The Sullivans of Waterloo, IAFive brothers answered the call to respond to the attacks on Pearl Harbor, that led the nation to war. They were the Sullivans of Waterloo, IA, coming a town of less than 50,000. At the outset of WWII, two of the five, George and Francis, had already enlisted in the Navy together in 1937, which was how the other three ended up in that service:

• Sullivan, Albert Leo, Seaman Second Class, V-6, USNR; 1-3-1942 Enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Class V-6, as Apprentice Seaman to serve for two (2) years at the Naval Recruiting Station, Des Moines, Iowa
• Francis Henry Sullivan, Coxswain, V-6, USNR; 5-11-1937 Enlisted in the U.S. Navy as Apprentice Seaman, to serve for four (4) years at the Navy Recruiting Station, Des Moines, Iowa and transferred to the Naval Training Station, San Diego, California, for recruit training.
• SULLIVAN, George Thomas, Gunner’s Mate Second Class, V-6, USNR; 5-11-1937 Enlisted in the U.S. Navy as Apprentice Seaman, to serve for four (4) years at the Navy Recruiting Station, Des Moines, Iowa and transferred to the Naval Training Station, San Diego, California, for recruit training.
• SULLIVAN, Joseph Eugene, Seaman Second Class, V-6, USNR; 1-3-1942 Enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Class V-6, as Apprentice Seaman to serve for two (2) years at the Naval Recruiting Station, Des Moines, Iowa.
• SULLIVAN, Madison Abel, Seaman Second Class, V-6, USNR; 1-3-1942 Enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Class V-6, as Apprentice Seaman to serve for two (2) years at the Naval Recruiting Station, Des Moines, Iowa.

From Castletown.com:

The Sullivan family led lives much like other middle class families of the 1920s and 1930s. It was Depression time and Tom Sullivan was fortunate that he had a job. Not all of his children were able to finish high school. A few of the boys found it necessary to help out meeting the household expenses. The vacant lot next to their home provided space for various sports activities. Most of the family found work at the Rath meat packing plant. When the two oldest, George and Frank, returned home from a hitch in the Navy, all five Sullivan brothers were working together again, just as they were when playing sports on that lot next door to their home. The youngest, Albert was the first to get married. He and his wife Mary became parents when their son, James Thomas, was born on May 11, 1940. The other brothers would probably have done the same, but World War II got in the way. When reports were received about the death of their friend, Bill Ball, who was on the battleship Arizona when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, they decided to enlist in the Navy. They did insist, however, that the Navy allow them to stay together throughout their service. The Navy agreed. On January 3, 1942, less than a month after Pearl Harbor, they were sworn in at Des Moines, and left for Great Lakes Training Center.

The five sons of the family all ended up stationed on the USS JUNEAU (CL-52), reporting aboard together on 02/03/1942, just 11 days before commissioning of this new ship in New York. The USS JUNEAU (CL-52) sailed to the South Pacific, after a hurried shakedown period in the Atlantic, where she was operating near the Solomon Islands, in support of the landing at Guadalcanal on November 12th, 1942:

From Wikipedia:

[..]
On 8 November Juneau departed Nouméa, New Caledonia, as a unit of Task Force 67 under the command of Rear Admiral R. K. Turner to escort reinforcements to Guadalcanal. The force arrived there early morning 12 November, and Juneau took up her station in the protective screen around the transports and cargo vessels. Unloading proceeded unmolested until 1405 when 30 Japanese planes attacked the alerted United States group. The AA fire was effective, and Juneau alone accounted for six enemy torpedo planes shot down. The few remaining attackers were then attacked by American fighters; only one bomber escaped. Later in the day an American attack group of cruisers and destroyers cleared Guadalcanal on reports that a large enemy surface force was headed for the island. At 0148 on 13 November Rear Admiral D. J. Callaghan’s relatively small Landing Support Group engaged the enemy. The Japanese force consisted of two battleships, one light cruiser, and nine destroyers.
[…]

From Castletown.com:

