Have you ever been hopeless? Whether for a few minutes, or for maybe years on end, consider how you might feel when you awake missing the ability to function in life easily…it’s time to make a change in the lives that are there now.

The competition continues. BUT: It’s not so much a competition, as an opportunity to affect the lives of people who still can talk, but have been disabled in a such a way as to not be able to poke at a keyboard like so many of us can.

Would I like the Navy/Coast Guard Team to come out on top? Yep. So I ask you to consider chipping in a few bucks. Can you skip a cup of Starbucks over-caffeinated coffee today and put that 4 some dollars (heck, just round it to $5!) in the kitty to help someone keep in touch with family and friends, as well as to be a capable worker when they show up to be employed in the civilian sector?

At the end of the day (or the competition, in this case), it’s not about the Navy?Coast Guard bloggers getting bragging rights, it’s about men and women, who see a person walk into their room in the hospital and give them something to get them re-connected with life. Donate to some team, or no team, just donate.

Your contribution has the real possiblity of completely changing the course of some people’s lives, and not only the wounded ones, but those lives the are connected to: spouses, children, mothers, fathers, grandparents, etc, etc, etc. You get my “drift.” You are dispensing more than your hard earned bucks with the click of the mouse or the mailing of a check: You are donating HOPE!

Besides being able to just know your contribution did that, you might even find something on the auction block that is to your liking, particularly if it’s able to be personalized to you. Check the auction page out for details.

Also, up on eBay, there are some Vince Flynn books up to help the cause. If you win, they are autographed with your message!

And for the other teams:

Navy/CG came out of nowhere (well, to be factual, dead last) last year and overnight smoked across the finish line…don’t forget it…

First off, big time H/T to Mike the EE, who pointed me to the gouge for this post. Thanks, Mike!

Other news: Eagle1’s Sunday Ship History about making ships invisible…good read!

No pictures of this man, but his name is Lewis Heermann. Born in Germany August 3rd, 1779, he later ended up in the United States, and being commissioned as a Surgeon’s Mate in the newly formed US Navy on Feb 2nd, 1802. I would assume, that meant what we would refer to as a Physician’s Assistants today. I derived this from Section II of An Act to Provide a Naval Armament, March 18, 1794.

Below this point, there are edits. I wrote this this morning, using the net as the prime (ok, only) reference. It seems Lewis Heermann, besides being in a very famous naval battle across the sea from our shores, he also kept a journal that was used by Ian Toll in “Six Frigates, ” to fill in some details of the recapture and burning of the PHILADELPHIA.

What’ is Lewis Heermann’s claim to the US Navy’s history? He accompanied one Stephen Decatur to the vicinity of the harbor at Tripoli on Feb 16th, 1804, on the mission to burn the USS PHILADELPHIA, before that captured ship could be refitted and used by the Barbary Pirates. While Decatur and other sailors entered the harbor to actually recapture boarded the PHILADELPHIA, Heermann was left in command of the bomb ketch INTREPID, which was one of several the bomb ketches there in support of the operation that had slipped into the harbor with the boarding party, pretending to be a merchant. Quite an honor for a medical service corps officer to be put in command!

From Ian’s excellent documentary:

[…]
Catalano lost his nerve and shouted to Decatur to give the order to board. The lieutenant, seeing there was still a gap between the vessels, answered firmely: “No order to be obeyed but that of the Commanding Officer.” The crew restrained themselves for a few critical seconds as the INTREPID drifted closer. The guards seemed confused – some shouted that it was a trick, but others remained uncertain.When the ketch was directly alongside, just under the PHILDELPHIA’s forechains, Decatur shouted: “Board!”

“The effect was truly electric,” Surgeon’s Mate Lewsi Heermann later recalled. Not a man had been seen or heard tobreathe a moment before; at the next they hung on the ship’s side like cluster bees; and, in another instant, every man was aboard the frigate.”
[…]

After his service time in the Barbary Wars, Lewis Heermann took some time off to travel in Europe, but in 1808, returned and lobbied for better medical care for the sailors. His work resulted in Congress authorizing the construction of Naval Hospitals on several Naval Stations.

He later served in several posts in the Navy, including as the Fleet Surgeon to the Mediterranean Squadron in the 1830 time frame.

Lewis Heerman died in 1833.

One ship has been named in honor of Lewis Heermann: USS HEERMANN (DD-532) or the FLETCHER Class destroyers.from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships:

Heermann (DD-532) was launched 5 December 1942 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co. of San Francisco; sponsored by Mrs. Edward B. Briggs, wife of Lt. E. B. Briggs, USCGR, great grandson of the namesake; and commissioned 6 July 1943, Cmdr. Dwight M. Agnew, USN, in command.

