Dad's Navy Days

Action Report Benham Oct 1942

2006-10-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

ACTION REPORT

USS BENHAM DD-397

SERIAL: 175 30 OCTOBER 1942

BOMBARDMENT OF GUADALCANAL ISLAND, SOLOMON GROUP, 30 OCTOBER 1942, REPORT OF.

REPORT COVERS BOMBARDMENT OF JAPANESE POSITIONS ON NORTH EAST GUALACANAL ISLAND BY THIS VESSEL IN COMPANY WITH COMMANDER TASK GROUP 64.2 (OFFICER IN TACTICAL COMMAND) IN ATLANTA, COMMANDER DESTROYER SQUADRON 12 IN AARON WARD, LARDNER AND FLETCHER, (C.O. J.M. WORTHINGTON)

DD397/A16
Serial: (175)
October 30, 1942

FROM: The Commanding Officer.
TO: The Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Via: (1) Commander Task Group SIXTY-FOUR POINT TWO.
(2) Commander Task Force SIXTY-FOUR
(3) Commander South Pacific Force

Subject: Action Report – Bombardment of GUADALACANAL
ISLAND, SOLOMON GROUP, October 30, 1942.

Reference: (a) U.S. Navy Regulations, Articles 712(1) and 874(6).
(b) PACFLT CONFI. LTR. 24CL-42 of June 21, 1942.

Enclosures: (A) Report of Executive Officer.
(B) Navigational Track.

On October 30, 1942 this vessel in company with Commander Task Group SIXTY-FOUR POINT TWO (Officer in Tactical Command) in ATLANTA, Commander Destroyer Squadron TWELVE in AARON WARD, LARDNER and FLETCHER; conducted shore bombardment of Japanese positions on North East GUADALANCANAL ISLAND, SOLOMON GROUP.

2. (a) Enemy forces: various Japanese units occupying North East GUADALACANAL ISLAND, composition unknown.

(b) The vessels of this task group proceeded in company to the vicinity of U.S. positions on North GUADALCANAL ISLAND, and received Marine Liaison Officers on board flagship.

(c) Wind: Force 1; Sea: Calm; Visibility: 20 Miles.

(a) 0551 – Boat bearing Liaison Officers from Marine Detachment on GUADALCANAL ISLAND went alongside ATLANTA.

0555 - Proceeding in Battle Disposition, column of ships in order from van: ATLANTA (Officer in Tactical Command), LARDNER, BENHAM, AARON WARD (commander Destroyer Squadron TWELVE) and FLETCHER to position for bombardment of Japanese prepared positions on Northeastern GUADALCANAL ISLAND.

0638 – Opened fire using Salvo Fire, Director Control, bombarding Japanese prepared positions on GUADALCANAL ISLAND, using ATLANTA’S initial bursts to designate the various target areas: Initial range: 10,000 yards.

0653 – Order received from Officer in Tactical Command by TES, “TO TWELVE’S BOYS HIT BOATS ALONG THE BEACH”.

0708 – Ceased fire having expended original ammunition allowance for bombardment: 500 rounds.

Column right to reverse course and resumed bombardment.

0745 – Received authority to expend ammunition up to 50 percent of ship’s allowance.

0750 – Column right to reverse course and resumed bombardment.

0755 – Resumed fire using same procedure as before.

0816 – Checked fire: expended 150 rounds.

0822 – Column right to reverse course and resumed bombardment.

0826 – Resumed fire using same procedure as before.

0830 – Ceased firing having expended ammunition on suitable targets: expended 46 rounds.

0835 – AARON WARD reported sighting periscope and was directed to make attack on submarine.

0845 – Order received from Officer in Tactical Command by visual, “CEASE FIRING”.

0900 – ATLANTA stopped, small boat took off Marine Liaison officers.

0906 – Underway building up to speed 37 knots retiring from GUADALCANAL area.

(b) Enemy Forces: Japanese occupying entrenched prepared positions on North East GUADALACANAL ISLAND.

(c) Own Communications: Radio, Visual and TBS.

(d) Own operations against the enemy:

(1) One ??? observation plane.
(2) Unknown number of Grumman fighters.

(e) Navigation Track (see enclosure B)

(f) Important Communications Sent and Received:

Received:
(1) 0638 – Commence firing.
(2) 0653 – To Twelve’s boys, hit boats along the beach.
(3) 0745 - Authority to expend ammunition up to 50 percent of ship’s allowance.
(4) 0845 – Cease firing.

Sent:
None

4. No comment on enemy forces.

5. (a)
1. There were no material failures or training deficiencies.
2. Fire discipline and gunnery communications were excellent.

(b) Ammunition expended:
850 rounds A.A. Common
37 rounds Star Shells

(c) The War operations of this vessel have been such, that the last opportunity to disable machinery for proper inspection and repair was in June, 1942.

The following serious defects exist:
Flange in Main Stream Line, number 2 boiler, leaks excessively.
Number 2 Main Generator vibrates so excessively that it can only be used in an emergency.
There is considerable high pressure steam leakage around the Port Main Engine High Pressure Turbine.
(d) Summary of damage: Port bulkhead, After deckhouse at frame 186, main deck (#3 handling room): rivets sheared for a distance of six (6) from deck making compartment neither watertight nor light occluding.

6.
(a) Lieutenant (jg) Roland G. Mayer Jr., U.S. Navy who has been Gunnery Officer for one week, is commended for the excellent control of gun fire during the bombardment.
(b) Lieutenant (jg) James V. Heddell, U.S. Naval Reserve who has been Engineer Officer for one month is commended for the successful operation of the engineering plant during high speed retirement, despite lack of opportunity for overhaul.
(c) Machinist Judson W. Owen, U.S. Navy is commended for untiring efforts in upkeep and repair of the engineering plant.
(d) The below named men are commended for untiring efforts in upkeep or material which made it possible to fire one-half of the ship’s allowance during shore bombardment without causality:
Rollins, Ralph R., 279 39 83, CGM(AA), USN.
Mills, Ralph L., 212 34 95, CFC(AA) USN.
Dora, John, 250 47 26, GM1c, USN.
(e) The below named men are commended for untiring efforts and their skill and proficiency in rating in keeping the engineering plant to a high degree of efficiency despite numerous stern leaks and worn out machinery:
Surko, Albert O., 206 90 48, CMM (PA), USN.
McDonnel, Lee R., 346 45 27, MM1c, USN.
Horn, Leslie E., 380 88 66, MM2c, USN.
McIntire, LaVern B., 371 90 09, WT2c, USN.

J.M. Worthington

Copy to:
CincPac
ComleaPac
Comdearon-12

U.S.S. BENHAM (397)

From: The Executive Officer
To: The Commanding Officer

Subject: After Action Report

Reference: (a) Article 948, U.S. Navy Regulations.

From about 0555 to 0900 on October 30, 1942, while in company with Task Group 64.2, in Latitude 09°-10’s, Longitude 139°-40’s, this vessel was engaged in bombarding the enemy’s positions on Guadalcanal island.
There was no enemy opposition to this bombardment.
The performance of the 5” battery in firing a total of 696 rounds of ammunition without casualty was exceptionally notable. There were no individuals deserving special commendation or censure.

F.T. Sloat

USS Benham Action Report August 24, 1942

2006-10-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Brandon Orhns (Grandson of Clarence "Ace" Orhns) for sending us the following action report from the USS Benham. He also sent an action report from the USS Benham of the Bombardment of Guadalcanal October 30, 1942. We'll get that posted in a couple of days. If anyone has any action reports they would like to send to us to put on the site we would love to have them. Just send us an email. Thanks Brandon, we certainly appreciate all you have done!

USS BENHAM DD397

ACTION REPORT – BATTLE OF SOLOMONS (STEWART ISLAND)
AUGUST 24, 1942

SERIAL 148
AUGUST 25, 1942

42674

U.S. PACIFIC FLEET
U.S.S. BENHAM (397)
DD397/A16
Serial (148)

August 25, 1942

From: The Commanding Officer.
To: The Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Via: (1) Commander Task Force SIXTEEN.
(2) Commander Task Force SIXTY ONE.
(3) Commander South Pacific Force.

Subject: Action Report – Battle of Solomons (Stewart Island) August 24, 1942.

References: (a) U.S. Navy Regulations, Articles 712(1) and 874(6).

Enclosures: (a) Report of Executive Officer.
(b) Diagram of Movements of Ship

1. Narrative

August 24, 1942.

1325 - screening starboard bow of PORTLAND in Cruising Disposition 1. Officer in Tactical command, Commander Task Force SIXTEEN in ENTERPRISE, course 000° (T), speed 15 knots.

Enemy planes reported approaching this Task Force.

1327 – Enemy plane shot down bearing 210° (T), distant 8 miles.

1419 – Changed speed to 25 knots.

1427 – Our fighter planes engaging enemy planes, bearing 280° (T).

1428 – Signal from officer in Tactical Command, “Follow movements of this ship”.

1501 – Enemy force consisting of 1 carrier, 2 cruisers and 1 destroyer, reported beaqring 330° (T), distant 300 miles.

1605 – Sighted friendly patrol plane bearing 270° (T), which reported 1 enemy carrier sighted bearing 210° (T), distant 180 miles from this force.

1640 – Changed course to 320° (T) and speed to 27 knots.

1647 – Signal from Officer in Tactical Command, “Follow movements of this ship”.

1655 – many enemy planes reported bearing 300° (T), distant 40 miles, altitude 12,000 feet.

1700 – ENTERPRISE launched aircraft, course 135° (T).

Wind force 2, direction South East.

Sea Smooth

STEWART ISLAND bearing 300° (T), distant 55 miles.

Ships position: Latitude 09° - 00’ Longitude 163 – 32’.

1704 – Enemy planes attempting simultaneous dive bombing and torpedo attack.

1705 – Enemy plane bearing 318° (T), distant 27 miles.

1711 – Enemy torpedo planes bearing 320° (T), distant 10 miles.

1712 – Approximately twenty (20) enemy dive bombers commenced diving attack on ENTERPRISE, ENTERPRISE commenced maneuvering radically.

BENHAM used varying rudder up to full, varying speed up to full power, maintaining station bearing 000 Enemy plane bearing 318° (T), distant 27 miles.
(T), distant 2000 yards from ENTERPRISE.

BENHAM opened fire with 5” anti-aircraft “barrage”; initial range 5,000 yards (altitude 12,750 feet), and 20 m.m. fire.

1714 – ENTERPRISE observed to be hit by bombs.

1720 – Ceased firing.

Of the approximate twenty (20) planes making the attack, which came within range of anti-aircraft batteries, nearly all were shot down in the vicinity of the ENTERPRISE. Several of these planes were fired upon by this ship and adjacent ships in formation. About four (4) were seen to attempt to escape and were pursued by our fighters. The ENTER{RISE appeared to be the sole target of the attack except for four (4) dive bombers, who, attempted to bomb the NORTH CAROLINA, and were promptly shot down.

There were no casualties to either personnel or equipment of this vessel.

Ammunition expended:

5”/38 - 109 rounds
20 m.m. - 510 rounds

2. In the opinion of the commanding officer the performance of duty of all officers and men during the brief action with enemy planes was uniformly excellent. It is therefore difficult to single out individuals for especial honors.

The following performances are especially praiseworthy:

(a) Lieutenant R.B. Crowell, U.S. Navy, Gunnery Officer, controlled the fire of the 5 inch battery in an extremely able manner.
(b) Lieutenant A.P. Colvin, U.S. Navy, Engineer Officer, after six weeks of strenuous cruising, operated his engineering plant at full power when required, enabling the ship to maneuver readily to conform to the movements of guide, overcoming both feed pump and overheating generator difficulties.

3. Comment on material:

(a) There were no material failures.

(b) The main feed pumps are in such a condition, that their reliability is uncertain. Early installation of new main feed pumps, already ordered by Bureau of Ships, is necessary for battle efficiency.

(c) The main generators overheat excessively in tropical waters, when the load of battle requirements is placed on them. An improved cooling system is urgently required.

(d) The open-sight for director pointer is inefficient. An improved design is needed to aid in getting director and guns on rapidly moving air targets.

(e) The temporary installation of number two 20 m.m. gun on the midship deck house, frame 99, enabled that gun to fire effectively, twice as many rounds as guns 1, 3 & 4.

4. During the greater part of the first eight months of war operations this ship has been one of a carrier screen. This ship has only four (4) 5 inch and four (4) 20 m.m. guns. In both the MIDWAY and SOLOMON (STEWART) battles the need for additional anti-aircraft guns was readily apparent. It is again recommended that additional 20 m.m. guns, or, 40 m.m. guns, be installed; and if necessary for weight compensation, eight (8) of the sixteen (16) torpedo tubes now carried, be removed.

J.M. Worthington.

Copies to: CinC US Flt.
ComTaskGroup 61.1.
ComDesPac.
ComDesRon 6.

U.S.S. BENHAM (397)

DD397/A16
August 25, 1942

Confidential:

From: The Executive Officer
To: The Commanding Officer

Subject: After Action Report.

References: (a) Article 948, U.S. Navy Regulations.

At about 1712 to 1720 (11.5 2T) on August 24, 1942 while in company with task Force SIXTEEN, in Latitude 09°-00’ South, Longitude 163°-32’ East, this vessel was engaged with a force of enemy planes attacking the Task Force. This attack is believed to have been a well coordinated attack of high altitude bombers, torpedo planes, and dive bombers, of which the dive bombers alone succeeded in penetrating our fighter defense. The resulting dive bomber attack was centered on the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE; the U.S.S. NORTH CAROLINA was also attacked.

The attack initiated from a direction ahead of this vessel with the enemy planes diving across from port to starboard. The 5”/38 caliber and 20 m.m. machine gun batteries promptly opened fire; expended 109 rounds of 5”/38 caliber and 510 rounds of 20 m.m. ammunition. The result of this firing was indeterminate.

The conduct of all personnel coming under my observation was laudable to the highest degree. There were no individuals deserving special commendation or censure.

F.T. Sloat

ENSLOSURE “A” to CO BENHAM ltr
DD397/A16 (148) of 8/25/42

William F. Hegwood

2006-10-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

In researching my Dads Naval history I have come across so many interesting bends in the road and so many interesting people. And one of the most interesting things Terri and I come across are Dad’s shipmates. Recently I happened to find information on one of Dad’s shipmates, William F. Hegwood, from the USS Bell DD587 online at his grandson’s (Steve Brammer) website.

Below is the information they have on William Hegwood on the Brammer family website:

Petty Officer Hegwood was born on December 20, 1909 in Madrid, Nebraska . He enlisted in the United States Navy in February of 1944 and received his basic training (Boot Camp) at the United States Naval Training Center (USNTC), Farragut, Idaho. Petty Officer Hegwood saw combat action during World War II aboard the Fletcher Class Destroyer USS Bell (DD587) when it was attached to Task Force 58 for the Kavieng, New Ireland, strikes. Petty Officer Hegwood also participated in combat during the Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, invasion; Truk strike; Marianas raid; Carolines strike; Hollandia landings; Saipan invasion; 4 Bonins raids; Battle of the Philippine Sea; Guam invasion; western Carolines raids; Palau raids; Okinawa raid; and with Task Force 38 in the Formosa raids. The USS Bell formed part of the escort of the crippled USS Houston (CL-81) and USS Canberra (CN-70) from Formosa to Ulithi. She then rejoined the 3rd Fleet for strikes against Luzon and the invasion of Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. During the late evening of January 31, 1945, while at 13 degrees 20 North, 119 degrees 20 East, the USS Bell joined the O'Bannon (DD-450) and the Ulvert M. Moore (DE-442) in sinking the Japanese submarine RO-115. Petty Officer Hegwood, was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the Philippine Liberation Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. Petty Officer Hegwood was honorably discharged from the Naval Service in May of 1945.

I filled out their online form and received an interesting reply from the son of William Hegwood (Larry Hegwood).

Email from Larry Hegwood:
Dad never talked much about his navy time. He was 38 years old when he "volunteered" trying to get a 4f rating . He and uncle Roy Evans wanted to go to Alaska and work on the highway and make the big bucks. They both became navy members. Dad didn't stay in long, he got stomach ulcers and was discharged just before the end of the war. We were in Alliance Nebraska when WWII ended. I do know the Bell went over the equator while he was onboard. He ragged me until he died about not being a shell back. "Belonged to the destroyer nave and joined the Airforce and after 20 years you still are a pollywog.

Indiana Memorials

2006-10-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

We are fortunate enough to live in a city that has many War Memorials. Indianapolis has memorials to all wars, to veterans, to the USS Indianapolis, the Medal of Honor recipients and may more. Today Terri and I took the afternoon off and toured a few of the many memorials Indianapolis has to offer. Our first stop of the day was the Indiana World War Memorial. Unfortunately it was closed to the public today as it was Columbus Day. We did get to see a rather spiffy protest by a handful of Veterans on the steps of the War Memorial.

Our next stop of the day was the USS Indianapolis Memorial. If you don’t know the story of the USS Indianapolis I suggest you google it or go to your local bookstore and read about it. The US Indianapolis was the last war ship to be sunk in WWII. It was a huge loss of life and a great tragedy. The USS Indianapolis also goes down in history as being the ship that delivered the atomic bomb to an island in the Pacific for the Enola Gay.

An interesting side note about the USS Indianapolis Memorial is that a piece of the USS Arizona is embedded in the center of the Memorial. It is a very touching memorial.