On the evening of November 12th, air reconnaissance discovered the approach of the Japanese task force. It was considerably larger than the American force. The transports fled and the warships prepared for the coming battle. Despite having radar, the American ships almost collided with those of the enemy. The engagement began about 1:45 A.M. There was no moon that night and there was instant chaos as searchlights suddenly illuminated the two adversaries at close range to one another. All ships unleashed their barrage of heavy armaments at point blank range. Within 30 minutes the engagement was essentially over. The Japanese lost a battleship and two destroyers. Five of the 13 U.S. ships had been sunk or were heavily damaged. Many men were lost, including the task force commander, Rear Admiral Callaghan. The Juneau had just barely survived, having received a torpedo hit on it’s port side which left a gaping hole and an almost severed keel.
[..]
At daybreak the surviving American ships huddled together and headed back to their base. Late that morning, a torpedo fired from a Japanese submarine, struck the Juneau near the storage area of its ammunition supply. “When the torpedo hit, there was a single explosion and the air was filled with debris, much of it in large pieces. The whole ship disappeared in a large cloud of black, yellow black, and brown smoke. Debris showered down among ships of the formation for several minutes after the explosion to such an extent as to indicate erroneously, a high level bombing attack.” Thus Captain Gilbert, the acting Commander of the task force, described what he saw when the U.S.S. Juneau was struck. The captain of the U.S.S. San Francisco, H.E. Shonland, reported that: “It is certain that all on board perished.” Captain Hoover decided that rather than delay the escape of the other ships, he would request that an Army aircraft in the area report the position of the Juneau. The pilot did send in a report but it did not get to the proper authorities. And, even more tragically, Captain Shonland was wrong — there were survivors from the Juneau. It was not known exactly how many made it into life rafts; there were at least 80. Among them was George Sullivan, the oldest brother.

Gunner’s mate Allen Heyn was one of the survivors that was finally rescued from the sinking of the Juneau. He reported that there were 10 days of intense suffering as, one by one, the men succumbed to the intense heat, their wounds, and sharks. Many were badly burned and died a painful death. They became delirious from hunger and thirst. Heyn recalled how George Sullivan decided to take a bath one night. He took off all his clothes and swam around the raft. His movement attracted a shark…and that was the last Heyn saw of him. Only ten men survived the ordeal.

The US Navy too the issue of family members seriously after this incident and prohibited such stationing together. Some history of this outcome is here.

Two ships have been named to honor the five Sullivan brothers: DD-573 and DDG-68. THe first USS THE SULLIVANS (DD-537) is a museum ship in the Great Lakes at Buffalo, NY, berthed with the USS LITTLE ROCK (CLG-4).

USS THE SULLIVANS (DD-537)

DD-537, of the FLETCHER Class, was commissioned 9/30/1943. She served through the many historical battles of the Pacific, earning 9 Battle Stars. Following WWII, THE SULLIVANS participated in the Korean War, conducting gunfire support operations. The USS THE SULLIVANS was later used as a “school ship” for Officer training in Newport, RI, before being transfered to New York City in the Naval Reserve. She was decommissioned 1/7/1965. The link at the beginning of this paragraph contains some very detailed accounts of the WWII actions, and a not of her patrols to try to locate the USS THRESHER (SSN-593) in April, 1963.

USS THE SULLIVANS (DDG-68)Currently in commissioned service, the USS THE SULLIVANS (DDG-68) is the 17th ship of the ARLEIGH BURKE Class. Entering service on 4/19/1997, assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, she has served in Enduring Freedom operations.

The motto of the current USS THE SULLIVANS is the motto of the Sullivans Brothers: “We stick together!”

Gouge…some who read this know the inestimable value of such a commodity….

A recently opened blog, Information Dissemination, is becoming a good resource to keep tabs on developments in naval equipment and navies, not only the US stuff, but some detailed articles on China, Saudi Arabia and India have shown up as well.

Interspersed are deployed orders of battles of the US Fleets, and lots of discussion on current and projected shipbuilding.

Wander on over, I think you’ll find it a resource worth bookmarking and returning to regularly.

On this date in 1943, PT-109 was sunk in the night action off Rendova.

From the Navy History Site, the report of the run in with the Tokyo Express:

COMMANDER MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT SQUADRONS

SOUTH PACIFIC FORCE

13 January 1944.

CMTB/L11-1
Serial 006
Declassified (8 SEP 59)

From: Commander, Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons, South Pacific Force.
To: Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet.

Via: Commander, South Pacific Force.

Subject: Loss of PT-109 – Information concerning.

Reference: (a) ComSoPac’s secret ltr. L11-1(11) Ser. 002867 of 30 December 1943.

Enclosure:

(A) Copy of ComMTB Rendova action report of 1-2 August 1943.
(B) Copy of ComMTB Rendova action report of 7-8 August 1943.
(C) Copy of Intelligence Officers’ Memo to ComMTB Flot One of 22 August 1943.