After shakedown training out of San Diego, Heermann joined the 5th Fleet 21 October 1943 for the assault on the Gilbert Islands, the second major offensive thrust in the Navy’s conquest of Japan’s far-flung Pacific empire. She arrived off Tarawa in Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill’s Southern Attack Force 20 November. Her guns sank a small enemy craft inside the lagoon and the next 2 days powerfully assisted troops ashore with close-in fire support. With the island secured, she returned to Pearl Harbor for voyage repairs and training which ended 23 January when she sailed in the screen of an attack transport reserve force. The ships steamed east of Kwajalein while Rear Admiral Turner’s Joint Expeditionary Force landed on that atoll 31 January. In the ensuing 2 weeks Heermann patrolled off Kwajalein and operated in the screen of escort carriers which were launching strikes in support of troops ashore. Then she steamed to Eniwetok Atoll where she joined in the preinvasion bombardment of Japan and Parry Islands, gave close fire support to the troops once they were ashore, and then patrolled off the atoll during mop-up operations.

Heermann set course first for Majuro Lagoon and then Purvis Bay, Florida Island, Solomons and reported to Commander 3d Fleet and Task Force 39, 18 March 1944. For the next month she divided her time between protecting troop and resupply convoys which were occupying Emirau Island and hunting enemy supply barges along the coast of New Hanover.

Back in Port Purvis 3 June, Heermann participated in the bombardment of a tank farm on Fangelawa Bay, New Ireland, 11 June, and then searched for submarines along sealanes leading from the Solomons towards the Admiralties, the Carolines, and the Marshall Islands until 26 June. The summer of 1944 found Heermann busy escorting Navy and Merchant shipping to rendezvous where they joined convoys bound for various ports. This duty took her to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands and Noumea, New Caledonia Island.

Heermann cleared Port Purvis 6 September 1944 with Rear Admiral William D. Sample’s escort carrier force that provided air support during the invasion of the Palau Islands. After replenishing at Seeadler Harbor, Admiralty Islands, she sortied 12 October 1944 with a fire support group for the liberation of the Philippine Islands.
[…]

Sometime in this period, CDR Amos Hathaway, USN, assumed command of HEERMANN. Some details of this man’s actions are in a prior post here.

[…]Heermann screened transports and landing ships safely to the beaches of Leyte and then joined Rear Admiral Thomas L. Sprague’s Escort Carrier Group (Task Group 77.4) which was made up of three escort carrier task units, known as the “Three Taffies” because of their voice calls: “Taffy 1”, “Taffy 2”, and “Taffy 3”. Destroyers Hoel and Johnston joined her in screening Rear Admiral Clifton A. P. Sprague’s unit, “Taffy 3” which also included his flagship F.anshaw Bay (CVE-70) and three other escort carriers.

Dawn of 25 October 1944 found “Taffy 3” east of Samar steaming north as the -Northern Air Support Group. “Taffy 2” was in the central position patrolling off the entrance to Leyte Gulf, and “Taffy 1” covered the Southern approaches to the Gulf some 130 miles to the southeast of Heermann’s “Taffy 3”. At 0645 “Taffy 3’s” lookouts observed antiaircraft fire to the northward and within 3 minutes, were under heavy fire from Japanese Admiral Kurita’s powerful Center Force of four battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, and 11 destroyers. The battle off Samar was thus joined.

The only chance for survival of the little group of light American ships lay in slowing the advances of the enemy warships while withdrawing toward Leyte Gulf and hoped-for assistance. The carriers promptly launched their planes to attack the Japanese vessels, and the escorts promptly set to work generating smoke to hide the American ships.

Heermann, in a position of comparative safety on the disengaged side of the carriers at the start of the fight, steamed into the action at flank speed through the formation of “baby flattops” who, after launching their last planes, formed a rough circle as they turned toward Leyte Gulf. Since smoke and intermittent rain squalls had reduced visibility to less than 100 yards, it took alert and skillful seamanship to avoid colliding with friendly ships during the dash to battle. She backed emergency full to avoid destroyer escort Samuel B. Roberts and repeated the maneuver to miss destroyer Hoel as Heermann formed column on the screen flagship in preparation for a torpedo attack.

As she began the run, dye from enemy shells daubed the water nearby with circles of brilliant red, yellow, and green. Heermann replied to this challenge by pumping her 5-inch shells at one heavy cruiser, Chikuma, as she directed seven torpedoes at another, Haguro. When the second of these “fish” had left the tube, Heermann changed course to engage a column of four battleships whose shells began churning the water nearby. She trained her guns on Kongo, the column’s leader, at whom she launched three torpedoes. Then she quickly closed Haruna, the target of her last three torpedoes, which were launched from only 4,400 yards. Believing that one of the “fish” had hit the battleship, she nimbly dodged the salvoes which splashed in her wake as she retired. Japanese records claim that the battleship successfully evaded all of Heermann’s torpedoes, but they were slowed down in their pursuit of the American carriers. The giant, Yamato, with her monstrous 18.1-inch guns, was even forced out of the action altogether when, caught between two spreads, she reversed course for almost 10 minutes to escape being hit.