Our final memorial of the afternoon was the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial. This memorial honors all of the Medal of Honor recipients from all wars and peace time. While you walk amid the glass panels you hear the faint sound of music and occasionally a narration of some of the Medal of Honor recipients stories.

Recently Terri and I both finished reading a fascinating book called The last Stand of the Tin can Sailors by James Hornfischer. This book is about the Battle of Leyte Gulf and goes into great detail about the sinking of the USS Samuel B. Roberts and the USS Johnston. Commander Ernest Evans of the USS Johnston was a remarkable man and is a Medal of Honor recipient. The last anyone ever saw of him was by Captain Copeland of the USS Sammy B. As their sinking ships slowly passed each other in the water Commander Evans raised a bloody hand and saluted Captain Copeland who saluted him in return. The world lost many good men that day in the battle of Leyte Gulf and Commander Evans was one of them. So it was a special moment to Terri and I to see Commander Evans name engraved in the glass of the memorial.

Deck Logs and Muster Rolls

2006-10-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

In looking for deck logs and muster rolls online for the three ships my father served on in WWII, I found references to the USS Benham (the 1st ship Dad served on) in deck logs of other ships. Below is one such case. This is from the USS SLC. The compete deck log can be found at http://ussslcca25.com/decklg10.htm

April 13th, 1942
[0-4 Hours]
Steaming in condition of Readiness II in company with TASK FORCE 16

[8-12 Hours]
Steaming as before

0832: Commenced maneuvering to conform to movements of USS ENTERPRISE launching and recovering airplanes, and to take assigned station in cruising disposition, 7-V.

0952: On station, in column, 1000 yards astern of USS NASHVILLE, on fleet course, at fleet speed 15 knots. USS NASHVILLE on station, in cruising disposition 7-V. USS HORNET fleet guide, at fleet center.

USS BENHAM came up on the starboard quarter and delivered official mail.

[12-16 Hours]
Steaming as before.

A couple of the deck logs for the USS Bell DD587 can be found on the USS Bell Association website at http://www.ussbelldd587.org/ and look in the News section.

In addition we were blessed to have received copies of muster rolls from the USS Benham DD397 from Brandon Orhns (the grandson of Clarence “Ace” Orhns) along with two action reports, "Battle of the Solomons Stewart Island August 24, 1942" and "Bombardment of Guadalcanal Island Solomon Group Oct 30, 1942". They have made for fascinating reading I assure you! Thanks for sharing Brandon, we certainly appreciate it!

Jack Forester

2006-10-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

One of the men we met at the USS Bell reunion was Jack Forester. He was attending from Michigan and had his daughter Glennora with him. They were both delightful people to be around and we enjoyed spending time with them.

We sat at the same table as Jack and Glennora at the banquet and Terri drilled Jack for information about his WWII days.

Jack went into the Navy in 1940 before all of the stuff with Pearl Harbor. There was a great rush to join the Navy after Pearl Harbor. But Jack didn’t wait around for us to be bombed before deciding that he wanted to join the Navy and see the world.

Jack Forester would eventually become a Torpedoman but he started out his Naval career by swabbing decks as a Seabee. He asked the Lieutenant how you got a job like Torpedoman and the next thing you know a week later Jack gets Torpedoman school. He didn’t get the full Torpedoman position but he did get assigned on a ship where he was teaching others.

There was an officer onboard this ship who thought he knew everything. He was one nasty piece of work. He and Jack clashed heads from the start. He and Jack taught a similar class so he asked Jack to sit in on his class sometime and tell him what he thought of his teaching. So Jack sat in one of his classes. Instead of teaching, this guy spent the whole class talking about girls in Honolulu and how he would take care of them while their men were at sea. After the class he asked Jack what he thought of the class. Jack replied “You want me to tell you what I really thought or do you want me to bullshit you?” The next thing you know Jack has orders off of the ship to head south. Heading south was not a good thing in those days apparently. That officer thought he was sending Jack off to swab decks somewhere. Jack hits port and is resting on the dock when suddenly someone kicks his duffle bag. Jack swings around ready to do battle but he see’s that it is the Lieutenant that first gave him Torpedoman school. The Lieutenant asks Jack what brings him to this port and jack tells him about the clash with the officer. The Lieutenant asks him if the guy looks like blah blah blah and Jack describes him. Turns out the Lieutenant knew the guy and didn’t think favorably of him either. The lieutenant says “Well Jack, what is it you want to do?” Next thing you know Jack is heading off to San Diego back into torpedo school so he can get a higher class.

While in San Diego Jack met his first wife there. Her father was strict and ended up throwing her out of the house when he found out that she was spending time with a sailor. So they drove over to Arizona and got married. Their marriage wasn’t a long one and has a tragic ending. While Jack was off in Honolulu she got hit by a car and died 5 days before Pearl Harbor was attacked. She was only 17 when she died. Tears welled up in Jacks eyes as he told us about her death. You could tell that even after all these years the thought of her passing at such a young age and in such a tragic way still moved him.

Jack went on to tell us how after that he went aboard a 4 piper that was a stacker. They turned it into a mine sweeper. He wanted PT boats. At this point we were interrupted and never did get back to hearing the rest of Jack’s story. One day soon we would like to update the rest of the story of Jack Forester.

Sailor Home From Major Battles

2006-09-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

When my wife, mother and I were visiting Charlotte Penrod, the widow of my fathers shipmate and good friend John Penrod, we happened to find the following article in her family album. This article appeared in the local Selma Indiana paper on December 23, 1942 when John was home on leave after the USS Benham DD397 was sunk. It is interesting to see that they were not allowed to name the ship.

December 23, 1942

Selma Sailor Home From Five Major Battles in Pacific

A sunburned Delaware County Sailor who took part in every great Naval Battle of the Pacific, was home today for the first time in 2 years.

John Penrod, Machinist Mate 2/c, only 3 years ago was a pupil in Selma High School. Since then, however, he has probably seen more varied battle service than any other Delaware County Veteran of the WWII 2’s first year.

The square jawed youngster, his hair bleached straw yellow by the Southern Pacific sun, was in the battle of the Coral Sea, the first great US Naval victory of WWII, at Midway, the battle which saved Hawaii, at the marine landing on Guadalcanal, which opened the battle of the Solomons, in the battle of the Stewart Islands, and in the last great engagement off the Solomons in which 28 Jap warships were sunk, including a battleship and 6 heavy cruisers.

Now he is visiting his father, Hudson Penrod, of near Selma. The sailor has a 30 day leave.

Young Penrod, who attended the Royerton and Selma schools, joined the Navy in his Jr. year. He enlisted as an apprentice Seaman October 3, 1939. After “boot” training at Newport RI he was stationed aboard the USS Texas, a battleship for 5 months, then he was transferred to a Destroyer.

He served on the Destroyer throughout the Pacific battles, until it was sunk last November in the action off the Solomons. As the Navy department has made only the brief announcement of it’s sinking, the name can not be revealed. (Note: The ship this article was referring to was the USS Benham DD397)

Much more of Penrod’s story of course, will have to remain untold until after the war. A few details, however, can be given. When the torpedo struck the ship, a great gush of water poured down the hatch below decks where Penrod was stationed. The youngster tells about wondering whether he had the strength to fight through that water to the upper levels of the ship, and to safety. But he got through, and was in the water some four hours before he was rescued. The air attacks in the Coral Sea and at Midway were terrific, he tells, but that last battle, when great war ships slugged it out in pitch darkness, beat them all. A night naval engagement, he recounts, looks not unlike the fireworks displays that used to be held at McCulloch Park, and when the rockets flare the shrapnel looks like deadly silver rain.

Penrod, glad to be home, nevertheless, ran across reminders of home in strange places.

A stock question when sailors meet is “Where you from?” And it is usual to give the name of the nearest big city in reply. For a man from California hardly would know the whereabouts of Royerton, or Springport or Gaston. Penrod, meeting a sailor in a foreign port, was asked the usual question. “Indianapolis” he replied. Why I’m from Muncie the other said. “Why I’m really from Selma” answered Penrod. “I’m from Parker” the other countered.

And if you think home means little to the man in service, think of this youngsters experience when he first stepped foot in the states after two years at sea – and the Selma youth was at sea almost continually. There the radio is seldom turned on, for it might give the enemy one’s position. Thus the last popular song he sang was one popular in 1940. So when he came ashore he heard, for the first time, Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”. He thought of snow and Christmas and home. And the sailor who had fought through the fiercest sea battles of this or any other war felt like crying.

Bob Mantel

2006-09-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

One of the men we met at the USS Bell reunion was Bob Mantel. Bob lives in Michigan and came to the reunion with his lovely wife.

Bob was the ship photographer and went aboard the USS Bell November 1945 and served onboard until it’s decommissioning. Bob was supposed to be on the USS Indianapolis but he and 12 other men were told no shortly before the ship sailed. Bob and the other men were very upset about this and wanted desperately to be on the USS Indianapolis. At the time they called those men the unlucky 13. If you know the story of the USS Indianapolis and it’s fate it turns out that Bob and his comrades were actually the “Lucky” thirteen!

Bob brought albums of pictures to the reunion of the men of the USS Bell. He laughed how he used to sell copies of the pictures onboard to the men at 10 cents each. He even showed us a flier that he had made up at the time and posted on the ship. It was a pleasure to meet and talk with Bob and his wife and we are looking forward to seeing them at next year’s reunion.

The USS Bell Pendant

2006-09-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

The above pendant was made specifically to be auctioned at the fund raising auction the USS Bell Association has at the reunion each year.

The pendant is made of 14 carat white and yellow gold with blue sapphires, red rubies and 13 diamonds. It’s my understanding that Al Lewis, one of the shipmates, helped in the concept of the design. The pendant is a remarkable tribute to the men of the USS Bell and a true delight to behold.

The plaque which accompanied it explained the meaning of the design and stated the following:

To the men who serve their country with honor.
“The USS Bell Pendant”
The Thirteen Diamonds are for the hits by the Bell
The Blue Sapphires are for The Courage
The Red Rubies are for The Sacrifice made by the Men of the USS Bell

The pendant ended up being auctioned for $1,000. Later that night at the banquet, the shipmates of the USS Bell presented the pendant to Ann Poole for her tireless work and remarkable dedication to the USS Bell Association. I tell you, there was not a dry eye in the house, including mine

Touring Indianapolis

2006-09-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Today my wife and mother went on a bus tour of Indianapolis with the rest of the USS Bell Association members. They had a wonderful time. Unfortunately I had to work, but next year I’ll plan better and be attending all of the events. Terri said the Sailors were a fun bunch and kept the tour guide on her toes. Those guys really know the meaning of fun. I am sorry I missed it. Among other things, they toured the USS Indianapolis memorial in downtown Indianapolis. I didn’t know this until Terri came home and told me, but there is a piece of the USS Arizona embedded in the center of this memorial. I found that to be very touching. If you don’t know the story of the USS Indianapolis or the USS Arizona I would encourage you to read it.

See the steps in the picture above? Terri and my mother opted for the antique elevator while many of the Sailors (being 80 years old and then some) climbed those stairs. They were out ran by a group of 80 year old Sailors. Oh the shame. I told Terri she’d better renew her gym membership first thing on Monday.

Lunch was at the Rathskeller which is a German restaurant. I know, I know, a German restaurant for a group of WWII Vets having a reunion? But what can I say, it is great food and it is a huge place. It sure beat the PB&J I had for lunch.

Both Terri and my mother found the experience to be moving. The sheer act of touring a war memorial with a Vet is an experience that would move anyone to tears. And as I stated, I am sorry I missed it. Next year I will be the one taking the pictures at the memorials though as the USS Bell Association tours them. But since I didn’t get to go this year I would like to give my wife a big thank you for taking pictures of the experience for me and sharing the details of the day. Thank you Dear, you are the best!

The USS Bell DD587 Reunion

2006-09-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of the USS Bell DD587 Reunion. We were fortunate to have it held in Indianapolis this year. We flew my mother in from Maryland to attend the reunion with us. My wife, mother and I headed over to the reunion at 5pm thinking that we would just find out what times the various events would be starting and the whole thing would be about 30 minutes. We didn’t leave until 10pm and hen the only reason we left was because I had to get up early to go to work the next day. We weren’t sure if we were at the right place or not but when we saw this vehicle outside of the hotel we knew. The daughter of Jack Forester is a graphic artist and made that graphic of the USS Bell and out it on her dads car. What talent!

Funniest thing overheard at the first night of the USS Bell’s reunion last night? When Jon was explaining to me about his back operation which was called a “micro-discectomy” Bob Mantel. who was listening in said “A micro-vasectomy? Wasn’t it big enough to do a regular vasectomy”? And then he looked at Jon’s wife and said “You have our sympathy. No, really, you have our sympathy.” Then the viagra jokes started. Bob M. told us how he tried to take a viagra but the pill got stuck in his throat. The poor guy had a stiff neck for hours! You’ve not lived until you’ve heard a group of WWII Navy Vets telling viagra jokes. Even my mother was laughing.

We had such a good time conversing with everyone, not just the sailors but their families as well. Sue Diulus was surprised to learn about the ritual’s the men did when you crossed the Equator. After Terri told her about some of the things the men did she turned to her dad (Mario Capitano and asked him if he had ever heard of such a ritual and if he had particiapted in it. Oh yes, he said, "the Pollywogs and Shellbacks!" He stated that not only did he have to kiss the belly of the fattest ugliest guy on ship but he was also shoved down a garbage chute. You just never know what your parents may have done, all in the name of tradition. Sometimes you don't want to know what your parents may have done in the name of tradition. Ha ha.

Several of the men such as Bill Cavanaugh. and Mario Capitanio remembered my father. They told stories of the sea as did many of the men. Terri and I were enthralled. Several times my eyes welled up with tears as they told the stories of their days on the water. And what really amazed me is that several of them thanked us for having an interest in their WWII service. What, are you kidding? They are the ones WE should thank! They are our heroes.

They were telling of this one man that died on July 17th 2006 whom they called Pappy on the ship. We asked how he got that name. They said that they were a bunch of 18 and 19 year old kids and Pappy came onboard and he was an old man at 23 so thus the name Pappy. He was the oldest guy on the ship at age 23. Mario summed it up when he said “We were all so young, just kids really”.

Clarence R Ohrns Jr.

2006-09-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

I received the above picture a few days ago from Brandon Orhns but unfortunately haven’t had the time to upload it until now.

The dapper younger sailor pictured above is Brandon’s grandfather, Clarence R Ohrns, Jr, but he went by Ace. He was a Torpedoman aboard the USS Benham DD397 from sometime in 1940 until she sank November 15, 1942.

Brandon’s grandfather has a special place in the Benham’s history. In the official US Navy web write-up on the Benham, it states that one sailor was washed overboard when the torpedo took her bow off, but that this sailor was picked up out of the water by the USS Meade. In November 1943 Ace was interviewed by a Denver paper, and it stated that "he (Ace) was literally blown from the deck of the Benham off Guadalcanal and spent six hours in the water with a dislocated right hip and right shoulder," and that "the same torpedo that blew Ohrns off the deck blasted off the bow of the Benham...".

After the USS Benham Ace served aboard the USS Stevens (March 43 - ?) and then on the USS DeHaven (March 44 - Sept 45); both were Destroyers and he was always in torpedoes, though he also was a diver. He earned a total of 14 battle stars (5 with the USS Benham, 4 with the USS Stevens, and 5 with the USS DeHaven) and the USS DeHaven was even in Tokyo Bay for the Surrender Ceremonies in Sept.

Ace has been in that great shipyard in the sky for some time now but his valiant service to his country is not forgotten nor will it ever be forgotten. Thank you Ace for the sacrifices you made so we could live in a free country. And thanks to Brandon for sharing the story of his grandfather.

If you know of a person who served during WWII we would love to feature them on our site so they can be remembered. Please email us at dadsnavydays(AT)gmail(DOT)com. If you have a picture please include that as well. As I have stated before, this site isn’t just for my father, it is for all the men and women who bravely protected our country and our way of life. It’s thanks to them that you are able to go to a baseball game this Labor Day weekend and buy your kid a hotdog as you watch your team catch fly balls. Remember a Vet this weekend, I know I sure will.

Oddball WW II Facts

2006-09-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

I received the following Interesting oddball WW II facts from Ralph Wegener today. Thanks Ralph!

1. The first German serviceman killed in WW2 was killed by the Japanese (China, 1937), the first American serviceman killed was killed by the Russians (Finland 1940), the highest ranking American killed was Lt. Gen. Lesley McNair, killed by the US Army Air Corps. . . . So much for allies.

2. The youngest US serviceman was 12 year old Calvin Graham, USN. He was wounded and given a Dishonorable Discharge for lying about his age. (His benefits were later restored by act of Congress.)

3. At the time of Pearl Harbor the top US Navy command was Called CINCUS (pronounced "sink us"), the shoulder patch of the US Army's 45th Infantry division was the Swastika, and Hitler's private train was named "Amerika."

All three were soon changed for PR purposes.

4. More US servicemen died in the Air Corps than the Marine Corps. While completing the required 30 missions your chance of being killed was 71%.

5. Generally speaking there was no such thing as an average fighter pilot.

You were either an ace or a target. For instance Japanese ace Hiroyoshi Nishizawa shot down over 80 planes. He died while a passenger on a cargo plane.

