked at Levingston, he didn’t see a 110-year-old man. “I see a young black
soldier in green utilities with worn combat boots, scampering across the sand on
those beaches,” he said.
Levingston served as a private during the Allied invasion of Italy in
September 1943 and did a tour in North Africa, the American Press reported. He
was honorably discharged in 1945 and spent much of his post-military life in the
cement finishing business.
He never married or had children of his own but his nephew said he took
great pride in taking care of his siblings’ children.
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ECSAA Welcomes the USS Tripoli and USS Palau

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