1. Enclosures (A), (B), and (C) are forwarded in compliance with directive contained in reference (a).

2. Enclosures (A) and (B) are copies of action reports of Commander, Motor Torpedo Boats, Rendova, and contain information in connection with the loss of the PT 109. Enclosure (C) is a memorandum compiled by Intelligence Officers of Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla ONE on the basis of information given them by survivors of PT 109. It is the most detailed account of this incident and it is hoped that it will provide the information requested in Enclosure (A) to reference (a).

E. J. MORAN.

W. C. SIECHT,
By direction.

Enclosure (A)

MOTOR TORPEDO BOATS, RENDOVA

5 August 1943.

MTBR/A16-3
Serial 0034
Declassified (8 SEP 59)

From: The Commander.
To: The Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Fleet.
Via: Official Channels.

Subject: PT Operations night 1-2 August 1943.

1. Force: All available boats (15) on patrol.

2. Enemy contracts: Five enemy destroyers, attacked in Blackett Strait, five or possibly six torpedo hits scored.

3. Weather: Overcast, visibility poor.

4. Patrols:

AREA B (BLACKETT STRAIT)
DIVISION B – OFF VANGA VANGA
Lt. H. J. Brantingham PT 159 OAK 27
Lt. (jg) W. F. Liebenow PT 157 OAK 21
Lt. (jg) J. R. Lowrey PT 162 OAK 36
Lt. (jg) Jack Kennedy PT 109 OAK 14

DIVISION A – OFF GATERE
Lt. A. H. Berndtson PT 171 OAK 44
Lt. (jg) P. A. Potter PT 169 OAK 31
Lt. (jg) S. Hamilton PT 172 OAK 47
Ens. E. H. Kruse PT 163 OAK 19

DIVISION R – EAST OF MAKUTI ISLAND
Lt. R. W. Rome PT 174 OAK 50
Lt. (jg) R. E. Keresey PT 105 OAK 7
Lt. (jg) R. K. Roberts PT 103 OAK 1

DIVISION C – SOUTH OF FERGUSON PASSAGE
Lt. G. C. Cookman PT 107 OAK 13
Lt. (jg) R. D. Shearer PT 104 OAK 4
Lt. (jg) D. M. Payne PT 106 OAK 10
Lt. (jg) S. D. Hix PT 108 OAK 16

INCOMING TOKYO EXPRESS
All boats on the stations above indicated by 2130.

At 2400 Division B made radar contact indicating 5 craft approaching from the North close to the coast of Kolombangara Island. Visual contact was made shortly thereafter, by PT 159 which saw 4 shapes in column heading Southeast close into the coast at 15 knots. The PT 157 saw only two. The shapes were first believed to be large landing craft. The PTs 159 and 157, after directing the PTs 162 and 109 to lay to, began closing to make a strafing attack. In a moment the enemy opened fire with many large caliber guns, which was continued for several minutes. PT 159 fired a spread of 4 torpedoes and the PT 157, 2 torpedoes, all at a range of about 1800 yards. The torpedo tubes of the PT 159 flashed and one caught fire. A large explosion was seen at the target by personnel on both of these boats. They then retired to the Northwest laying puffs of smoke and making frequent radical course changes, until they were in Gizo Strait, where they lay to. It was decided that PT 157 should return to station and that the PT 159 should return to base, as it was out of torpedoes, all of which was done. PTs 162 and 109 lay to as directed. When the firing began, there was so much and over such a long stretch of coast, they thought shore batteries had opened up and retired to the Northwest, but did not regain contact with the other two boats. After the firing had ceased, they were joined by PT 169 from Division A, and after receiving radio orders to do so, took up station, but did not make contract with PT 157. The PT 169 stayed with the PTs 162 and 109 on Division A’s station off Vanga Vanga.

DIVISION A: Around 0004 Division A picked up 4 destroyers headed close in shore off Gatere. When PT 171 got in position it was abeam the first destroyer. Estimating its speed at 30 knots, the PT 171 closed to 1500 yards, at which point the destroyers fired starshells and opened fire, straddling the PT 171 and splashing water on its deck. Fire was also opened with automatic weapons and one destroyer turned on its searchlight but did not pick up PT 171. The PT 171 let go 4 torpedoes at the second destroyer. The tubes flashed and the destroyers turned directly toward it to evade. One destroyer stood on South toward Ferguson Passage. The last destroyer was soon to drop 2 1/2 miles behind the others. The PT 171 retired to the South laying smoke puffs and then getting out from behind them to the right and left. Feeling that the first destroyer might be blocking Ferguson Passage the PT 171 reversed course and proceeded Northwest along the reefs to the East of Gizo and out Gizo Passage departing for base, having expended all its torpedoes. The other three boats, PTs 170, 169 and 172 did not receive the contact report or any message to deploy for attack and could not fire their torpedoes after the destroyers opened fire, as PT 171 was in the way crossing their bows in its turn to the South. Contact between PT 169 and the other 3 PTs was lost as it reversed course to the Northwest after hearing radio message that destroyers might be blocking Ferguson Passage. After proceeding some distance North, (where it joined the PTs 159 and 157), the PTs 170 and 172 were straddled by the gunfire from the 2 destroyers, which they saw, but could not fire at because PT 171 was in front of them, retired zig-zagging and laying smoke puffs to the South thru Ferguson Passage. Going thru they were attacked by 4 float planes which dropped 3 flares and 2 bombs, which missed. They proceeded to the South and East, but returned to station on orders at 0255. Nothing further happened.
[…]