6. It was a common practice on fighter planes to load every 5th round with a tracer round to aid in aiming. This was a mistake. Tracers had different ballistics so (at long range) if your tracers were hitting the target 80% of your rounds were missing. Worse yet tracers instantly told your enemy he was under fire and from which direction. Worst of all was the practice of loading a string of tracers at the end of the belt to tell you that you were out of ammo. This was definitely not something you wanted to tell the enemy.

Units that stopped using tracers saw their success rate nearly double and their loss rate go down.

YOU'VE GOT TO LOVE THIS ONE....

7. When allied armies reached the Rhine the first thing men did was pee in it. This was pretty universal from the lowest private to Winston Churchill (who made a big show of it) and Gen. Patton (who had himself photographed in the act), found the photo (hand tinted black and white).

8. German Me-264 bombers were capable of bombing New York City but it wasn't worth the effort.

9. German submarine U-120 was sunk by a malfunctioning toilet.

10. Among the first "Germans" captured at Normandy were several Koreans.
They had been forced to fight for the Japanese Army until they were captured by the Russians and forced to fight for the Russian Army until they were captured by the Germans and forced to fight for the German Army until they were captured by the US Army.

AND I SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST....

11. Following a massive naval bombardment 35,000 US and Canadian troops stormed ashore at Kiska, in the Aleutian Islands. 21 troops were killed in the firefight. It would have been worse if there had been any Japanese on the island.

The Kristen F. Heiberg Transcript

2006-08-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

In doing research online I came across an interesting tidbit. East Carolina University has an ongoing history project where they conduct oral interviews with people who lived through certain historical events. I found where they had conducted an oral interview on Kristen F. Heiberg of his WWII memories. What made this so interesting to me was that Mr. Heiberg served aboard the USS Benham DD397 until she sunk at which time he went aboard the USS Bell DD587 when she was commissioned, the same as my father! I also discovered that Mr. Heiberg served below decks in the same area as my father and John Penrod. So naturally I was very interested to receive the transcription of the interview so I contacted the East Carolina University and told them of my interest. I must say they were wonderful people to deal with and they were very fast in fulfilling my request. This weekend I received the manuscript I had so anxiously been awaiting.

They have a policy at the Oral History section of the East Carolina University of not allowing the transcript to be reprinted without their express permission. So unfortunately I cannot post it to this site. If you would like information on how to get a obtain a copy of the transcript contact the East Carolina University for details.

Click on above pic to enlarge

In the transcript Mr. Heiberg went into detail about many things, such as the USS Benham coming into Pearl Harbor the day after the attacks. He goes in depth about some personal experiences regarding that. It’s quite sad. Another interesting this he mentioned is the Jimmy Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. He said that they were on their way and the crew still had no idea where they were going. Everyone seemed to think that they were headed up to the Aluetians. He got up one morning expecting to see snow but instead saw B-25’s on the deck of the Hornet. Then the skipper told Mr. Heiberg that he was wrong about them going to the Aleutians and he said , “We’re going to raid Japan”. He goes in depth about the sinking of the USS Yorktown and the USS Hamman and about the horrors we saw suck as men who had their insides “scrambled” from the explosions in the water when the Hamman sunk. He also mentioned something I had not heard before. He talked about limbs rolling around the decks of the Benham when they were on the way to harbor with the survivors of the Yorktown and Hamman. He said that the entire crew had to stay in a hotel in Hawaii for several days so the ship could be fumigated. And of course he goes into the greatest detail about the sinking of the Benham. It was fascinating reading.

The Story Of The USS Barb

2006-08-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

In researching WWII and the ships my father served aboard I come across interesting true stories of WWII. I came across one such little known WWII account today. It was the true story of the USS Barb, the only submarine ever to have sank a train. The USS Barb conducted the ONLY GROUND COMBAT OPERATION on the Japanese "homeland" of World War II.

Click HERE to read the story of the USS Barb and how she sank a Japanese train.

Want to be commander of your own submarine? The USS Barb has an awesome game online where YOU are part of the team. They have an easy to use online game applet, which leads you on their next 3 patrols. The first patrol might be a little easy...it ends after you sink all 10 enemy ships. In the second war patrol, you'll have to watch out for depth charges. The third will be the most difficult. You will have to avoid depth charges AND enemy submarines. Take good care of Commander Fluckey’s ship and, when you have finished playing, click on the button below the game to read more about the USS Barb...The Submarine that sank a Train!"

Click HERE Sailor to play as Commander of the USS Barb

Action Report re: Benham DD397

2006-08-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

I found the following Action Report online of the Rescue Operation of the USS Benham, Walke, and Preston around Savo Island November 1942 during the battle of Guadalcanal.

Click HERE for larger readable versions of action reports

Pearl Harbor Pictures

2006-08-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

A friend emailed Terri and I the pictures posted below. They are pictures of the carnage at Pearl Harbor on December 6, 1941. The email said that these Black and White photos were supposedly never published in any books on Pearl Harbor. They are fascinating to look at while being horrifying at the same time.

Click on the pictures to enlarge for better viewing.

Click on the pictures to enlarge for better viewing.

Click on the pictures to enlarge for better viewing.

Click on the pictures to enlarge for better viewing.

Click on the pictures to enlarge for better viewing.

Click on the pictures to enlarge for better viewing.

More pictures from the same email

2006-08-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

Another picture from the same email.

Click on picture to enlarge

Task Force 16 Citation

2006-08-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

(click on picture to enlarge)
Perhaps the most famous photo of Hornet CV-8, as she launches 16 Army Air Force B-25 medium bombers towards Tokyo and other Japanese cities: the Doolittle Raid, 18 April 1942. Note the remaining B-25 bombers spotted on the flight deck aft.

I found this following tidbit on the Internet while researching the Battle of Midway and the USS Benham DD397. and since Dads ship (the USS Benham DD397) participated in the Doolittle raid he would be eligible for The Task Force 16 Citation.

Decorations - Task Force 16 Citation

Until a few years ago, one of the most famous yet least officially recognized feats of daring of the Pacific War was the Doolittle Raid of April 1942. On April 18, 1942, sixteen Army Air Force B-25 medium bombers under the command of Colonel James "Jimmy" Doolittle, streaked in low over Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe and other cities on the Japanese home islands, and dropped some 16 tons of bombs on a variety of military and industrial targets. While the bombing itself was too small to have any lasting military impact, its moral and psychological impact was tremendous, on both sides of the ocean. Americans, angry and down after four months of defeat - culminating in the fall of Bataan on April 8 - thrilled at word that finally the Japanese had been hit where they lived. And the Japanese leadership, alarmed by the vulnerability of the home islands, and the threat to the Emperor, embarked on strategic course which would culminate in the Battle of Midway.

But where had the planes come from? At first, all President Roosevelt would quip was that they'd flown from "Shangri-La", the fabled paradise of James Hilton's Lost Horizon. Not until May 1943, long after Hornet CV-8 was sunk at the Battle of Santa Cruz, would the veil of secrecy and censorship lift and reveal that Hornet, escorted by sister-ship Enterprise and sixteen cruisers, destroyers, oilers and submarines, had carried the bombers to within 650 miles of the Japanese coast, launching them shortly after 8:00 AM that Saturday morning.

By that time, however, minds were on other matters, such as the campaigns in the Solomons and on New Guinea. Fifty-three years were to pass before the men and ships of Task Force 16, who carried Doolittle's raiders deep into enemy waters, were recognized for their bravery and their critical role in boosting sagging American morale.

The Citation was presented on May 15, 1995, in a ceremony at the Pentagon, attended by more than 100 Task Force 16 veterans. Present were Secretary of the Navy John Dalton, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Bernard D. Rostker, Chief of Naval Operations J. M. Boorda, and New Hampshire Senator Robert C. Smith who began the drive for the Citation after learning of the oversight from one of his constituents: Bert Whited, of Hornet's Scouting Eight. After a recounting of the mission by Assistant Secretary Rostker, the veterans of Task Force 16 were awarded the Citation, which read:

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Second World War, it is appropriate that we take time to reflect on the unique and daring accomplishments achieved early in the war by Task Force 16. Sailing westward under sealed orders in April 1942, only four months after the devastating raid on Pearl Harbor, Task Force 16, carrying sixteen Army B-25 bombers, proceeded into history. Facing adverse weather and under constant threat of discovery before bombers could be launched to strike the Japanese homeland, the crews of the ships and LTC Doolittle's bombers persevered. On 18 April 1942 at 14:45, perseverance produced success as radio broadcasts from Japan confirmed the success of the raids. These raids were an enormous boost to the morale of the American people in those early and dark days of the war and a harbinger of the future for the Japanese High Command that had so foolishly awakened "The Sleeping Giant." These exploits, which so inspired the service men and women and the nation live on today and are remembered when the necessity of success against all odds is required.
(Signed) John H. Dalton
Secretary of the Navy
15 May 1995

The Task Force 16 Citation is awarded to the following ships, and all their personnel who participated in the Doolittle Raid:
· USS Hornet CV-8
· USS Enterprise CV-6
· USS Salt Lake City CA-25
· USS Northampton CA-26
· USS Vincennes CA-44
· USS Nashville CL-43
· USS Balch DD-363
· USS Fanning DD-385
· USS Benham DD-397
· USS Ellet DD-398
· USS Gwin DD-433
· USS Meredith DD-434
· USS Grayson DD-435
· USS Monssen DD-436
· USS Sabine AO-25
· USS Cimarron AO-22
· USS Thresher SS-200
· USS Trout SS-202

The Battle of Leyte Gulf

2006-08-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a wonderful and informative book called Tin Can Sailors written by James Hornfischer. If you haven’t had a chance to read it I suggest you do. It is hard to put down. One of the battles it covers in great detail is the Battle of Leyte Gulf. If you haven’t heard about the Sammy B or the Johnston you really should read their stories. Terri had happened upon the story of the Sammy B while doing some research online and found the story of the demise of the Samuel B. Roberts DE413, which was written by Captain Copeland. It can be found here.

A couple of interesting things happened due to my reading about the Battle of Leyte Gulf in Tin Can Sailors.

First, I knew that the USS Bell DD587 (the 2nd ship my father was on) was part of the 3rd Fleet and I was wondering if the USS Bell was engaged at the battle of Leyte Gulf as I knew the 3rd fleet had some relevance to that battle. I did some research and found that the USS Bell was assigned to escort duty at that time by sheer luck. If they had not been on escort duty they would have been with Halsey’s 3rd fleet that had headed North to pursue a Japanese carrier group thus leaving a smaller group to guard Leyte Gulf. If you go to http://www.battle-of-leyte-gulf.com/and click on American Ships it states that the USS Bell was involved in the battle but were located at Cape Engago along with several other vessels such as battleships, destroyers, destroyer escorts, oilers, submarines, etc. The USS Bell could not have been in the battle of Leyte Gulf however because according to the USS Bell Association website , which got their info from the Dictionary of American Fighting Ships, the Bell was escorting the Houston and the Canberra from Formosa to Ulithi October 15th though 29th 1944. This missing the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The Bell did however take part in action after the Battle of Leyte Gulf, but not during.

The other thing that happened was that today at work a guy came to my place of business to pick up an item which I helped him carry to his car. I happened to see a USS Johnston hat in his car and I enquired about it. The next thing I knew we had spent 25 minutes standing next to his car talking about the USS Johnston, Captain Evans, the Sammy B, Captain Copleland and even the USS Benham among other WWII Naval related subjects. It was one of the most fascinating conversations I have had in quite awhile. This guy really knew his stuff and had done extensive research on the USS Johnston. I never really got out of him if he had a relative that was aboard the Johnston or what his tie was to that ship. But we had a very enjoyable conversation. His take on the whole subject was that Captain Evans of the USS Johnston was the greatest Naval man to have ever lived. Now I don’t know about that or not but I would have to say he was certainly up there with the best. He was a brave and valiant man as were all of the men who fought in the battle of Leyte Gulf.

The USS Des Moines

2006-08-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

The coolest thing happened which I have been meaning to mention, but haven’t quite found the time. When we were back home in Maryland last week Terri and I were talking with her father about our search for my fathers WWII Naval history. Then Terri happened to glance over and see a picture of her father wearing a Navy uniform on the end table! Upon questioning her Dad we learned that he served aboard the USS Des Moines during the Korean Conflict area. (Do they call that a war or a conflict?) Anyway, here is the weird part. I went online last night and did a search on the USS Des Moines. You aren’t going to believe what I found! It seems that the nick name for the USS Des Moines is the same nick name that Terri uses. Can you believe that? How odd is it that both our fathers were Navy men and furthermore that she should choose to use a certain nick name for her online handle that turned out to be the very nick name of the ship her father served on in the Navy. You would think we would be used to finding coincidental and amazing things at each turn in the road with this research project by now.

TORPEDO ALLEY

2006-08-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

I recently sent an email to Ralph Wegener (who served aboard the USS Lawrence DD250 with my Dad) and told him about my brother’s memories of the things my Dad told him about his days in WWII. I had asked Ralph about the type of work that a Machinist Mate does and was pleased to receive the following response.

Dear Greg;

Your Dad was a machinist mate first class,MM1/c, and I was a machinist mate third class,MM3/c, and we served in the engine rooms where the steam turbines drive the two screws,starboard and port,. The men who served in the engine rooms and firerooms refered to those places as TORPEDO ALLEY. The Lawrence reunion is being held on the east coast next year, 2007, but I doubt I will attend as the cost gets higher every year and the last DD250 reunion I attended ,2004,there were only 5 of the DD250 crew there. I have visited Arlington Cemetery but I have never visited the WW2 memorial, maybe I will in the future.

Regards;Ralph Wegener,MM3/c,
DD250-DD780-1944-46

The MM Rating

2006-08-05T04:45:00.000-07:00

I found the following detailed description of dads Naval rating online at http://navyrotc.berkeley.edu/resources/gouge/Ratings.pdf . It is interesting to see what sort of duties Dad may have done while in the Navy. I was also interested to see that each rating has it’s own logo.

Crossing the Equator

2006-08-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

I had emailed Doug Edwards (son of a USS Benham DD397 shipmate of Dads) recently and received the following email which I found to be quite interesting.

Dear Greg:

Thanks for keeping in touch. I think you're really on to something. I meant
to tell you about something I recently found. Apparently there is an
elaborate ritual in the Navy for the occasion of a sailor crossing the
equator the first time. I found the certificate issued to my father
commemorating this occasion on the Benham. Its kind of interesting in that
it puts together a specific time and location for alot of people. I'll scan
it in this weekend and email it to you.

Doug Edwards

Here is my reply to Doug:

Hi Doug,

That is interesting about your finding your dads certificate crossing the equator. I have been in possession of my fathers certificate for about 10 years now but never knew what it was really and what it meant until I started this project. I bought the book last week called Tin Can Sailors and it goes into great detail (with pictures) about the ceremony when they cross the equator. It's pretty funny. I am wondering if my dads certificate and your dads certificate have the same date on them and maybe they were in the same ceremony? Because my dads certificate says the USS Benham too. The date on his is July 24, 1940. How cool it would be if our certificates have the date and they were part of the same ceremony! Do you mind if I put your the picture of your dads certificate up on the website when you send it? If you would rather not I certainly understand

Brandon Orhns (the gentleman who's grandfather served on the USS Benham with our fathers) emailed me the name and phone number of a man who served on the USS Benham from 1940 until it sunk in 1942. I am going to give him a call this week and see if he knew my dad. I will mention your fathers name as well

Have a good weekend

Greg

How To Request Medals and Awards

2006-08-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

The Standard Form (SF 180), Request Pertaining to Military Records, (http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/standard-form-180.html ) is recommended for requesting medals and awards. Provide as much information as possible and send the form to the appropriate address shown below;

Where to write for medals
Bureau of Naval Personnel
Liaison Office Room 5409
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Where medals are mailed from
Bureau of Naval Personnel
Liaison Office Room 5409
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Where to write in case of a problem or an appeal
Chief of Naval Operations(OPNAV 09B33)
Awards & Special Projects
Washington, DC 20350-2000

Generally, there is no charge for medal or award replacements. The length of time to receive a response or your medals and awards varies depending upon the branch of service sending the medals.

A Reply To Brandon

2006-08-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

I sent the following email to Brandon today. If you are interested in finding out how to get all of the info on your WWII Vet that I received about my father just read on.

Hi Brandon,

I hope this email finds you well. Here it is hot and even hotter since we lost electricity last night. The electrician was just here though and fixed the problem. Seems to always happen when we go away on vacation that upon our return one thing or another goes wrong. Must be a Murphy’s law thing. We are still in the process of unpacking and getting settled after vacation not to mention all that I have to catch up on at work, but I wanted to send you the following info right away on how to get the type of info that I got for my dad.

The oddest thing happened. I have chills up my arm as I write this. But here goes. My brother is 16 years older than I as I mentioned in my last email. So he had some talks with my dad about the war. Bill (my brother) never really talked to me about this stuff before. But on Saturday night while in Maryland Bill went out to dinner with us and on the drive to dinner we talked about things my dad had told him about the war. He told me that dad told him one man had been washed overboard when the Benham was attacked but Bill didn’t think the man had died. I told Bill that he was mistaken because Terri (my wife) and I had researched extensively and never saw anything that mentioned that. Then Terri told Bill that we had an email from Tiny Harp of the USS Lawrence DD250 and he told us about a man who was washed overboard on their way out to sea and no one knew it until the next day when it was too late and they never found the guy. So we told Bill that dad must have told him that and Bills memory wasn’t correct. Well it turns out that Terri and I are the ones that aren’t correct as it was your grandfather that washed aboard when the Benham was hit. So if my dad didn’t know your grandfather he at least knew of him! How amazing is it that Bill and I have never talked of this until Saturday night and then your email turns up and it is your grandfather that we were inadvertently talking about. Odd, eh?!