It’s great reading…

In May 2002, Robert Ballard located the wreck of the PT-109 and conducted a full underwater survey for National Geographic.

Update – PT Boat Info!: PT Boat History Page at Geocities
Save the PT-658 Organization

Open trackbacks…free for the linking!

But, “sea stories,” too!

So, there I was, a not necessarily fresh caught Ensign, but not an old hand yet. I had been aboard USS MILWAUKEE (AOR-2) for a few months when we sailed, in company with some other ships, but the only one I recall was the USS FRANCIS MARION (LPA-249) from Norfolk, VA to be part of the Naval force to honor Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her 25th Anniversary as Queen of England, her “Silver Jubilee.”

It was my first cruise overseas, while a commissioned officer, and was only about 6 weeks long, but it has some special memories. Not only was I exposed to my first taste of fleet steaming, it was the second part of the “Join the Navy…”

We head towards the English Channel, and, unlike the rest of the units in company, who headed into Portsmouth for the Naval Parade festivities, we, the “fat ship” got sent east, then north, arriving to anchor in the Firth of Forth, off the Royal Navy Dockyard at Rosyth, Scotland, just north of Edinborough.

I decided, when not on duty, to get ashore and do some exploring. I did and got some great sightseeing in. Oh, did I mention that enroute Scotland, some of the radio equipment I was responsible for maintaining had suffered casualties and I had sent out casualty reports (CASREPs) on them? Oh, sorry…small details make for good stories some times. I did have outstanding equipment issues, which were in need of updated status reports (SITREPs). I figured, being the wise young officer at that point, that when we got underway, there would be plenty of time to get the updates out. However, I seemed to not yet have grasped the understanding that SITREP dates required sitreps, or casualty correction (CASCORs) sent along to keep the larger logistics system up to speed.

Thankfully, LCDR Frank Mueller did have a grasp on not one, but two things: The operational necessity to keep “the system” informed of such important matters, and also that some junior officer don’t get it yet.

The day we sailed from the Firth of Forth, after sea and anchor detail had been secured, Frank asked if I had updated my casualties. I said, “no, sir, but I will get it done today.” His response was something like: “This is how it works: CASREP SITREPS are due out the day status changes, or when the previously indicated SITREP date is reached, which ever comes first, then you get to go on liberty (I later learned he should have said “Shore Leave,” but I understood than and now).” His voice was calm and got it….

While in transit to Europe, we had a problem with the Raytheon LN-66 Pathfinder RADAR. I had to submit a CASREP because we didn’t carry the zener diode required to make the repairs. We anchored at Wilhelmshaven, Germany for three days. I wanted to go ashore, but I had my assigned duties, trying to track down the elusive zener diode, so my electronic techs could make the repairs. We finally did get one via the local husbanding agent and the ETs went to work.

I was able to “hit the beach” for a few hours, so LTJG George Parish, the Navigator, and I went to find gifts for the wives. I Had converted $60 to Marks for my ration of gift money. We wandered into a porcelain shop and I was in awe of the several painted and unpainted dolphin figurines by Kaiser Porcelain. They were exceptionally lifelike and the painted ones didn’t have that hard looking edge that hand painting normally has, with these figures looking just like the ones I had seen at sea. All I could afford was the $58 dollars for an unpainted pair of dolphins jumping over a wave. I don’t know art, but not only was the wife pleased when I got home, a few weeks later, as we wandered through Military Circle Mall, there, in the window of a jewelery store, sat the exact same dolphins, but with a price tag of $120. I never made a buy like that again (from the profit standpoint), but I will say the two dolphins are still with the Ex, and she won’t hand them over. I suspect they are worth a little more than $120 by now….

James Lawrence, born 10/1/1781, died 6/4/1813, at sea, after engaging with the enemy.