I like you have been trying to get timelines as well. The info that I received from the National Archives detailed all of the timelines perfectly for me. I had planned on making our trip to Maryland a research trip. I was going to get the muster rolls from the 3 ships my dad was on so I could piece together the timeline of when he would have been aboard each ship, but fortunately for my wife I didn’t need to. These papers tell you every time the sailor sneezed almost. Awesome information!

I would love to see some of the stuff about your grandfather once you get it scanned. In fact one of the reasons we put all of this on the web was not only as a tribute to dad but also so people would never forget the sacrifice these man and women made for our country.

If you don’t mind I am going to post this answer to your email on the blog in the event that other people who want their relatives service records can have this info too. It turned out to be quite easy. I went on the National Archives website http://www.archives.gov/ and clicked on Military Service Records (http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/get-service-records.html) . To request military records of an individual you must be either the military veteran or the next of kin. The next of kin can be any of the following: surviving spouse that has not remarried, father, mother, son, daughter, sister, or brother. In your case Brandon, where you are wanting your Grandfathers records you may need to fill out the Standard Form 180 (SF 180) which can be found at
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/standard-form-180.html.
You could try to do it online as next of kin without the form 180 and hope that they accept grandson as next of kin. It’s worth a shot. (Between you and I all you have to do is check the box next to SON and they never check to see if you are his son. And they would send your grandfathers records out right away).

In my case I went to http://www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/ and clicked on the red button on the bottom of the page that says “request military records”. I filled out the online form for “Order of separation” and under “other” I requested “ALL PERSONELL RECORDS AVAILABLE”. It is important that you request that. After I submitted the form it told me that it could take up to 25 weeks to arrive. It took a mere 3 weeks. I was a happy camper. The records came from St. Louis and contained all that I posted on my blog and even a bit more. It even had my dads fingers prints and such.

Now if we want deck log or muster rolls of the ships we need to go to The National Archives in College Park Maryland. I saw a rumor (I forget where) of someone ordering a muster roll online and paying for it to the National Archives. I think it was around $60. But like I said that may have been a rumor.

Another item you may be interested in is how to get replacement metals and ribbons. I’ll post that info below.

I am pulling together some more info to send to you that you may find interesting.

All the best,
Greg

An Email From Brandon

2006-08-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

I was happy to receive the following emailed reply from Brandon today.

Greg,

There is no problem posting some/all of my Email on your Blog; in fact, I'd be honored.

I was aware of the salvage crew that returned to the Yorktown in an attempt to see if she could be saved; the book I have on it (Climax at Midway by Thaddeus V. Tulega, copywrite 1960) said there were 141 enlisted and 29 officers in the volunteer detail, though it gives no information on what ships they were from. Its really neat finding some historical detail that you know he was a part of, like that duty.

I haven't been able to confirm it yet, but it seems my grandfather had is only unique history note. In the official US Navy web writeup on the Benham, it states that one sailor was washed overboard when the torpedo took her bow off, but that this sailor was picked up out of the water by the USS Meade and, that the Benham, though being sunk, suffered no deaths in the battle. In Nov 1943 he was interviewed by a Denver paper, and it stated (presumedly from Grandpa's interview) that "he was literally blown from the deck of the Benham off Guadalanal and spent six hours in the water with a disclocated right hip and right shoulder," and that "the same torpedo that blew Ohrns off the deck blasted off the bow of the Benham...". I'm hoping to locate the log of the USS Meade and see if they wrote down the names of those they rescued (they fished a lot out of the water) and see if he is mentioned, but it seems like he was the one and only person to go overboard when the Benham sank.

I will contact the gentleman in Oklahoma that was on the Benham, and make sure he is OK with my giving you his info (I'm sure he will be). I'll let you know shortly - hopefully this week.

You also asked the ships he was on - after the Benham he was on the USS Stevens (from March 43 - ?) and then on the USS DeHaven (March 44 - Sept 45); both were Destroyers and he was always in torpedoes, though he also was a diver. He earned a total of 14 battle stars (5 with the Benham, 4 with the Stevens, and 5 with the DeHaven) and the DeHaven was even in Tokyo Bay for the Surrender Ceremonies in Sept. It is really amazing how many of the Big Events of the War in the Pacific he was at.

There was something you might be able to help me with. I saw that you had written for your father's service record, and had received some information back about when he was on leave, when he was assigned to what ship, when he was in training, etc. I have not be able to find that on my grandfather; I only have his Notice of Separation from the US Naval Service form, that doesn't even list the awards he earned. It was 20 years ago that I first tried to get the official paperwork, and they never gave me a detailed account like you got. Could you tell me who you contacted for that info? Frankly, I thought I had all there was out there, but it seems there are other official government resources I'm not aware of.

Time, unfortunately, is the really problem for me. All my research (other than the phone calls) and sorting of data is being done after the family goes to sleep, and I squeeze in phone calls when I can between coming home from work/dinner/some down time/etc. It is rewarding but very time consuming. My (current) ultimate goal is to have a solid timeline of his war experiences, and to have a presentation of documents, photos, timeline, war trophies, etc for public consumations. I have been a WWII Living Historian / Reenactor for about 8 years, and do a number of public displays or presentations throughout the year. There isn't much representation of the US Navy out here in Colorado, and my Grandfather not only was a Denver native, but his experiences also hit much of the "big stuff" of the Pacific and is an excellent example of a navy enlisted man. I'm not too computer savvy, but I am also working on scanning all of these documents to disk to be on the safe side; once that is done I can Email you some stuff you might enjoy.

Thanks again... I'll keep in touch and would love to continue to hear from you; other committments may delay me from responding, however. Having to pay bills sure interfers with the stuff we'd rather be doing!

Regards,
Brandon

A Reply to Grandson of USS Benham Shipmate

2006-08-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

I sent the following emailed reply to Brandon Ohrns today in response to his email.

Hi Brandon,

Thank you for taking the time to email me and thank you for your kind words about the blog. Actually the timing is great because my wife and I just got back from a trip to Maryland where we learned more about my father (we'll be posting it all over the next couple of days) and we visited the WWII Memorial in Washington DC. We found out that there was a detail crew chosen from the USS Benham to go aboard the USS Yorktown to try ad make it sea worthy after it was hit the first time. They were on it when the 2nd torpedoes hit from the submarine that sunk it. My brother is 16 years older than I am so he had 17 years with my dad and he said my father told him that he was part of that detail and was on the Yorktown when it sunk even though he was a machinist for the Benham. I think he said there was 121 men that were chosen and 11 were officers. He wasn't sure on that part. He said my dad was one of the last men to get off of the ship and was in the last lifeboat with the captain. I am not sure if he meant the Yorktown or the Benham on that statement.

I would love to have the name and address of the WWII Vet in Oklahoma that you have who served on the Benham. I have been unable to find anyone living who served on the Benham. Of the other 2 ships my father served on I have found several men still living and quite a few of them are computer savvy.

Would you mind if the wife and I post your email on our blog? We want to get as many names out there as we can so when relatives search on their Vets names info will pop up for them.

We have some pictures of my dad with men whom we haven't been able to identify. Most are posted on the blog. Their names are "Smitty and Hank" and we have a couple of new pics my mom found and just gave to us but we don't have any names on the back of those pics. What other ships did your dad serve on after the Benham?

We have a few names compiled from various bits of research of the men that served on the Benham. We had a wonderful email from a guy who's dad served on there but left before it sunk. He later reenlisted as a sonar man.

If I can be of any help to your research please let me know. And thanks again for emailing. Keep in touch and let me know how your research goes.

All the best,
Greg Grimes

Grandson of USS Benham Shipmate

2006-07-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

I received the following email from the grandson of one of my father's shipmates on the USS Benham DD397. What a pleasure to hear from someone who is doing the same sort of research that I am. If anyone has any info about Brandon's grandfather please email me for his contact info.

Mr. Grimes,

I found your Blog sight a couple of days ago when I decided to see if there was any more information on the web about the USS Benham. The timing of this latest "research bug" was very fortunate - your Blog had great resources I am in the process of checking out, and it has already proven very helpful in my efforts to reconstruct this phase of my grandfather's role in WWII. Great Blog and excellent work!

My grandfather served aboard the Benham from early 1940 until she sank in Nov 1942. I've recently acquired all of his WWII information from various family sources, and every year or so I get the bug to do some more research on him. This year is my first sustained effort to see if the Net could help me find any old crewmates of his.

His name was Clarence R Ohrns, Jr, but he went by Ace. He was a Torpedoman aboard the Benham, though I know no details of his experiences during that time other than the ship's history and copies of the same commendations your father received as a member of the crew. I have no idea if he knew your father; the only crew member I know he knew was Jack B. Ramsour, who I beleive he enlisted with as part of a the "buddy system" and who also was aboard the Benham until she sank.

Early this week I also had tracked down a crewmate of his on the Benham who is living in Oklahoma. He didn't remember my grandfather's name but I am sending him some photos on the off chance he will recognize him. He was very excited to talk to a relative of one of his crewmates, and I'm sure he would enjoy hearing from you too. He, too, joined the Benham's crew in early 1940 and was aboard when she sank; it is even likely than he was in the same training company in San Diego that my grandfather was! We'll see if he can find himself in the company photo once I figure out how to make a copy of it (its a large, rolled up photo). I really enjoyed hearing some first hand accounts of the Benham's history - particularly Midway and Guadacanal.

I also found a list of DD-397 vets on the Net, that listed them for a reunion. The coordinator of the list's number was no longer valid, and I have no idea how old or accurate the list is. I'll have to do some digging to get the website for you, as I've been printing out a lot of data the last week. I plan to attempt to call everyone on the list, but will be spacing it out as there are about 30 names.

Again, you have a great Blog and this is a wonder quest you (and I) are on, and I wish you the best of luck in your continuing efforts!

Brandon Ohrns
Loveland, Colorado

The WWII Memorial

2006-07-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

We left the Eastern Shore of Maryland today and started the long drive home to Indianapolis. We stopped by Washington DC since we were passing by there in the way home anyway.

(My granddaughter, Jasmine, and I at the WWII Memorial)

Unfortunately it turned out to be the hottest day of the year in DC, or at least it felt like it.

There is no way that you can look at these words carved in the stone and not feel something. It is hard to explain all that I was feeling at the time. It was a sense of pride, fear, sadness for the loss of life and so many more feelings.

This one made my heart heavy. My son in law is in the US Army and stationed in Schweinfurt Germany. We recently found out that he is being deployed to Iraq and leaves for the sand pit next week. Meanwhile our daughter will be staying in Germany alone for the 18 months that he will be gone on this tour of duty. I have every assurance that he will return safely but this plaque makes me think of all the mothers, fathers, siblings and sweethearts who have loved ones that didn’t return safely, not only in WWII but throughout time. It makes my heart heavy with sadness.

Visting My Father

2006-07-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

Today I went to see my father. I had a little chat with him and told him about the research Terri and I have been doing. I think he approved.

Info From My Brother

2006-07-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

(Pictured above is myself (with the hat), my sister Barbara and my brother Bill)

Tonight my older brother Bill met us at my sisters house to go out to dinner with all of us. Prior to going out to dinner I showed Bill the papers that the National Archives had sent to me of our fathers personnel papers. We discussed the various things my wife Terri and I had found out about Dad in great length. Even though I was only a year old when Dad died, Bill was 17 years old at the time. He told me that Dad had told him that he had been on 2 ships that had sunk in a week or two of each other. He also told me that Dad had been a part of the task force that had gone aboard the USS Yorktown when it was disabled and would have been on it trying to make it functional again when it was hit the 2nd time by the torpedoes from the submarine and sunk. Bill said that Dad told him he was one of the last men to get off of the ship and was in the last lifeboat with the captain. We are unsure as to if Dad meant that he was the last one off of the Yorktown or the Benham. We would have to assume that since he was a Machinist Mate 1st class he would have been one of the last men on the ship in most cases because of his job.

Bill also told us about Dad telling him about a man that had been blown off of the USS Benham when it was hit by the torpedoes the night it eventually sank. At the time Terri and I told him that it was an incorrect memory and that he was probably thinking about a story Dad may have told about a man being washed off of the deck of the USS Lawrence as it went out to sea. If you look back at some of the emails from Tiny Harp you will see where he told us about such an incident. Imagine our shock upon coming home and finding the email from Brandon. You’ll have to read ahead for that email though. What odd is it that Bill should tell us that memory and then we hear from the grandson of the man that was blown off the deck of the Benham the night it was sunk? Gives you chills up your arms doesn’t it? If I ever needed a sign that there was divine intervention going on with my project, that was it.

My brother Bill also said that he could remember when he was a little boy of perhaps 4 or 5, and that he, my sister and Mom rode with Dad to the doctors office once and waited while Dad saw the doctor. He said the doctor was actually a therapist and that Dad was having problems dealing with his war time experiences and perhaps even having flashbacks. This coincides with the same timeframe that Charlotte Penrod told us about where Dad was having a crisis of faith and called John Penrod and John and Charlotte drove to Maryland from Indiana to help Dad. So it would seen that Dads “crisis of faith” was WWII related.

The House that Dad Built

2006-07-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

We are in the fine state of Maryland now. We arrived in Maryland Thursday morning shortly before noon. My father was born near Baltimore MD in Simpsonville but in 1957 moved his family 2 hours south of the Baltimore area to the Eastern Shore of MD (near Ocean City). My mother, sister and brother still live near Ocean City. My mother had told me about a house in Laurel MD that my father and his brother John had built together with their own hands and sweat. One of the things I was determined to do on this trip was to stop by this house and take a picture of it. So the above and below pictures are the house. Currently my cousin Jimmy lives in the house. My mother and father had lived in the house prior to moving to the Eastern Shore of MD in 1957. When John and Charlotte Penrod came to visit a few times they would have visited Mom and Dad at the house in Laurel MD. They visted my parents many times on the Eastern Shore as well.

Another good thing has happened on our trip to Maryland is Mom found a few more pictures of dads Navy days. I haven’t had an opportunity to scan them yet but will post them when I do.

Ralph sends an Article

2006-07-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

Today I received a letter from Ralph Wegener along with a copy of a true story of the Battle of Midway when the USS Benham rescued survivors of the USS Yorktown and the USS Hammann, which was published in Military Magazine. Thank you Ralph for taking the time to make the copy and send it to me and for thinking of me, I certainly appreciate it!

Dear Greg,

I copied a story from the “Military” magazine you may find interesting as the USS Benham DD397 is involved. The Military magazine has good stories from our Soldiers, Sailors and Marines. I made a copy of the subscription application in case you would want to subscribe. I am sure you will enjoy the true stories which are not fiction as many other magazines contain.

Regards;
Ralph Wegener MM3/c
DD250 - DD780
1944 - 1946

Martina's Dad

2006-07-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

My wife received the following email from Martina H. today and with her permission I am posting it. I think entertaining the troops at the USO during WWII definitely counts as serving our country and our thanks go out to Martina’s father for a job well done!

Hi Terri:

I took a gander at Greg's blog about his dad. Loved the missing fingertip note. I found my Dad's notice from WWII when he had to enlist. He was very short, needed crutches until he was in his 20s due to medical issues. I have to proudly tell you that he moved away to the big city (Seattle) when he was 19. He was on crutches and made himself crutches of lighter and lighter wood so that eventually he forced himself to weight bear and be able to walk without the crutches. Anyway, the draft thing gives the reason as not being able to serve as "Cannot walk", well maybe being 4 ft. 6 in. tall had something to do with it too. Anyway, Dad DID work for the USO in Seattle as a volunteer entertainer and hopefully did his part to cheer up and support the troops going on to battle. Who knows, maybe Greg's Dad was in one of the crowds that he entertained. The bad news is that he never forgot any of the corny jokes and repeated them many times during my childhood. He should have been on the stage...the first one out of town!

Part of Dad's show was him sitting on a tall scrawny friend's lap and pretending they were a ventriloquist act. The friend would pretend to pull a string at the nape of Dad's neck and Dad would talk. I still hear the line "Which one is the dummy?"!

A Memory From Ralph

2006-07-19T05:54:00.000-07:00

Today we received the following email from Ralph Wegener. I think it is interesting to see that my Dad was not the only one that was used for child labor on a farm. Good luck trying to get some of today’s youth out there working in a field.

If you recall my father had the detail of “Messman” while on the Benham at the time that he was hospitalized for a week after his 2nd round of gas mask training. I can’t help but wonder if his experiences were similar to Ralph’s?

I wish my Dad was still around so I could sit with him and hear the war stories and hear what it was like aboard ship during one of the most turbulent times in history. But thank God for men like Ralph and Tiny who are filling in for Dad and telling me the stories of the sea.

Dear Greg;

I visited your Dad's memorial website and it was great. I remember the depression years of the 30's. In the year 1936,my parents had five children and we lived on a farm six miles from town in rural Missouri and had no electricity. The farm owner paid my father forty dollars a month and gave him two hogs a year to butcher. It was a 400 acre farm and my father planted almost all of it in corn. My (two year older than me), brother Bill and I was paid one dollar a day each by the farm owner to cultivate the corn from daylight till dark with teams of mules and riding cultivators. I was eleven and Bill was thirteen years old at that time.We got an hour off for lunch. We felt lucky as Dad had to use a walking cultivator. We walked three miles one way through the woods,to a one room schoolhouse, Sept,1st to March 31st.

I served as MESS COOK on the Lawrence and believe me it was no picnic. The galley was midship and I had to carry the food from the galley to the aft crew compartment (about 150 feet topside),set a table for twenty men and clean up the dishes after every meal by myself, three times a day, for three months. We had no mess hall as most larger ships do and all of us ate in our sleeping quarters. This was a miserable job during rough seas and we had plenty of that. The Lawrence was about 300 feet long and the newer destroyers were 350 feet or longer and rode much smoother.

Regards;
Ralph Wegener,MM3/c,DD250-DD780-1944-1946

Military Magazine from Ralph

2006-07-18T05:45:00.000-07:00

Today we received the following email from Ralph Wegener. If you recall, Ralph served with my Dad on the US Lawrence and is one of the men that has been such a huge help to us. Thanks Ralph! We appreciate you and all that you have done!

Dear Greg and Terri;

I postal mailed a copy of a story from the "MILITARY" magazine, July issue. The Benham DD397 is involved in this story and I think you will find it interesting and very sad. This magazine publishes stories written by service men and pulls no punches and tells it like was. Hope you find more info on your Dad.

Regards; Ralph Wegener,MM3/c,DD250-DD780-1944-46

An Email To and From Doug Edwards

2006-07-17T05:50:00.000-07:00

I found the following post on the Tin Can Sailors bulletin board:

Looking for veterans who served with my father, Garry V Edwards, on USS Somers 381 or USS Benham 397 or corvetts (sp?) on Atlantic Convoys. He was one of the first sonarmen trained.

After reading this post I sent an email to Doug Edwards (the person who wrote the post). His response follows my email to him.

Dear Doug,

I saw your message on the Tin can sailor’s bulletin board, which was posted on May 28, 2002. That’s a long time ago in the land of technology so I am hoping that this email address is still a correct one for you. My father served on the USS Benham DD397 and therefore may have served with your father. Unfortunately my father passed away in 1968 at the young age of 46 and I never knew him as I was 1 year old at the time. To make a long story short I have been researching my fathers Naval history and have been searching for men who may have served with him also. In fact my wife has created a web site detailing my search and the things I have found out. The address is http://dadsnavydays.blogspot.com/ .

Do you know if your father was on the USS Benham when it sunk in November 1942? My father was on the Benham from January 1940 until it sunk on November 15, 1942. Then he went on the USS Bell DD587 until 1945 when he went aboard the USS Lawrence DD250. He started off his Naval career, as a Fireman in 1939 and by 1940 was a Machinist Mate. When he went onboard the USS Bell he was a Machinist Mate 1st class and a Petty Officer.

Do you know any of your fathers memories of the USS Benham? I would love to hear them if you do. Actually I would love to hear any of your fathers WWII memories.

Sincerely,
Greg Grimes

Dear Greg:
I wanted to respond right away with what comes to mind immediately, but I look forward to working with you on more detailed stuff in the future. Thanks for responding!

My father served on the Benham until June 1941 when he was discharged from the Navy. He always was amazed about the success of the attack on Pearl Harbor as he remembered extensive drills and preparation for just such an attack.

He re-enlisted immediately after Pearl Harbor, and due to his background as a musician, was one of the first people trained in SONAR in Scotland. It was a British invention and was given to the United States Navy early in the war. He served on corvetts, the USS Ready and USS Impulse in convoy duty. He was on at least one ship that was sunk by a U-Boat. As the sonar man, he was responsible for 3 "kills" on U-Boats.

I live in Jacksonville, Fl which coincidently is the location of a master anti-submarine base. I go to church with several people currently active in the P-3 community. I have asked them if it was possible to get the logs of WW II ships and they said the bureau of the Navy Records in Washington may be helpful. Maybe we could work in that together.

Doug

Sad News From Brenda

2006-07-16T05:47:00.000-07:00

Today we received the following sad news from Brenda. Please keep Brenda and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Dear Greg and Terri,

Am anxious to visit the website. Just so happens that I am running behind this am as we got back late last eve from a 4-day weekend vacation w/ our daughter and her family. Went to the Black Hills. While all of the Black Hills are awesome to see the most awesome was the evening lighting ceremony. All the vets in the audience were invited to come down to the stage and be part of the lowering of the flag and TAPS -Neat!!

In the meantime, my mom died on the 5th. Rather suddenly of a brain hemorrhage-no suffering. Thank God for that. I am still trying to come to grips with her being gone. The weekend away was therapy for me. And the Black Hills is where my parents went on their honeymoon. Dad said he had $10 in his pocket when they left and he still had $2 left when they came back! Not like that anymore!!

I want to have Dad come to my house and visit your website w/ me. I'm sure it will interest him a lot and maybe some other memories will be triggered.

Keep in touch. Brenda Lind

Email to and from Ann Poole

2006-07-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

I sent the following email to Ann Poole of the USS Bell Association. Follwowing my email to her is her response.

Hi Ann,
Thanks for sending me the addresses for Art and Florence. I'm sorry to hear that Al passed away. It is such a shame that so many of the men of the USS Bell are no longer with us. That's one of the reasons we are doing the website, so future generations can hear the stories and the men and women of WWII will never be forgotten. We have gotten some great memories from a couple of men on the USS Lawrence that my father served with after leaving the USS Bell. Terri put those up on the website the other day. She is trying to get all the info we found in the month of June up there but it is slow going since so many great things happened. And now we have gotten my dads papers from the Navy archives and found great info in them! It seems that he was on the USS Bell straight from the shipyards at Charleston until Feb 1945. The papers also listed the Bells battles in great detail. They saw a huge amount of action. I didn't realize they saw that much action. I tell you, we can hardly wait until September to meet these heros. I am so excited!

I don't know how soon you need the check for the reunion activities but we are waiting to hear from Charlotte Penrod as to which days she wants to attend events for. If I don't hear anything soon I will give her a call. If we have a check and head count out to you by the first week of August would that be too late or do you need it earlier?

See you in Sept!
Greg

<:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:>

Dear Greg:

My two uncles went aboard in Charleston also. They were cooks on the Bell. Both are deceased now but loved the reunions so much. They had to leave two days before the reunion just to be sure everything was ready to go. Your website is very nice. I read quite a bit of the information. I am so glad you were able to get your fathers information. What address did you use to get the information? Hotel rooms should be made before August 19th and I will need the tour information before September 1st.

Looking so forward to seeing all of you.
Ann

Dads Lone Sailor Listing

2006-07-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

I was pleased to see that my fathers name and Naval information is now up on the Lone Sailor website, thanks to Terri submitting it for me. Their policy dictates that you must wait until the name shows up on their website before you can email the sailors picture to them to be added to their record. So upon seeing dads name on their site we emailed them dads Navy picture to be added to his record.

The War Records Arrive

2006-07-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today the long awaited records from the National Archives arrived in the mail. It had everything in it that I was hoping for so I don’t see the need to even go to the National Archives in College Park MD at the end of the month. I know that will make my wife very happy as it means an extra day to spend at the beach in Ocean City when we make our trip from Indianapolis to Maryland at the end of the month. I’m pretty happy too because it means I can take some extra time and drive around the area where my father grew up in Laurel MD. There is even a house there that he and my uncle built together that I want to drive by.

The war records were a treat. They were the whipped cream and cherry on top of the sundae. As I have with this whole process I learned more about my father from the records. Take for instance, his missing finger. I had no idea my father had a missing finger. No one ever mentioned that to me. Let me take this page by page though as there was a great deal of wonderful information in my fathers war record. I will break it up piece by piece and upload each in a separate entry, otherwise I would have a 2 foot long entry.

The Notice of Separation and Enlistment Papers
Various Classes, Leaves and A Hospitalization
Commendations While on the Benham DD397
Going Aboard the USS Bell DD587
Ribbons and Metals
Going Aboard the USS Lawrence DD250

The Notice of Separation and Enlistment Papers

2006-07-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

The first page was the Notice of Separation from US Naval Service. I learned that my father’s mustering out pay was $100. He was given $9.75 for travel expenses. His last check from the Navy was $129.20. The place of separation was listed as USN Personnel Separation Center in Bainbridge MD. Upon discharge my fathers civilian occupation is listed as “student”. My father’s preference for additional training was “School – Ministry”. The papers were dated December 15, 1945.

On the next page was his enlistment papers. Dad enlisted in the US Navy on December 11, 1939. There was a copy of his fingerprints. He was 18 at the time of induction. He weighed 130 pounds and was 5’6 ½”. He had blue eyes, brown hair and his complexion was listed as “ruddy”. It even had every scar listed. A 1” scar on his left cheek, 1/2 “ scar on his left wrist, 1” scar on right knee, 1” scar on top of right foot and his left little finger was amputated at the 1st joint. That explains why the fingerprints looked so odd on that finger.

I had no idea that my father had an amputated finger. No one ever mentioned such a thing. I called my mother and asked her about it. She said she had forgotten all about it. She thought that he had done that as a child but she didn’t remember how. She mentioned that he had a hard childhood as many did back in those days. He was sent to an Aunt and Uncles farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland as a young child to help them on their farm. He would have been 7 or 8. They were truck farmers and would sell produce out of the back of their truck. My mother said that my father had mentioned that they had him plowing fields at one time. That is unimaginable to me in this day and age. My wife and I have a granddaughter that just turned 6 and to think of her working at such a young age is hard to imagine to us. But times were different back then and people did what they had to do in order to survive.

My mother did mention the scar on my dads cheek. She said that she remembered him telling her that a chain had come loose (possibly when he was working on the farm she believes) and whipped up and caught him in the face leaving a scar.

Later I talked to my sister, Barbara on the phone. She remembers dad saying that a sledgehammer had hit his finger accidentally and that is how he lost it. She also mentioned the same story about the chain hitting him in the cheek that my mom had told.

Various Classes, Leaves and A Hospitalization

2006-07-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

Dad completed a Fireman class 2 training course on December 4, 1940. He completed a Fireman class 1 training course on May 23, 1941. On March 21, 1943 he completed a Machinist Mate First Class training course. This paperwork also showed that when dad was on the USS Benham he started off as a Fireman moving through the various classes of fireman until he hit First Class (F1c), moving then to Machinist Mate 2nd Class (MM2c), and then a Machinist Mate First Class (MM1c). When he went onboard the USS Bell he was a MM1 (Machinist Mate 1st class) and Petty Officer.

One of the papers showed the various leaves that dad had. He had a 10 day leave from the NTS N.O.B. in Norfolk Virginia (Naval Training School, Naval Operating Base) from 2/10/1940 to 2/20/1940. It was listed as “Recruit Leave”. He had a 5 day leave from 6/3/1943 to 6/8/1943. This was listed as “Annual” leave. He was listed as being on the USS Bell DD587 at that time. Also while on the USS Bell DD-587 he had a 7 day “Annual” leave from October 7, 1943 to October 14, 1943. I wonder if this would have been when the pictures of my dad with other various sailors in Newfoundland was taken. On the back of the photos it says “October 1942, but that can’t be correct because the paperwork shows him being out at sea on the USS Benham DD397 at that time. So I am pretty certain those photos are actually October 1943 while he was on the USS Bell.

The next page shows that dad was qualified in swimming and indoor rifle range. It shows he received a gas mask and that his gas mask size is size 2. And this paper also shows him as being transferred to the USS Benham DD397 on February 23, 1940 from NTS N.O.B. Norfolk VA. By order of T.F. Darden, Jr. Lieut – Comdr. USN.

Dads first gas mask instruction was April 25, 1940. His 2nd gas mask instruction was January 22, 1941. I think he may have gotten ill from the 2nd gas mask instruction because it shows that he was admitted to the USN hospital on Mare Island California on January 31, 1941 where he was kept for treatment for 11 days. Treatment was completed on February 11, 1941 and he was transferred back to the USS Benham DD397 y order of C. J. Holeman, Captain, (MC) USN. It was also signed by T.F. Darden, Jr. Lieut – Comdr. USN. Another page details the trip to the hospital and states “January 31, 1941: Detail as crew messman discontinued at this time.”

Note: I am assuming that “Detail” would mean a certain chore that each sailor had. So I take this to mean that my dad’s “chore” was as messman. I went online and researched what that detail would include and basically it meant you did whatever the cook asked you to do. It could have been anything from peeling potatoes to washing dishes.

Soon after dad got out of the hospital on February 16, 1941 he was switched from Fireman 3rd class (Fc3) to Fireman 2nd class (F2c). and on July 1, 1941 he advanced to Fireman 1st class (F1c) by authority of J.M. Worthington, Lieut-Comdr. USN, Commanding Officer.

On April 1, 1941 Dad was appointed Machinist’s Mate Second Class by authority of J.M. Worthington, Lieut-Comdr. USN, Commanding Officer.

Commendations While on the Benham DD397

2006-07-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

The next paper brought tears not only to my eyes but to my wife’s as well. I am just going to type it word for word. Note: The following commendations would have been while my father was on the USS Benham DD397

Battle of Midway
Commended for courage and devotion to duty, and unselfishness, shown; in actual combat with the enemy; in rescuing survivors of the USS Yorktown and the USS Hamman from the oily seas, while exposed to air and submarine attack respectively; and in caring for the survivors on board. By authority of J.M. Worthington, Lieutenant Commander U.S. Navy, Commanding Officer.

August 23, 1942: Battle of the Solomons (Stewart Island)
Commended for a fine performance of duty in action against enemy aircraft. By authority of J.M. Worthington, Lieutenant Commander U.S. Navy, Commanding Officer.

October 30, 1942
Participated in bombardment of Japanese positions on Guadalcanal Island. By authority of F.T. Sloat, Lieutenant Commander U.S. Navy, Executive Officer.

November 15, 1942: Commended for excellent performance of duty during night surface battle with enemy forces off Guadalcanal Island. By authority of F.T. Sloat, Lieutenant Commander U.S. Navy, Commanding Officer.

Note: This would have been the night that the US Benham was sunk. I don’t know if you have read about this event but it is a fascinating read. Unfortunately many men died that night. The men of the Benham were fortunate. This was the night when John Penrod would have been injured. In reading about the battle in various logs I found online I am determined that John Penrod would have most likely been injured when the torpedo hit the side of the Benham. It was described as throwing everyone off of their feet. Or he could have been injured when the debris and oil from USS Preston flew up in the air after an explosion and landed on the USS Benham injuring several men.

Going Aboard the USS Bell DD587

2006-07-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

The next papers were obviously after the sinking of the USS Benham and show where my father was sent to Charleston SC to await the commissioning of the USS Bell DD587.

Transferred to the Commandant, Twelfth Naval District for assignment to duty as a member of nucleus crew for a Now Destroyer, AUTH: Comseronsopac Personnel Officer’s Memo dated November 24, 1942. Reported RS/SF on December 12, 1942. date transferred November 26, 1942 ro Com 12 for assignment by order of F.T. Sloat, Lieut-Comdr. USN, Commanding Officer. Date received January 15, 1943. Ship – Rec. Sta. Nyd, Charleston S.C. from USS Benham DD397 to USS Bell DD587.

Transferred March 4, 1943 to the USS Bell DD587 for duty upon commissioning of that vessel. Signed by authority of W.A. Ott, Lt. Cdr, USN (RET), (FNP,Jr) and L.C. Petross Comdr, US Navy Commanding Officer.

Note: As you can see from the following service aboard the USS Bell was no cakewalk as they saw just as much action as the USS Benham had.

Participated carrier air strikes on Kavieng December 25, 1943, January 1 & 4, 1944.

Participated in the capture of Marshall Islands February 1944.

Participated in Carrier Strikes on Truk, February 16-17, 1944.

Participated in Carrier Strikes on Mariana Islands, February 22, 1944.

Participated in Carrier Strikes as follows:
March 30, 1944 - Palau
March 31, 1944 - Yap
April 1, 1944 - Woleai

Participated in Carrier strikes on Humboldt Bay area, New Guinea, April 21 0 22, 1944

Participated in Shore Bombardment at Wake Island and Sawar Airstrip, New Guinea April 22, 1944

Participated in Carrier Strikes on Truk at Satawan Islands April 29 – 30, 1944

Participated in Shore Bombardment Ponape Island, May 1, 1944

June 1, 1944: Serving outside the Continental United States this date. Entry made in accordance with the AlNav 32 of 1944

Signed by authority of F.S. Fink, Jr. Lieutenant, USNR

Ribbons and Metals

2006-07-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

The next page detailed the various ribbons and metals my father earned. My mother had no idea that he had earned metals and doesn’t recall seeing any metals. On the USS Bell Association website they have information on how to get replacement metals that the sailor has earned. Thanks to their wonderful information I plan on requesting replacement metals.