James had become a Navy Midshipman at the 1798, beginning his storied service aboard the USS GANGES and later the USS ADAMS in the Quasi-War with France. From those duties, he was promoted to Lieutenant and sailed to the Mediterranean aboard USS ENTERPRISE and took part, in 1804, as second in command to LT Stephen Decatur for that historical and audacious raid at Tripoli.In subsequent years, he commanded three small warships, before, at the rank of Master Commandant, took command of the Sloop of War, USS HORNET. Lawrence, under the squadron command of Captain William Bainbridge in USS CONSTITUTION sailed south to the Southern Atlantic in the War of 1812, searching for British commerce to raid. Arriving off the port of Sao Salvador, Brazil and sighted a British sloop of war, the HMS Bonne Citoyenne inport. He also learned the the Bonne Citoyenne was loading gold bullion, to be taken to England, so he took up a position off the coast, and issued a challenge to the commander of the British vessel, Pitt Barnaby Greene, to come to sea and have a ship-to-ship duel. Captain Barnaby Greene declined and finally Lawrence was obliged to leave the area before the Bonne Citoyenne sailed for England, when the 74 gun Ship of the Line HMS Montague arrived in the vicinity.Enroute home, USS HORNET came upon the 18 gun HMS Peacock and, after a short, brutal exchange of gun fire, the Peacock was sunk. With this victory under his belt, James Lawrence was promoted to Captain and assigned to USS CHESAPEAKE. He would have preferred the USS CONSTITUTION to the CHESAPEAKE, or even to stay aboard the USS HORNET, but that was not to be (“Six Frigates” by Ian Toll, pg 404).

Arriving 5/18/1813 aboard USS CHESAPEAKE, Capt Lawrence found the ship in good order, but carrying an unlucky reputation. His orders were to clear to sea and go in search of British merchants in the Gulf of St Lawrence.

While making the final preparations to sail, the HMS Shannon (38 guns) sailed a few cables lengths from the Boston light house. The commanding officer, Captain Philip Broke, was largely unknown to the officers of the fledgling Navy, but the account from “Six Frigates” show Captain Broke to be a competent, disciplined officer, with a keen sense for what it takes to be ready for battle.

Having commanded Shannon for seven years, Brooke was one of the most experienced and efficient frigate captains in the British Service. In the post-Nelson, post-Trafalgar era of unquestioned naval supremacy, when the remnants of France’s Navy were mostly caged in harbors, and occasions of firing a shot in anger were few and far between , the Royal Navy’s overall standards of gunnery and readiness had declined [ed: sound familiar?]. The Shannon was an exception. Captain Broke was a zealous advocate of daily gun drills. In addition, when he had captured American merchants off Boston, he chose to burn them to the waterline, so as to not weaken his crew by having to send so many prize crews to man the captured vessels. He bypassed the fortunes that would have come to himself and his crew for the prize values, as he wanted the fight rather than the money.
[…]
Shannon was ready for battle as any frigate could ever have been, and Captain Broke wanted and opportunity to prove it.
[…]

To set the stage, Commodore Rodger’s squadron had sailed from Boston on the 1st of May, in a fog, in order to allude the British Squadron awaiting their departure from port. The best strategic role for the US Navy was to be commerce raiders, and not go broadside with the British Navy, not because of lack of courage, but because there were few ships on hand to send straight to battle.

Meanwhile, off Boston, Captain Broke prepared a gentlemanly challenge to Captain Lawrence, asking for a ship to ship duel, and would even ensure there was no interference from other British vessels in the area. He dispatched his letter ashore with an impressed American sailor, but it never reached Captain Lawrence. I highly recommend you read “Six Frigates” in order to follow the precursors to this famous battle about to unfold, which contains the complete text of the above mentioned letter/challenge.

While Captain Lawrence had seen his share of fighting at sea at various levels of the chain of command, he had only been aboard the ship for less than two weeks when he ordered the lines cast off and to sail, on the clear day on the 1st of June, out of Boston Harbor. He had not had any time to exercise with his new crew, nor them with him in any sort of battle drills for gunnery or maneuvering the ship. No the less, he set sails and departed the safety of the piers about noon, as the sails of the HMS Shannon were quite evidently awaiting the meeting. He knew there was the possibility of a fight in the offing, as he inspected the gun crews with LT George Budd and directed cannister, bar and grape shot also loaded on top of the ball shot in the gun barrels.

The two vessels closed. Captain Broke mustered his crew and said this:

Shannons, you know from various causes the Americans have lately triumphed on several occasions over the British Flag in our Frigates…they have said and they have published in their papers that the English have forgotten the way to fight. You will let them know today that there are Englishmen in Shannon who still know how to fight.