December 31, 1944: Authorized to wear the American Are, European-African-Middle Eastern Area and Asiatic-Pacific Area campaign ribbons in accordance with General Order. Authorized to wear THREE bronze stars on the Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign ribbon for the participation in the following actions while serving in the USS Benham: (1) Battle of Midway June 3-6, 1942: (2) Eastern Solomons (Stewart Island): (3) Guadalcanal (3rd Savo). Authorized to wear THREE Bronze Stars on the Asiatic-Pacific Area campaign ribbon for participation in the following actions against the enemy while serving in this vessel: (1) Kavieng Strike, December 25, 1943, January 1 & 4, 1944: (2) Occupation of Kwajalein & Maj??? Atolls, January 29 – February 8, 1944: Occupation of Entok Atoll, February 17 – March 2, 1944: (3) Truk Attack February 16 – 17, 1944; Mariana's Attack February 21 – 22, 1944; Palau, Yap, Ulithi, Woleai Raids, March 29 – April 1944; Truk, satawan, Ponape Raids, April 29 – May 1, 1944. Auth: Cominch serial 6745 of 1 & 1944. F.S. Fink Jr. Lieutenant, USNR

Going Aboard the USS Lawrence DD250

2006-07-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

The last few pages detailed my fathers leave and his going aboard the USS Lawrence DD250. It was on the USS Lawrence that he met Ralph Wegemen and Tiny Harp (who have been such a wonderful blessing to me in my search).

He was recommended for 30 days leave (exclusive of travel time) upon arrival at a Recsta within the Continental States

Man reported aboard this vessel 4 March 1943. Current tour of duty outside the Continental US began 23 November 1943

To RecSta, PSNY, Bremerton Washington assignment to duty in new construction Commander Western Sea Frontier. Auth: ComDesPac serial 10781 of 14 December 1944

Date transferred 28 February 1945

March 1, 1945 granted 30 days leave plus 5 days travel time expiring April 5, 1945

March 20, 1945: Trans. To: Commanding Officer, Nyd, Washington DC, FFT CO RecShip, San Francisco Calif, FFT UUS Lawrence DD250 for duty

The Lone Sailor Site

2006-07-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

Terri (my wife) added my fathers name to The Navy Log which is located at The Lone Sailor website. Unfortunately it will take 2 –3 weeks for his name to appear and we can’t submit his photo until his name appears on their database. But I think it is important to get his name on these lists so he and his contribution to his country will never be forgotten. The above picture is the one we plan on submitting to The Navy Log once his record is up.

I guess our nest step will be to try and get the awards and medals that are due him for his service in WWII.

We are still trying to find muster rolls for the 3 ships Dad served on so we can piece together the actual dates of service on each ship instead of the dates that we are assuming. We are planning to make a visit to College Park MD to the National Archives to find the muster rolls on microfiche there. From what we were told by a clerk there you really need to dedicate a full week to do that since the search is involved. How much time are we dedicating to it? One afternoon. What can I say, we are on a tight schedule and will have out 5 (oops, just turned 6) year old granddaughter with us. So if anyone has any ships logs or muster rolls from the 3 ships my dad was on during WWII please send me a copy. By doing so you will be saving my wife's sanity because she is the one that will be watching our granddaughter while I am searching for the muster rolls at the National Archives later this month.

A Letter From Murray Gendler

2006-06-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today the I received a letter from Murray Gendler. I had written to Murray inquiring as to if he had known my father when they both served aboard the USS Lawrence DD250 in WWII. I received the following reply dated June 24, 2006. It was very kind of him to take the time to reply and I appreciate it. What these guys may not understand is that even though they may not have known my father, just the act of receiving a letter or email from them means the world to me because these men are my heroes to me just like my dad. The fact that everyone whom I have contacted has taken time out of their busy lives to drop a line either via email or snail mail, well it just means the world to me and I can’t thank them enough. Below the letter is the picture of my father, Ralph Wegener and Murray Gender that he is referring to in the letter.

Dear Gregory,

I really enjoyed reading this letter about learning about your father from his shipmates on the USS Lawrence.

Although I am in a picture with him on board the ship, I really did not have too much contact with him at that time. However I did know him to be a very nice guy.

Ralph Wegener could tell you much more about your dad than me.

Good luck in your commendable endeavor. I wish I could tell you more about the father you never knew.

Sincerely,
Murray Gendler

A Letter From Charlotte Penrod

2006-06-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

I received the following letter from Charlotte Penrod today. She is the widow of John Penrod. John served onboard the USS Benham DD387 with my father in WWII. We believe that he then served on the USS Bell DD587 with my father as well but we aren’t 100% certain of that. I think that when we go to the USS Bell’s reunion in early September we will find out for sure that John was on the USS Bell.

In addition, Charlotte sent several pictures of my family and a journal entry of her honeymoon. I will post all below.

Dear Greg,

First of all I want to thank you for the phone call, was so good to hear where your mom is, so I called her, now I can keep in touch with her and you.

I got out my old photo albums including John’s and found where I had written about our honeymoon in 1947, and that’s where it all began with friendship renewed.

We visited Al Hammer (now deceased) and Adam Milkum in Maspeth, Long Island in 1952. Don’t know if Adam knew your dad. In 1957 we visited your folks in Laurel, they came to see us that summer, spent Christmas with them later in 1960, and with us in 1966 with that being the last visit with your dad, at least that’s what my records show. I’m sending copies of all the pictures I found with your dad including the original one of Hank, John and your dad in Newfoundland 1942. (I made a copy) The picture of your mom and I had to have been in the middle 1990’s.

(Hank, John Penrod and Cissel Grimes (dad). The back of this picture says November 1942 in Newfoundland but I know that can not be correct as they would have been in the Pacific in heavy fighting in November 1942. In fact the USS Benham was sunk on November 15, 1942. Therefore I think this picture was actually taken in October or November 1943 when Dad was on the USS Bell)

John never talked much about the Navy except the sinking of the Benham, when he was injured and didn’t have surgery until months later, was sent to Bremerton WA and later to Sun Valley Idaho where he was discharged. He always wanted to go back to Sun Valley, and we went by train, taking all three kids in 1965.

I remember your dad as easy going, kind, considerate, and a very handsome gentleman.

(This is a picture Charlotte sent of John and dad)

Hope you can find out more about your dad’s navy life.

Looking through my albums certainly brought back many memories, and some days it’s the past that keeps me going.

Thanks again for calling, maybe our paths will cross sometime.

Sincerely,
Charlotte Penrod

(This is a picture Charlotte sent of Barbara, Mom, Dad and Bill)

(This picture is Mom, my sister Barbara, Dad and John)

As I mentioned, she attached a journal entry that she had written about her honeymoon in August 1947. When we had spoken over the phone she told me that she always wrote down things that happened so she could look back later and remember them. I am certainly glad she did. Below is her Honeymoon Journal.

Our Honeymoon

We left late Saturday night after our wedding for Lake Webster to stay in Turner’s cottage over Sunday. Monday noon we left for the east, and stayed in Cleveland that night in a lovely tourist home. Next day, Tuesday, found us following the great lake region to Niagara Falls. Stopped in Buffalo, a very ordinary city, thought it would be greater. Arrived in Niagara in mid afternoon, went to see the falls and stayed there all night in a hot, stuffy tourist home. City of Niagara is very industrial, dirty, smoky city. On to Boston. There we hoped to find an old buddy of John’s, Andy Bernard. After leaving Niagara we took route 20 which took us last the five fingerlike lakes namely, Canandaigua, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco and Skaneateles. At one of these lakes, we stopped to eat the last of our wedding cake. Had a 75 mile detour after leaving the lakes. Saw some beautiful country, including some falls and stayed that night, Wednesday, about 20 miles from Utica in a cabin. There we ate 2 orders of ham and eggs. The high altitude seemed to do something to our appetites. On towards the coast. Next day, Thursday, we went through some of the mountain region and into Albany, where the streets were very narrow and hilly. After crossing the Hudson river at Albany, we saw a car pinned beneath a semi-truck. Still following route 20, taking us through mountains of New York and into Massachusetts. Stayed in a lovely cabin on a hill about 20 miles form Boston. Friday morning found us going into Boston and out to Revere Beach to find Andy. Couldn’t locate him there so drove around for 2 hours, stopping here and there trying to locate him. Just about had given up finding him when we came to a town building and found someone there who knew him, and told us how to get there. Found Andy and Rita around noon. They drove us around Boston, visited his folks in Revere Beach, went to the airport and wanted to see the shipyards, but they weren’t letting in any visitors. That night they took us to a club by the shore with Haggerty, another buddy of John’s, and his wife. Stayed all night at Andy’s apartment, and left early the next morning. On to Bridgeport Connecticut to look up Al Hammer. Found his home, talked to his little sister, who told us he was still in the Navy, had married and was living at his wife’s home in Philadelphia. So onward we go to New York City. Came into New York City about 5:00 PM and no where in sight to stay so took Skyline Drive over New York, into New Jersey, because they didn’t have tourist cabins around the city. Took the George Washington bridge over into New Jersey and stayed all night just out of Newark in a nice cabin. Arrived in Philadelphia around noon Sunday and found Al right away. Al, Florence and another couple showed us around Philadelphia in Al’s new Studebaker. Saw Independence Hall, but couldn’t get in, but could see the Liberty Bell through a window. Left Philadelphia that evening and stayed in a cabin around 50 miles from Baltimore.

Next morning, Monday, we started towards Laurel, where we hoped to find Cissel Grimes Went through Baltimore and 25 miles farther brought us into Laurel. Went to the Post Office and found where his folks lived. Found his mother who told us he was staying in Baltimore. So back to Baltimore we go to try and find him. Located him and spent most of the afternoon with him. Stayed that night in one of the best cabins we’d seen about 15 miles from Washington. A brick 3 room modern cabin. Tuesday morning we took a tour in Washington, seeing the following: Washington Monument, Smithsonian Institute, Capital, White House, Mint Building, Library of Congress, House of Representatives and Senate, Supreme Court Building, Pentagon Buildings, Lincoln Memorial, and Jefferson memorial from a distance. Visited Arlington National Cemetery and waited for them to change guards at the Unknown Soldiers Tomb. Walked through the amphitheater. On to Gettysburg. Stayed that night a little ways out of Harrisburg. Next morning, we took the Pennsylvania Turnpike and headed for home. Went through Pittsburgh and it’s just what they say it is. A very dirty, smoky, black city. On into West Virginia, Ohio, and arrived home that evening. A lovely, splendid and educational honeymoon.

A Call to Charlotte Penrod

2006-06-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I called Charlotte Penrod. I know that my father and John Penrod (Charlottes late husband) served on the same ship in WWII, the USS Benham DD397. After the war they remained friends and visited on occasion. My mother and Charlotte became friends as well. Considering that she lives just a mere 45 minutes from where I live, I have put this call off for far too long.

Mrs. Penrod answered the phone and after I briefly explained who I was she seemed glad to hear from me and asked how my mother was. She explained that she had tried to call my mother about a year ago but that the number had been changed. I explained that my mother had moved out of her apartment and into my sister’s house. I gave her my mothers current phone number and she said that she would be calling her. She seemed very glad to hear from me and was a pleasure to speak with.

After we caught up on each other’s lives I explained the reason for my call. She said that she didn’t remember a great deal about John’s war years but she would look through her photo albums and see if she could find any pictures or anything that may help me. Then she went on to tell me some memories about times she and John shared with my parents.

She told me that she and John had traveled around on their honeymoon in August 1947 to different states seeing friends of Johns and had stopped in Baltimore and saw my Dad. That would have been before he married my mother. Then John and Dad had lost touch for a while.

One day several years later my father called John and according to Charlotte my father was having a “crisis of faith”. She didn’t elaborate at the moment as to what that meant and I did not think to ask. But she said that John packed up the car and they drove from Indiana to Laurel Maryland right then and there with only $40 in their pockets. John helped my dad through whatever problems he was having at the time and they remained friends throughout the rest of their lifetimes visiting each other on occasion. Later in the conversation (which was also confirmed in my phone call to my mother later in the evening) Charlotte said that she thought that the “crisis of faith” was not a religious crisis, it was more of a personal crisis. My father was in a situation where he didn’t feel that he could raise his family in those surroundings because of the outside influences that of a big city brings. He wanted a more wholesome life for his family which he later found as he moved his family to the eastern Shore of Maryland not too long after John and Charlotte’s visit.

Charlotte told me that she kept journal entries about important events and travels and she would look and find one to send to me. She said that she had one detailing their honeymoon trip where they visited with my father in Baltimore and renewed their friendship that had begin aboard the USS Benham.

(Mom, Dad, Bill and Barbara. Taken approximately 1957 or 1958 Parsonsburg MD)

She told me that the happiest Christmas she ever had in her life was in 1960 when she and John had spent Christmas with my mother and father. My older brother Bill would have been about eight years old at the time and my sister Barbara may have been about four years old. I of course wasn’t yet born. She went on to share several other memories with me such as the time my older brother Bill (being a little kid at the time) was sitting at the dinner table and had a huge turkey leg in his hand. He dipped the turkey leg in the bowl of mashed potatoes and began flinging the turkey leg about with mashed potatoes flying all around. My dad would shake his head and say “Mom I don’t know what’s going to become of that boy.”

She told me about John’s passing in 1978. She said that he had 2 heart attacks prior to the one that took his life. She said that he was on the tractor on their farm and he had a 3rd heart attack. Apparently the tractor crashed. He died of the heart attack though, not the tractor crash. She said she called my mother and told her later and I told her that I remember the day she called. I would have been 10 years old at the time and I clearly remember that call that day.

We also discussed the upcoming USS Bell reunion to be held here in Indianapolis. I told her that my wife and I would be attending and I offered to take her with us. She said that she had always wanted to go but that she never had a way and also she didn’t want to go alone. I further told her that I hoped that Mom would come to the reunion as well and it would be a great chance for them to catch up. She said that she would think about it and that she would love to go.

I asked her if she minded if Terri and I stopped by sometime if we were up in that area some weekend. She said sincerely that she would enjoy that. We hung up with a promise to keep in touch and visit soon.

(Above is a picture of my mother, Marion Grimes, and Charlotte Penrod. Mom is the one sitting in the chair. This picture would have been taken sometime between 1996 and 1998).

Later that evening I called my mother for our usual Sunday night phone call where we catch up on the weeks events in each others lives. I told her that I had spoken at some length with Charlotte Penrod and had given Charlotte her current phone number. She was very pleased to hear that Charlotte is doing well and said she was looking forward to hearing from her.

I explained some of the details of the call in depth such as the crisis of faith comment that Charlotte had mentioned my father having. I asked her if dad was having problems dealing with civilian life after having seen so much action in the war and maybe that was what the crisis of faith was about. She said that he did have some problems adjusting but that as she remembered it the crisis of faith was his concern of the influences of Baltimore and the way Laurel was changing. It was the same thing that Charlotte had said where he didn’t feel that he could raise his family in those surroundings and he wanted a more wholesome life for his family.

She told me something interesting that I never knew. I was teasing her and joked that dad’s crisis of faith wasn’t another woman was it? That’s when she told me that my father dumped her during the war for another woman that he had met in Boston. This hurt my mothers feelings greatly at the time she said. The floozy must not have been worth it because when my father returned from the war he began friendship with my mother again and 3 years later they were married.

I told her about Charlotte’s memory of my brother Bill and the turkey leg and she remembered that event well and laughed.

I told mom about my desire to have her and Charlotte attend the USS Bell’s reunion here in Indianapolis with Terri and I. She said that she would think about it. Mom loves visiting with us, the problem is in her getting here. She doesn’t like to fly and she has to change planes once during the flight so that makes a stressful situation even more stressful. I think that she will manage to make it out here for the reunion though.

A Call From Richard Bloom

2006-06-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

I had sent out letters to several men off of the USS Lawrence roster which Craig Bernat had sent to me. Today I received a phone call from one of those men. Richard Bloom lives in Plymouth Indiana which is a few hours North of us. He called me this afternoon when I was out. Later in the evening I called him back at the number he had left. We had a wonderful conversation and it was such a treat to talk to him. He said that he did not know my dad, but that was not that unusual as he worked on a different area of the ship. Richard was a Water Tender and was a Petty Officer. He was on the USS Lawrence DD250 from sometime in 1942 until 1945 when the war ended. He was kind enough to go into detail about his duties on the Lawrence and was fascinating to talk with.

Richard lives in an area of Indiana that has a blueberry festival each year. Near the end of our conversation he mentioned the blueberry festival and asked if I had ever attended. I told him that my wife and I had attended the blueberry festival around 2000 or 2001 and loved it. (It is one of the best festivals you could ever go to, although it is the most crowded festival I have ever been to in my life). He told me that if Terri and I were ever in the area that we should stop by and visit with him. I would consider that an honor!

A Letter From Art Bracamonte

2006-06-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

Today the I received a letter from Art Bracamonte. I had written to Art inquiring as to if he had known my father when they both served aboard the USS Lawrence DD250 in WWII. I received the following reply dated June 13, 2006. Thank you for taking the time to reply Art, I certainly appreciate it!

Dear Greg,

I received your letter seeking info about your father. Unfortunately I was on the Lawrence in the middle of 1944 probably about the time your father came aboard. Sorry I can not be of help to you except in rooting for you to find the info you desire.

Sincerely,
Art Bracamonte

Tiny explains how to get free ice cream

2006-06-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

I received the following email from Tex (Tiny) Harp today. Tiny served onboard the USS Lawrence DD250 at the same time my dad did.

Greg and Terri,

I have no problem with Terri telling the tales that I share with you. On one of our operations with a carrier in the North Pacific, sea trials and training air crews. The air boss was practicing his take offs and landings and had a power failure on take off. Of course the carrier took evasive action to swing the bow of the ship out of the way and we "shot" to the area quickly. A propeller driven airplane does not float so it is necessary for the pilot to get out of the plane on the wing and free up his life raft and get into it and away from the plane as quickly as possible. On this occasion the air boss was unable to free himself from his harness'. The plane began sinking with the air boss strapped in. It was necessary for our "diver" to go about 30 feet down to cut him loose and bring him to the surface. We had to put another "diver" over to help bring the air boss to the boom with the cargo net. Several deck hands scampered down the cargo net to haul the air boss to the deck. He was a Lt. Commander......20 gallons of ice cream and 4 gallons of chocolate syrup. That evening when we did the 360 degree maneuver to lower the whale boat to take the pilot back to the carrier...The air boss had typed a note and he handed the note and his leather flight jacket to the "diver" in gratitude for the saving of his life. The "diver" get permission to accept the jacket. I don't remember for sure but I think there was extra ice cream and syrup that night.

As ready duty destroyer we got to do all sorts of interesting things. One operation had us burying the ashes of an admiral at sea. It is irreverent but it was a blustery stormy day and the bugler that was on board to play taps got sick and couldn't play and the burial detail got coated with ashes when a gust of wind blew the ashes back on board. We also drew picket duty to protect San Francisco during the conference that formed the United Nations. We were steaming at 5 knots 24 hours a day for weeks and then into port for a few days to re provision and refuel then back out. To prevent the crew from going bonkers the ship's doctor, Dr. Cooper, broke out the sport fishing gear and the crew fished, or those that wanted to did. In fact we hit a school of salmon and we got enough salmon filets to have several meals and we gave the crew members that had wives and children and home in the area salmon (in 302 pounds) filets when we made port. We also had skeet shooting off the fan tail to ease the boredom. It was necessary to run both radars during the picket duty 24 hours a day. A normal duty day crew member was 4 hours on and 8 hours off. But in certain conditions we were 4 on and 4 off.

We all had general quarters stations. My station was trainer on a 3" 50 gun and Ralph Wegener was a "catcher" on the gun. A "catcher" wore long asbestos gloves to catch the expended shell casings (brass) that got blistering hot for the expansion of the gases when the black powder exploded and fired the projectile. Ralph has to wear hearing aids because of the damage to his ears by the firing of the canon.

We all had stations to stand at different time. When we set the "special sea details " my station was to lower the colors (flag) off the fantail pole when the colors were raised mid ship. I think that your dad was on a throttle station in the engine room. But Ralph would know more that I about that I do. The special sea detail was set each time we left or entered the harbor.

I am sending a small "care" package today. It contains SOME of the things that we (my grandson and I) had made to mark a reunion. I expect that a man of your stature will share, to an extent, with your siblings. BUT the cap is mine from the 1995 reunion and the 50th reunion embroidery is on the cap. I regret that I don't have any more hats to share.

Thanks for your interest.

Tiny

Benhams Memorial Service

2006-06-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

I was excited to get the following email today from Craig Bernat. If you will recall Craig served on the Benham DD796 and helped me by directing me to someone whom may know some men who served with my father on the USS Benham DD397. The Benham DD397 and Benham DD796 have their reunions together. Reading his email was very emotional for me and I can’t begin to thank Craig enough for including my father in the memorial service. It means more than words could ever say.

Greg,
Could you please provide me the information on your father again so I can include it in the memorial service at the reunion and in this summers news letter? I wrote it down and lost it.

Thanks,
Craig

Ralph Explains The Ship Models

2006-06-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

I had emailed Ralph Wegener (who had served with my dad on the USS Lawrence DD250) and asked him questions about the remarkable models he made of the USS Lawrence DD250 among others. I received the following email.

Hello Greg;

I ordered the blueprints on my models from a hobby shop in Florida and bought all my material at the lumberyard and hardware store. I sawed the ribs,(about 24) ,from 3/8 inch plywood and attached them to the keel,(three quarters by inch and a half oak), and attached stringers ,(1/4 by 3/4 inches) along the ribs about one and a half inches apart with glue and screws. I made the bow and stern from solid wood about 8 inches from the ends. I covered this assembly with sheet countertop material. Then I covered this with fiberglass cloth and resin. I made my own brass propellers and rudder and aluminum shafts.

We called each other by our last names on the DD250 and a few of us had nicknames, Mine was, (IGNORANT MISSOURI HILLBILLY), and we called your Dad (Grimes), and some of the Italians were,(HEY DAGO). There were more but it has been 62 years now and my memory is fading. I don’t remember when your Dad came aboard but I think it was early 1945. Raytown is a southeast suburb of Kansas City. Please visit us if you are in town. We are usually always home with the price of gas we don’t travel very far.

Another great website to visit is,(navsource.org).They have all classes of Navy ships there with great photos and data.

Regards; Ralph Wegener,MM3/c,DD250-DD780-1944-46

Tiny Describes the USS Lawrence

2006-06-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

In response to my email requesting more information about the USS Lawrence and his experiences on her during WWII I received the following email from Tex "Tiny" Harp. He did an excellent job describing the USS Lawrence and the life aboard her. Thanks Tiny!

Dear Grimes',

The USS Lawrence was an old 4 Piper that was built right after and during the First World War. It had been modified many times and one of the boilers rooms equipment had been taken off and the steam turbines modified. During the refit, one of them, the Commodes cabin had been made into the radar room. Although during WW 2 they started calling it the combat information center. We had a plotting table, a surface search and an aircraft search radar in that space. We "stood" 4-hour watches when we were underway. We would spend 30 minutes on surface search and IF the captain order the aircraft radar to search then we spent 30 minutes on that "scope" and then 30 minutes on the plotting table and then we were "off" for 30 minutes BUT we only had a plotter when we were using the aircraft search unit.

The sonar unit was in a small compartment on the bridge deckhouse. The hours of operation of the sonar unit depending on what our operation was and what our steaming speed was. Sonar search before and during dawn hours and twilight hours for sure. We relied on surface search radar to alert us to the presence of periscopes and conning towers.

Our duties included meeting submarines that were returning from patrols and headed to Mare Island for refit and we would meet them before dawn in an area west of the Farralon Islands. I don't know if it was mostly training but our contact would be at a predetermined place and the sub would be submerged with just the periscope up and when its "blip" showed on the surface search radar we would activate the aircraft search radar and the sonar and using the IFF equipment we would determine who each of us were. When we were taking a sub out to begin their patrol we would stake them out at about dusk and be with them until they disappeared into the sea. Their conning tower would just disappear of the scope and the periscope "blip" would continue until the sea surface "snow" would make
it impossible to get a good enough echo to get a range on.

When aircraft carriers would come out of refit we would be an escort while they did sea trials and training of the aircraft crews. We did our searches before dawn and before twilight with all radar and sonar operating at full capacity to make sure that no dirty enemy was "lurking" about. I there had been a crash on take off or landing by the aircraft crew we were on "station" to rescue the pilot and or crew member from the ocean. That job is presently done by a helicopter. It flies in the same position that we used to steam with the carrier. If we had "rescued" any aviators we ( the carrier and the destroyer) would do a maneuver of a tight circle which would "flatten" the motion of the waves and we would launch a motor whaleboat and take the pilot back to the carrier where the crew would pay the ransom due us in ice cream and chocolate syrup. The amount of ransom depended on the rank of the aviator ie Ens. 5 gal ice cream 1 gal chocolate syrup and Lieut. jg 10 ice cream and 2 syrup, First Lieut. 15 gals ice cream 3 of syrup. Lt. Commander 20 ice cream and 4 syrup. These operations were conducted with a boom and a cargo net swung from the side of the ship and divers that went in the water to assist the pilots from getting out of the plane and onto the cargo net and on board our ship.

You asked if we ever encountered the enemy? We "think" that we engaged at least 2 Japanese subs at different times when we were doing our "escort" duties. Did we? I don't know but we sure depth charged the heck out something.

The Lawrence did many things as the "ready duty" destroyer of the Western Sea Frontier task force. The Lawrence went to Alaska when it was feared that the Japanese were going to invade Alaska. It was before my time on the Lawrence. But although we did much escorting, we also did other mundane tasks as well. If you have the opportunity to visit with Dick Bloom (who lives in Indiana) and maybe the rest of us one day. We can tell you the "sea stories" of the Lawrence.

Yes that is me behind Bloom. We wasted many years before we had our first reunion in 1993. Old age has cut a wide swatch through us too.

Give me some time and I will get your "care" package together. Because you care I Care.

Regards

Tiny

My Sister Expresses her Thanks

2006-06-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

Today we received this email from my sister who lives in Maryland. She is 11 years older than I so she remembers my father very well. Unfortunately his passing had a harder effect on her as she would have been approximately 12 at the time my father died. This whole search has been a very emotional one for my family and myself, but it has been so rewarding and we all feel so blessed.

Dear Greg and Terri:

Just wanted to share the e-mail with you that I just sent to Mr. Wegener...I woke up about 5:30 this morning thinking about what I was going to write to him.

Barb

Hello Mr. Wegener:

I was so touched to know that you had taken the time to share with my brother Greg such kind words about our father. I was lucky that I knew him for as long as I did. When he passed away, I grieved for years. I never thought that I would ever recover from my grief as my father and I were extremely close. We did everything together, and shared so much. Even going to the hardware store with Dad was a major event in my life. He truly was a wonderful man and touched so many lives. It brought me such joy to know that you remembered him after all of these years and was able to share it with Greg. I always felt so badly that he never knew our father as I had. That's one part of our life that I will never truly understand why he was taken at such an early age.

I would love to be able to attend the reunion in Indy, but my husband and I have already made vacation plans during that time. I'm such an emotional person, I may not be able to handle it anyway. Maybe this is meant strictly for Greg anyway. He's such a history buff and maybe being able to experience this by himself is a way to maybe know a part of our father that I maybe have never really known and this will help him to cope with the loss of Dad by hearing about his war days.

Anyway, I again want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity that you gave us to be touched by a part of our father's life that we may have never known had it not have been for you.

Again thank you and I look forward to any opportunity we may have in the future to share about my very special father.

Best Regards~

Barbara Grimes-Dahan

An Emailed Thanks To Ralph

2006-06-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Ralph,

Thanks so much for your help in tracking down Dad’s naval service. I can’t thank you enough for all of your help with this project. I only wish I had begun this search much sooner, being that so many men who served our country during that period are no longer with us, my father included. My thanks go out to you and men like you who are dedicated to keeping those memories alive.

It was very generous of you to send photos of Dad. They arrived today and I enjoyed seeing them so much! It was sad to see that so many from the 2002 reunion are no longer with us. I scanned the photos and emailed copies of them to my sister Barbara.

And thanks for your kind words regarding my father. It is so refreshing to see that his faith was such a big part of his life even as a young man in the middle of a world war. I guess that too is part of his memory.

I have a question for you if you don’t mind. In your email in regards to dad you mentioned that surviving 2 destroyers being sunk underneath you would be enough to make anyone religious. I read the history on the Benham and knew it was damaged beyond repair in the battle of Guadalcanal and was sunk, but what would have been the other destroyer that sunk with dad on it? There are so many pieces of his military history that we don’t know.

Also in regards to the USS Lawrence, I read that in the years 1944 – 1945 it basically escorted ships and subs out of San Francisco. Did you guys have any other operations other than that on the Lawrence? Did you see a lot of action too like dad did when he was on the Benham? In researching I just have to wonder if the Navy didn’t put men like my dad on ships like the Lawrence that weren’t in the thick of combat, because of the heavy combat they had seen while in the Pacific theater. Do you think that was the Navy’s intent or was it just luck of the draw?

Now that I have established contacts with men such as yourself who served with Dad, I hope to have the opportunity to meet you and others like you in the near future. There is actually a reunion here in Indianapolis this September for the USS Bell DD-587 that my wife and I will be attending. Please keep me informed as to any reunion information on the Lawrence DD-250 as I would love to attend!

Again, my deepest thanks!

Greg
PS. I am attaching a photo of my family that was taken a few months before Dad passed away.

2006-06-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

I received the following email from Ralph Wegemen today. If you recall Ralph served with my dad on the USS Lawrence DD250. I had asked him some questions about his WWII experiences in my last email and was fortunate enough to receive this interesting email from Ralph.

Dear Greg;

I went aboard the USS Lawrence DD250 in May, 1944 at Treasure Island in San Francisco bay. The DD250 was an old four-piper destroyer, which was commissioned in 1920. They were called FLUSH DECKERS as we had to go topside to go anywhere on the ship and this was scary in heavy seas. We lost one man overboard about 400 miles out of San Francisco, in heavy seas and never found him. The Lawrence was in the invasion of the Alutions, by Alaska, before I came aboard. We escorted submarines and aircraft off the California coast in training maneuvers between San Diego, Bremerton, Wa. and Hawaii. We never got to the South Pacific. We escorted a convoy of carriers and cargo ships to Hawaii once and when we were in sight of Hawaii the DD250 returned to San Francisco. I am sure some men who had ships sunk under them were given much safer duty on the DD250. We had another man named Kinney who had two aircraft carriers sunk under him and he came aboard about the same time your Dad did.

You can go to the public library and find about 12 or more volumes of,(DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN NAVAL FIGHTING SHIPS), and find all the data on all Navy ships from launch to loss or disposal. When WW2 ended the Lawrence and the King,(another four piper),went thru the Panama canal and up the east coast to Philadelphia for decommissioning and scrapping. Then I got on the USS Stormes DD780 till discharged in 1946.I built a 1/48 scale model of the DD780 and made it Radio Controlled. It is eight feet long by 10 inches wide. I powered it with two 12 volt cordless drills and adapted the drill switches to a four channel radio control. It runs great. See Photo attached.

Regards; Ralph Wegener,MM/c,DD250-DD780-1944-46

Emails from USS Lawrence Shipmates

2006-06-08T21:02:00.000-07:00

What a jackpot email was today. I received several emails from men that served on the USS Lawrence and one from a gal who’s father served on the Lawrence. I appreciate everyone taking the time and effort to send me a reply even though some did not remember my father. That's very thoughtful of them!

Update: I am posting a picture of the USS Lawrence's 2002 reunion which Ralph Wegeman sent me as some of the men who emailed me are pictured. It's always a treat to put a name with a face.

I was on the DD250 from June of '44 until she was put out of commission. I remember your dad's name and his face is vaguely familiar to me. However unfortunately, since I was a deck hand, I did not have any real contact with him. I have been to one of the Lawrence Reunions a year ago and can offer you the name of someone who knows the history of most everyone who was on the ship. Perhaps he can help you more than anyone else. His e-mail is Rgwege@aol.com It is a wonderful thing you are doing to learn more about your father.

Good luck to you.
Frank Umlauf

I WAS ABOARD THE LAWRENCE FROM FEB '42 UNTIL APR '44. FRANKLY I DON'T RECALL YOUR FATHER AT ALL. BUT THEN I WAS A DECK APE AND DID NOT MINGLE WITH THE GREASE MONKEYS. SORRY, BUT I CANNOT HELP YOU.

GRANT ACKER

Dear Greg Grimes:
I was on the Uss Lawrence April 1942 to April 1945. I am sorry I don't remember your father. I look thought all my pictures and I didn't see one of your father. I have a paper of a Christmas dinner 1944 and a list of all the crew, I didn't see your dad' s name on it. You could check with Ralph Wegener MM3/c or Norman Booth LT(jg) Engineer Officer.

I hope this will help. Herbert J Guidry, Jr. MM2/c

Dear Greg,

As you can see below, I have forwarded your email to Ralph W in hopes that he can help you also.

You may already know about this website but in case you don't--if you go to "navsource.org" and click on "destroyers" on the left side of your screen and then find the hull number of the ship/s your dad was on you will be able to see pics of the ship. Then scroll down and under the pics of the ship, you will see "DANFS". Click on that and you will be able to read the history of the ship and its missions, etc.

Hope you have a good time at the Bell reunion in Sept and maybe even find some more people who knew your dad. I plan to go to my parent's home later today and will show Dad the pics of your dad.

Sincerely,
Brenda Lind
(Brenda attached the following message to ralph Wegenger on my email that she forwarded to him)

Dear Ralph,

Hope this finds you and yours doing well and enjoying the summer. Dad (Lawrence Lauck) is doing well. Mom is also doing well after an uneventful and speedy recovery from lung surgery in March to remove a small malignant tumor.

I received this email yesterday and thought maybe you could help Greg find some info about his dad esp. since, if my memory serves me correctly, you were a machinist mate also.

God Bless. Brenda Lind

A Letter to Murray Gendler

2006-06-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

I sent the following letter to Murray Gendler today in hopes that he would remember my father as he had been pictured with him and Ralph Wegener.

Dear Mr. Gendler,

I am trying to get in touch with former shipmates of my fathers to see if they have any memories of my father or their time in WWII that they would be willing to share with me. My father served on the USS Lawrence DD-250 from sometime after Christmas 1944 to December 14, 1945 when he was discharged from the US Navy. I have heard from one of your former shipmates, Ralph Wegenger, and he remembers my father and is sending me a picture of you, my father and himself.

My fathers name was Cissel Cannon Grimes and he was from the Laurel Maryland area. He served in the USS Navy from December 15, 1939 until December 14, 1945. He was a Machinist Mate First Class when he was discharged from the Navy. He served on the USS Benham DD-397 from 1940 until 1942 when the Benham sunk in the battle of Guadalcanal. After the sinking of the Benham he served on the USS Bell DD-397 and then the Lawrence DD-250. We are unsure as to the exact dates of service on these ships.