Don’t try to dismast her. Fire into her quarters; main-deck to main-deck; quarter-deck into the quarter-deck. Kill the men and the ship is yours…
[…]

Quietly they proceeded to their battle stations, as the Captain directed. By 5:45, the USS CHESAPEAKE was abeam the Shannon at a range of about 50 yards, upwind, and Captain Lawrence luffed his sails. Both crews had held their fire, even though opportunities had been presented at greater ranges to press an advantage. The firing began, not as two broadsides, but as guns found targets and marksmen in the tops picked of the exposed enemy sailors.

Within two minutes, the gore on the USS CHESAPEAKE was horrible, as the daily drills of the Shannon’s gunners took their toll. Captain Lawrence suffered two wounds, and of 150 men on the spar deck, 100 were killed or wounded, the rigging and sails severely damaged. While the Shannon’s crew was being killed or wounded as well, it was not the officers that were cut down in large numbers, as was the case on the American ship, so the command and control remained intact as the ship’s continued the battle. The USS CHESAPEAKE’s wheel was shot away and the rigging not in a condition to maneuver. The Marines sharpshooters had been shot off their perches by Shannon’s crew, who continued to shoot at the exposed crewmen of the CHESAPEAKE with accurate fire.

Captain Broke lead a boarding party onto the CHESAPEAKE when the ships came together, the confused state of affairs aboard the American vessel had the sailors running below decks for their lives in the face of a ferocious British crew, led by their Captain.

Captain Lawrence lay in the cockpit below, wounded, ordering his remaining officer to rally the crew, but that was to no avail. As the sailors ran below and past him, he yelled “Don’t give up the ship!” and “Fight her till she sinks!” and finally: “Don’t give up the ship. Blow her up!” No one followed his orders well enough to save the day.

From page 414 of “Six Frigates,” Ian makes this analysis:

It was a strange that these dying words, comprising and order (not obeyed) to commit mass suicide, were subsequently adopted as the Navy’s unofficial motto. They were not the kind of words that were spoken with posterity in mind; they were never intended to be quoted or even remembered. Don’t give up the ship! This was the final, despairing roar of a man who was bleeding to death, a man who had fought gallantly but ineffectually, losing a valuable ship to a 37 man boarding party in an action lasting less than fifteen minutes.

Captain Lawrence died of his wounds from the battle a few days later and was buried with full military honors in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with 6 British naval officers as his pall bearers.

Five ships have been named to honor Captain James Lawrence. The first was the brig serving as Oliver Perry’s flagship on Lake Erie, who was a close friend of James Lawrence and who immortalized the words of Captain Lawrence in our naval history. The second USS LAWRENCE was also a brig in the Navy from 1843 to 1846. DD-8, a 400 ton destroyer, was the third LAWRENCE and saw no significant combat action.

USS LAWRENCE (DD-250) served from 1920 to 1946, with duties as a school ship and coastal patrols along the west coast area.

The most recent USS LAWRENCE (DDG-4) of the CHARLES F ADAMS Class guided missile destroyer class commissioned in 1958 and was decommissioned in 1990. She was a participant in the naval blockade of Cuba in 1962. In 1972-73, LAWRENCE made a deployment to Vietnam to provide gunfire support to the ground forces.And so, some detail of the history of the beginnings of our Navy. The moral of the story? Just because there isn’t an enemy to provide you with the opportunity to practice the battle skills necessary to keep well trained doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work on them as best you can for the day that is coming. Captain Broke is an example to emulate.

Go if you can! The story of an incredible story well told in print and now an opportunity to hear the author discuss it live!

Want the book? Get it here. You can read the first chapter on line, too.

Note:  The NMHS website says the presentation is at 10:30 AM!

From Brad Peniston, the author:

The National Maritime Historical Society has invited me to talk about “No Higher Honor: Saving the Samuel B. Roberts in the Persian Gulf” tomorrow near their New York headquarters.

When: noon, Sat. July 28
Where: The Hendrick Hudson Free Library, 185 Kings Ferry Road, Montrose, N.Y. 10548
— Phone: 914-739-5654
— Google map

The event is open to the public; please come! Brad

If anyone gets the, after action reports need to be published…on your blog, or I’ll gladly put them up here.

While they have the reputation of “Fighting SEABEEs,” they most often are without their rifles in their hands, because they have to man a shovel or the controls of heavy construction equipment. News feed from U.S. Central Command:

U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Edward Miller

NMCB-133 drilling wells, building schools in the Horn of Africa

26 Jul 07
by MC1 Mary Popejoy
CJTF-HOA Public Affairs

The Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion-ONE THIRTY THREE Detachment Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonier have been deployed to the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa area of operation since Feb. 5 performing well drilling operations, school building projects and other quality of life projects throughout East Africa.

Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion ONE THIRTY THREE pour concrete into a concrete pad located inside the expansion area of Camp Lemonier May 15. The concrete pad project is just one of three projects the Seabees are responsible for on Camp Lemonier. The Seabees, more than 130 strong, are currently in Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya providing each community with much-needed assistance to improve the quality of life in each area. Each project the Seabees have taken on aligns with the task force’s mission of preventing conflict, promoting regional stability and protecting coalition interests in order to prevail against extremism. This mission is accomplished by partnering with nations on humanitarian assistance, civic action programs such as school and medical clinic construction and water development projects.
[…]
For Builder 2nd Class Gabriel Kelly, it provides a lot of personal satisfaction being able to build structures in a country such as Africa.

“It is very rewarding to be able to use the skills I have and provide a better way of life for the people who use the facilities in the future,” he said.

According to BU1 (Seabee Combat Warfare) Michael Cadoret, project manager for Camp Lemonier, the end result of each project makes it completely worthwhile.

“The best part of any project is seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces and how happy they are to have a new and improved building for them to use,” he said. “Seeing the effect and impact our projects have on a community make the long hours completely worth it.”

Leaving the community with a good impression of the U.S. military is an important and critical part of every mission.
[…]

From the NMCB-133 Official Navy Website, the “Running Roos” are from the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Mississippi, the home of the Atlantic Fleet Seabees. NMCB 133 is currently on its 2007 deployed to SWA, HOA, Belize, Sae Tome, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Rota. Commanding Officer: CDR Paul J. Odenthal, P.E., CEC, USN.Sounds like a busy bunch. BZ to NMCB-133 for the work they do around the world!

Subscribe to the CENTCOM RSS news feed here.

Current CENTCOM press releases are here.

Can’t find it on the web yet, but the news on radio about 30 minutes ago said the judge decided to award $8M to the 15 families of the USS COLE (DDG-67) casualties in their case against the government of Sudan.

Report said the request was $100M. I’m sure details will be around the MSM/net soon…

Update 7/26/2007: Here’s a story, but not from a “big” MSM outlet. Hmmm…

Corrections: 17 families, not 15 and the original demand was $105M

One day, open trackbacks will actually get some good reading links here. Until then, suffer from my story telling (that’s your cue to link in and get some distracting links to be clicked on…).

I can’t recall the transgression, maybe something like the Quarterdeck not rendering honors to a senior officer driving down the pier, but “we” did something wrong. I don’t recall the details of why my division (OI) was detailed to carry out the “punishment,” but needless to say, it happened.

It seemed that retied ADM Arleigh Burke, USN, was in town and would be spending the day at sea on a greyhound of the fleet. Those familiar with the Norfolk Operating Base (NOB) know the layout and the way to/from sea, and where the fat ships, vs the small, sleek combatants moor. So, on the appointed morning, I assembled my division of operations specialists (OSs) and electronic technicians (ETs) on the spacious flight deck aft (we were port side to, bow in) in two ranks, awaiting the transit to sea of some DD with ADM Burke aboard.

The ship came into view, and others ships south of us could be heard rendering honors on their topside announcing circuits, finally we came to attention, saluted and dropped the salute in accordance with the whistle signals over our speakers.

With ADM Burke safety beyond eye shot, as they headed north up the southern branch of the Elizabeth River towards the Hampton roads area and to sea, I executed a sharp about face in accordance with FM 22-5 and directed my men to face left in my well practiced command voice from just about a year before, having actually marched units around parade fields for three years. They did the left face fine, then I turned right and commanded “Forward, MARCH!” They got this right also.

Picture us now, about 20 sailors in two columns, having been centered on the centerline, now marching towards the starboard side of the flight deck. I watched the approach to the safety nets, gauging when to issue the next order, also from FM 22-5, to avoid an officer induced multiple man overboard situation while in port.

“Column Left, MARCH!” Well, the deck edge was close, and the command was apparently not well practiced. The two columns began to disintegrate, as the front men stopped, and the middle and rear ones kept coming, but allowing for the “stoppage.”

I gave up, and dismissed them. They easily found their way to the watertight door on the side of the helo hanger that led below to berthing.

So much for trying to march sailors.