I am trying to obtain muster rolls from the National Archives for those ships to piece together my fathers dates of service on each ship. I have a couple of pictures of him from 1942 in Newfoundland which leads us to believe that he was on the USS Bell immediately after the sinking of the Benham. I will attach copies of the pictures. We wonder if the date of 1942 on the back of the picture may be incorrect because we know that the USS Benham DD-397 was in Newfoundland too but in 1940.

In all the enclosed pictures my father was the sailor without a hat on. I was wondering if in addition to recognizing my father, if you recognize any of the other men in the pictures? We know John Penrod’s family and sadly he died in a farming accident many years ago. His family lives in Muncie Indiana just a mere 45 minutes from us. We have no idea who Smitty and Hank are however.

Unfortunately my father died in 1968 of heart problems after a bout of pneumonia when I was one year old so all I have to go on is other people’s memories of him. I was wondering if you remember him? Any help you could give or memories you could share of your experience on the USS Lawrence or in WWII would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

Greg Grimes

Email from Tiny Harp

2006-06-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

I received the following email from today from Tex “Tiny” Harp who served on the USS Lawrence in WWII at the same time as my dad. What a kind, thoughtful and generous man.

Thanks for writing about your father. I know that you have heard from Ralph Wegener and he was sending a picture of your dad, Murray Gendler and Ralph. If Ralph had a picture of the three of them then I more than likely knew him but since he was a petty officer over them , I would not have had contact with him at any great length of time. Although my "sack" was in the after crew compartment, I was not part of the engine room crew. I was a radar man that was lucky enough to have my "sack" moved from the forward crew quarters for some reason (unknown to me).

On the caps. My grandson and I supplied the caps for the 1993 Reunion and the 60th anniversary of the decommissioning . We also had caps for the 1994 reunion. My grandson John Killen was employed by the cap maker AJD in those years. John donated the caps in 1993 and we paid for the 1994 models. John left AJD and the 2005 caps were made by a friend of his that was a supplier to the navy of the official caps used on the ships. But his company lost the business to imports and only as a personal favor did he do the 2005 caps but only for the Lawrence/King reunion.

I had a mail order business and I sold the hats at my costs through Craig Bernat in 2005. I also created or caused to be created refrigerator magnets and pins for the reunions. I am searching my stuff in storage to see if there is a stray 60th cap that I can send you but I do not have a source that will make caps. The minimum order is 48 caps IF you can get the embroidery done and that requires a digital pattern maker that is unavailable to me . If you go on line to the Tin Can Sailors web page, they sell caps using a template of a standard destroyer not the
silhouette that we used.

If you want, I can send you the hatpin. Button, magnet, and possibly a set of absorbent coasters, if you pay the packing and shipping. But it will take me some time to locate them since I have moved twice since my wife passed away and I have to locate them. As I say I will check also and see if there is a 60th anniversary hat somewhere.

Please send me your mailing address so I can send things as I find them IF you want, that is.

M. B. (Tiny) Harp
DD 250 1943-1945

More from Ralph

2006-06-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

My wife and I each sent a thank you mail to Ralph for his wonderful email which had brought us such joy. We were pleased to receive the following email in response.

Dear Greg and Family;
Thank you for the good news of sharing my E-mail on your Dad. I will be glad to furnish any more info I can. I fwded Greg's letter to some of our shipmates who will remember him so you may hear from them. the Lawrence passed the Faralon Islands many,many times escorting submarines and aircraft carriers in and out of San Francisco bay. I postal mailed two photos of your Dad and I and Gendler today that were taken on the DD250 in 1945.

Regards;Ralph Wegener,MM3/c,DD250

Email from Ralph

2006-06-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

After receiving the roster from Craig I contacted several of the men listed. Some by email and some by snail mail. Several people kept referring me to both Tiny Harper and Ralph Wegeman. My next step was to contact Tiny and Ralph which I did via email.

Picture of Ralph Wegener 1945

This evening I was outside doing some yard work when suddenly I heard my wife scream. I run inside to see what was wrong and saw her sitting at the computer with tears streaming down her face. I instantly knew that we had heard from someone who remembered my father. As I sat at the computer and read the email (below) which we received from Ralph Wegeman tears welled up in my eyes also.

Picture of Ralph Wegenger and Cissel Grimes 1945

Dear Greg;

Sorry to hear of your Dad passing away so long ago. It makes me realize how lucky I am to still be here at 80 yrs old. I remember your Dad very well and I have a couple photos of him. I will copy them and postal mail them to you. Your Dad was a Fine Christian Gentleman and those were few and far between in the US Navy in 1944-45. He never drank,smoked, or used foul language and gave thanks to God before every meal. He read his bible every night till lights out at 2200,(10PM). Surviving two Navy destroyers sunk under you will make anyone religous.

The only ship roster I have is the 1944 Christmas menu with all hands registered at that time .Your Dad came aboard after that so his name is not on it.The US Navy lost (82),destroyers in WW2 and ten thousannd men on them.(per Tin Can Sailors). I am a life member of T.C.S. You can log onto our website,(destroyers.org), and click the (Crew Registery),and find many Destroyers and contact any MM1,2,3/c's, and you may find some more of your Dad's shipmates on the Benham,Bell,and the Lawrence. You can also click (Other Navy Information),lower right,then click on ( MODELS), and find the Lawrence DD250 model I built at 1/48 scale and made it Radio Controlled. I served on the USS Stormes DD 780 after the Lawrence and my model of it is there also.

The last reunion of the DD250 I attended in Philadelphia,(2004), there was only five of us there out of 150 men.

Regards;Ralph Wegener,MM3/c,DD250-DD780-1944-46

Picture of Cissel Grimes, Ralph Wegener and Murray Gendler 1945

I forwarded the email onto my sister in Maryland and then called her to tell her to read her email. My mother lives with my sister so Barbara called my mother in to read the email. As soon as Barbara told her “Greg has heard from someone who remembers dad” my mother gave a scream and frankly I was a little worried that her ticker wouldn’t be able to handle the excitement. So before you know it my mother and sister are on the phone crying and my wife and I are on this end crying. It was all happy tears of joy though. Thank you Ralph, you made a group of Grimes some very happy folks tonight!

Note – The pictures on this entry are the actual pictures that Ralph sent to me of my father, Murray Gendler and himself.

The USS Lawrence DD-250

2006-06-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

I remembered I have an ashtray that was some sort of commemorative piece from my father’s war days. Upon looking at that I discovered it was a commemorative ashtray from the USS Lawrence DD-250!

In researching the USS Lawrence I found that they have a shared website with DDG-4 Lawrence.

The USS Lawrence was a destroyer which mainly performed convoy escort operations between San Francisco and Seattle.

I contacted Craig Bernat from the USS Lawrence website asking him about my father and about the USS Lawrence. I received a prompt and helpful reply.

Greg and Terri,
I will try to help you the best that I can. As I actually served on the USS Lawrence DDG-4 which was also named after Captain Lawrence but was around from the early 1960's until 1990.

First thing I can do is send you a roster of about 48 men that I know are still living that served on DD-250. Feel free to contact them to see if any of them knew your father.

On the above roster is a gentleman by the name of M.B."Tex" Harp or Tiny as we also call him. He got us hats made for the 60th decommissioning anniversary of DD-250. We ended up selling all of them. Either his son or grandson works for the company that made the hats. They already have the set up art for them. What I don't know is if they would be willing to make just one? If they would let me know then they could make two so I could give one to our guest speaker at the reunion this year. Contact him and see what he can do.

The next thing I will do is include your fathers name in the memorial service we have at the reunion at the end of the month.

As for the muster rolls. Here is a link with info on how to get them. http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq13-1.htm
This site also offers tons of information on the ships and how to locate the info as well. Just go back to the home page.

Here are some other links as well:
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/250.htm
http://www.destroyersonline.com/usndd/
http://www.navweaps.com/
http://destroyers.org/
http://www.warships1.com/

These site provide a wealth of information on the various ships. All you need to do is search their destroyer data base for DD-250 or any other destroyer and you should fine the information.

I hope this helps.
If you have any other questions please feel free to e-mail me and I'll get that roster in tomorrows mail to you.

The USS Bell DD-587

2006-06-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

I called my mother (who lives 700 miles away in Maryland) and asked her extensive questions about my father’s war history. She didn’t remember a great deal of it but she promised to look for his war records and mail them to me. Several days later I received my fathers “Order of separation” in the mail. On that paper I learned that my father had actually served on 3 ships during WWII. The USS Benham DD-397, The USS Bell DD-587 and the USS Lawrence DD-250. I hit the jackpot!

The USS Bell DD-587 actually has a website for the USS Bell Association. When I looked at their web page I was shocked and pleased to find that their next reunion was to be held in September 2006 in Indianapolis, the town I live in. How strange is that? I had to take that as being a fine piece of divine intervention.

My wife and I joined the USS Bell Association and plan on attending the reunion. I contacted Ann Poole from the USS Bell Association and she was a great help in my search for my fathers war history as pertains to the USS Bell. And in addition, one day when I came home from work there was a package from Ann waiting for me. In the package was a USS Bell tee shirt, USS Bell hat and a USS Bell glass mug! I can’t begin to tell you how overjoyed I was to receive all of this.

While the USS Bell didn’t see as much action as the USS Benham did, it certainly saw it’s share of action. The Separation papers didn’t list dates of service on each ship but we know my dad was on the USS Benham when it sunk in November 1942 so that would have put him on the USS Bell approximately December 1942. The USS Bell DD-587 was launched June 24, 1942 from the Charleston SC Naval yards. This sent chills up my arm because it was my vacation to Charleston SC that started this whole search. Until November, 1943, the Bell operated on patrol and escort in the North Atlantic. She got underway for the Pacific on November 6 and arrived in Pearl Harbor on November 27.

The Bell joined in the Marshall Islands invasion of December 1943 and January 1944, the Truk strike (Feb 44), Mariana’s raid (Feb 44), Carolines strike (March 44), Hollandia landings (April 44), Saipan invasion (June 44), 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Bonins raids (June – August 44), Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 44), Guam invasion (July 44), western Carolines raids (July 44), Palau raids (Sept 44), Okinawa raid (Oct 44) and the Formosa raids (Oct 44). The Bell formed part of the escort of the crippled Houston (CL-81) and Canberra (CN-70) from Formosa to Ulithi (October 44). She then rejoined the 3rd Fleet for strikes against Luzon (Nov – Dec 44) and the invasion of Lingayen Gulf, Luzon (Jan 45). During the late evening of January 31, 1945, while at 13 degrees 20 North, 119 degrees 20 East, she joined the O'Bannon (DD-450) and the Ulvert M. Moore (DE-442) in sinking the Japanese submarine RO-115. The Bell returned to Puget Sound Navy Yard for repairs, arriving February 27 1945. This is when we think that my father would have debarked ship and gone aboard the USS Lawrence DD250 for the remainder of his Naval service which ended December 1945. As you can see from the above record the USS Bell certainly saw more than it’s share of action. In fact the USS Bell DD587 received 12 battle star awards for her participation in WWII.

The USS Benham DD-397

2006-06-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

The next step was to research the USS Benham and find out what sort of ship she was. What we learned astounded us. The Benham turned out to be the USS Benham DD-397. For the history of the ship an internet search will bring up just about a million or two links. We found a site called The Tin Can Sailors. This site gave us valuable information about the USS Benham. But in reading it we realized that my dad had obviously served on at least one other ship during his Navy career because the USS Benham was sunk in November 1942.

To give you a brief recap of the USS Benham DD-397, she patrolled off Newfoundland during most of 1939 and then shifted to the Gulf of Mexico. Ordered to the Pacific, she arrived at Pearl Harbor 14 April 1940. After alternating between Californian and Hawaiian waters, the destroyer served as an escort for Enterprise CV-6 during the delivery of Marine planes to Midway (28 November-8 December 1941), thus missing the attack on Pearl Harbor. She was actually due to be in Pearl Harbor the morning of the attacks but heavy seas hampered the refueling process so the task force she was with was delayed by one day, this sparing her and the many men on board. The Benham served with the Enterprise and Saratoga task forces off Hawaii and with TF 16 during the Doolittle raid on Tokyo (8-25 April 1942). She continued operating with TF 16 through the Battle of Midway (3-6 June), during which she rescued 720 survivors from Yorktown (CV-5) and 188 from Hammann (DD-412), landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi (7-9 August), and the Battle of the Eastern Solomons (23-25 August). The Benham joined TF 64 on 15 October as part of the naval covering force off Guadalcanal. During 14-15 November she took part in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. On 15 November 19942 she took a torpedo forward, lost her bow, and had to withdraw from the battle. The Benham doggedly stayed afloat, making slow headway towards Guadalcanal during the 15th but eventually further progress was impossible and her valiant crew had to abandon. The Gwin DD-433 picked up the survivors and sank the hulk at 1938 by shellfire. The Benham DD-397 received five battle stars for her 11 months service in World War II.

The Equator Certificate

2006-06-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

Where to begin when you know your father served in the Navy but that’s the extent of your knowledge. As my wife and I sat around discussing how we should approach the project it suddenly hit me. No, the wife didn’t throw a lamp at me. It occurred to me that we have a framed certificate of my father passing the equator during his Navy service. Would there be a clue as to which ship he was on contained on that certificate? There was only one way to find out. So we raced each other to the living room to look at the certificate. SUCCESS! It stated that on the 24th day of July 1940 in latitude 00000 and longitude 159 – 34’W there appeared within our royal domain the United States Ship Benham bound South for the Equator and for Jarvis Island. And it had dad’s name listed - Cissel Cannon Grimes Sea. 2r US Navy. We had a ship’s name and our project had officially begun.

There was a liberty card with dads picture on it that had been stuck in the bottom corner of the picture frame that contained the certificate dad got for crossing rhe equator. Unfortunately the liberty card was blank.

Our project is off to a rousing good start though. The next thing to find out would be what ship did dad go on after the Benham sunk? I think a call to mom might be a start in the right direction so she can tell us what she remembers of dads war days. At this point I don’t even know if my parents knew each other during the war. As I later found out, many more exciting facts were about to be revealed.

Contacting the USS Bell Association

2006-06-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

I contacted Ann Poole of the USS Bell Association via email and let her know that I have a couple of pictures of my father that were taken when he would have been serving on the USS Bell DD587. I also asked her questions about the USS Bell reunion that will be held here in Indianapolis September 6 – 10, 2006. I received the following reply via email:

Hi Greg & Terri:

What a great surprise to hear from you. I get so excited when I hear from members of the shipmates, both living and deceased. Yes, It would be a great pleasure to have you attend the reunion. We have many family members that attend. My goal is to keep the USS Bell memory alive and the way we have to do that is with children and grandchildren getting involved. I will send you a copy of the last newsletter and I am in the process of preparing a newsletter with all the reunion information and activities. Who knows, you might just find one of the Bell sailors that will remember your father. I have had several family members looking for information and was able to get some info by either attending the reunion or my putting the info in the newsletter. We would be so excited to have you and any other family members join us in Indianapolis. Membership dues are only $10.00 per year.

Thank you so much for the pictures. I will get them out on the website. I love all the old pictures.

Ann Poole, Secretary

I emailed Ann back to ask if dues were per family or per person and to let her know that my wife and I would definitely be attending the reunion in Indianapolis. I received the following reply:

Hi Greg,

Dues are per person. I am so glad you will be attending the reunion. I think you will find that you have adopted a new family when you walk into the hospitality and meet the wonderful people associated with the dear old Bell. You can search the Tin Can Sailors website. They will have a reunion button and you probably can find the history of each of the ships and also any reunion associated with those ships. The US Navy website could possibly be a good search for you regarding the ships life. Good luck on your search. I know how exciting it must be. Also, on the Bell website, there is a button titled History and it will give you the info on the Bell. It breaks my heart to think she was used for target practice and lies out in the ocean.

Ann

A Plan Is Born

2006-06-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

In May 2006 my wife and I went on vacation to Charleston SC. There was a reunion of Navy veterans at the hotel we were staying at. At breakfast on the morning of our last day there one of the sailors came to breakfast wearing his Navy whites. For some reason upon looking at him I became overwhelmed with emotion. I couldn’t help but think that could have been my father. My father was in the Navy during WWII. Sadly my father passed away when I was 13 months old from congestive heart failure about a bout with pneumonia. So all I have to go on is other peoples memories of my father.

After leaving Charleston my wife and I spent a few days in Myrtle Beach and then headed home to Indiana. As we are driving through Wilmington NC my wife sees a battleship out of the corner of her eye and asked to stop. So we toured the Battleship North Carolina. As we toured the ship I couldn’t help but think of my father and wonder what his experiences were in the Navy on a ship. At that time I didn’t even know what ships my father had served on or anything about his Navy career. While we were touring the engine room of the Battleship North Carolina I told my wife “imagine my father being down here in the bowels of the ship with torpedo’s detonating in the waters around them and the guns going off overhead during battle. It must have been deafening not to mention very frightening not knowing what was going on topside.” Little did we know at that time of the horrific experiences my father had in the Navy. I told my wife right then and there that when we got home I wanted to research my fathers Navy career. My wife and I are both history buffs, especially WWII so we were both excited about the project.