Marines coming ashore at Agat Beach on Guam July 21st, 1944: A joint operation landed both Army and Marines on two different beach heads, one to the north of Orote Point at Asan, the other to the south at Agat, both on the west coast of the island. The landing forces cut straight across the island to divide the Japanese, then headed north and south to complete the liberation. From the 60th Anniversary Celebration website, a little background:

[..]
The first European ship to arrive here was under the command of Ferdinand Magellan, who discovered the island of Guam and this quiet bay in 1521.

His arrival led to Spanish colonial rule, which lasted until 1898. At the end of the Spanish-American War, Guam – along with Puerto Rico and the Philippines – became an American territory.

During the Spanish period, a small village emerged along the bay, and today Umatac remains a serene community accented by the spire of the local church honoring San Dionisio. Nearby is the Magellan Memorial, commemorating the discovery that changed the course of Guam’s history.

The island’s first inhabitants were the Chamorros, expert navigators and adventurous seafarers who had left Southeast Asia and crossed the sea in open canoes. No one is certain exactly when the Chamorros arrived on Guam, but scientists estimate their first landfall to have been about 5,000 years ago.

From Magellan’s arrival until today, Guam’s location in the Western Pacific has made it strategically important. Part of the Marianas group, it lies 3,800 miles west of Hawaii and 1,500 miles south of Japan. From north to south, the island measures about 32 miles in length four to eight miles in width.

Guam’s strategic importance was dramatized on December 10, 1941 – just after Pearl Harbor – when Japanese forces overpowered the U.S. garrison and took control of the island.

It remained under Japanese occupation until July 21, 1944, when U.S. Marines and Army troops, supported by Navy and Coast Guard vessels, carrier-based aircraft and special units such as the Navy Seabees, began the battle to liberate the island.
[…]
When organized resistance was declared at an end by U.S. military commanders on August 10, the operation had resulted in nearly 7,400 U.S. casualties, of which almost 1,800 were killed.

Runways were built as soon as the island was liberated, and almost immediately long-range B-29 bombers were taking the war directly to the Japanese homeland.
[…]

Some extra details come from the 50th Anniversary website:

The Liberation
The American air raid on February 23, 1944, signaled the return of the Americans on Guam.1 [a number at end of sentence refers to the endnotes] This sign was what the Guamanians had been waiting for. The Japanese Americans, but the Japanese insisted to the Guamanians that the Americans would not come back. The Japanese also told the Guamanians that the Japanese were actually winning the war. July 21, 1944 marks the day the liberation forces landed on Asan and Agat beaches to free Guam from the more than two years of Japanese occupation. Three hundred planes dropped 124 tons of bombs over the 14-mile coastline from Agana to Bangi Point. 2 The island was burning from one end to the other, and the flames were non-stop. The invasion of Guam was the most symbolic step yet taken in the Central Pacific campaign up to this date; it was also the largest land they had yet set out to conquer. 3 Guam’s recapture was significant because it would return an important possession to American hands and provide a forward supply base for future operations in the Pacific.4 The Americans also felt a moral obligation because of their earlier hold on Guam and the Guamanian loyalty towards them.
[…]

Of note on the 50th Anniversary website is a discussion of the half century plus disagreement over the control of Guamanian land. It has been an important issue all these years, and I’m sure hasn’t been completely resolved.

Four men won the Congressional Medal of Honor in this operation:

• Pfc LEONARD MASON, USMCR
• Pfc FRANK PETER WITEK, USMC
• Pfc LUTHER SKAGGS, JR., USMCR
• Captain LOUIS HUGH WILSON, JR., USMC

The “Liberation – Guam Remembers” website has some very compact, yet interesting items, discussing the occupation life, and the liberation/post-liberation people and situations on Guam. One of the historical “nuggets” of information I just gleaned was that Guam was the site of the War Crimes trials.

One of the long standing stories of surviving behind enemy lines is that of RM1 George Tweed, USN, who escaped the Japanese wand was safeguarded, with much danger to, the Guamanian people, who heroically sheltered him until he was rescued by the USS McCall on July 10th, 1944. “Robinson Crusoe, U.S.N.” is George’s autobiographical report of his time avoiding captivity.

I spent 3 1/2 years on Guam. I have dived off the beaches, found left over artifacts of the battles, including some live ordnance (the largest being an 8″ projectile laying in the jungle laying on a slope on the perimeter of the Orote Point airfield while on a Boy Scout camp out), and hiked the interior of the island. The island has become an even more prominent base in our strategic siting of military power since the closing of the US Bases in the Philippines. My post from yesterday describes my conflicted view of this day in history as a result.

Guam – Where America’s day begins, was witnessing a new beginning this day in 1944.