Heermann sped to the starboard quarter of the carrier formation to lay more concealing smoke and then charged back into the fight a few minutes later, placing herself boldly between the escort carriers and the column of four enemy heavy cruisers. Here she engaged Japanese cruiser Chikuma in a duel Which seriously damaged both ships. A series of 8-inch hits flooded the forward part of the plucky destroyer, pulling her bow down so far that her anchors were dragging in the water. One of her guns was knocked out but the others continued to pour a deadly stream of 5-inch shells at the cruiser, which also carne under heavy air attack during the engagement. The combined effect of Heermann’s guns and the bombs, torpedoes, and strafing from carrier-based planes was too much for Chikuma who tried to withdraw but sank during her flight.

As Chikuma turned away, heavy cruiser Tone turned her guns on Heermann who replied shell for shell until she reached a position suitable to resume laying smoke for the carriers. At this point plants from Admiral Stump’s “Taffy 2” swooped in to sting Tone so severely that she too broke off action and fled. The courageous attacks of the destroyers and aircraft thus saved the outgunned task groups.

Heermann retired to Kossol Passage for temporary repairs before getting underway for Mare Island and overhaul which was completed 15 January 1945. She then returned to the Western Pacific to join fast carrier task forces in raids against the Japanese mainland which helped to demoralize the Japanese people and to prepare them for surrender. During the fighting to take Iwo Jima, Heermann supported operations ashore by radar and antisubmarine picket duty. On 20 March 1945 she sank a small surface vessel and rescued seven of her crew after she went down. Seven days later she took part in the night bombardment of Minamo Daito Jima. During the Okinawa campaign she took several enemy planes under fire as she guarded carriers which provided air support for troops ashore. On 18 April wifih the assistance destroyers Mertz, MoCord, Collett, and Uhlmann and planes from aircraft carrier Bataan, Heermann sank Japanese submarine 1-56, a carrier of the dreaded “kaitens”, human-guided suicide torpedoes. She continued to support carrier operations off Okinawa until retiring to Leyte Gulf for replenishment and voyage repairs late in June. On 1 July she helped to screen the fast carrier force which devoted the ensuing 5 weeks to almost continuous air strikes and bombardment.

On 15 August 1945 Heermann was on radar picket station some 200 miles southeast of Tokyo when, several hours after the announcement of the end of hostilities, a suicide plane emerged from a cloud bank and began to dive in Heermann’s direction only to be splashed by the destroyer’s alert gunners in one of the final naval actions of World War II. In the following weeks Heermann operated in the screen of the fast carrier task force providing air cover and air^sea rescue service while General MacArthur and Admiral Nimitz were preparing to occupy Japan. She entered Tokyo Bay 16 September 1945 and remained in the area to support the occupation forces until 7 October when she sailed for the United States. She decommissioned at San Diego 12 June 1946.

Heermann remained in reserve at San Diego until re-commissioning 12 September 1951. After training in local waters and upkeep in San Francisco, she departed San Diego 4 January 1952 for her new base, Newport, R.I., where she arrived 23 January. She spent the year 1952 training in waters stretching from the New England coast to the Virginia Capes, followed by intensive antisubmarine warfare and fleet problems during winter cruising in the Caribbean. She returned to Newport to resume operation along the Northeastern seaboard. After a voyage to Plymouth, England, in June and July 1953, she participated in antisubmarine manuvers between Newport and the Virginia capes.

Heermann departed on a world cruise 3 December 1953. First she sailed for Tokosuka, Japan, by way of the Panama Canal, San Diego, and the Hawaiian Islands. After a 2-day replenishment in Tokosuka, she set course for Okinawa where she acted as part of the escort for 3d Marine Division amphibious warfare landings and conducted barrier patrol in support of the exercise. After more maneuvers took her to Korea, Iwo Jima, and the South Coast of Japan, she returned to Yokosuka which she cleared 22 May 1954 to resume her world cruise, calling at Hong Kong and Singapore on her way to the Suez Canal. In the Mediterranean she visited Port Said, Naples, Villa Franche, and Barcelona before returning to Newport 17 July 1954.

For the next year and a half Heermann participated in training exercises along the Atlantic coast. On 1 February She sailed to join the 6th Fleet in exercises along the coast of Lebanon, Israel and Egypt. In April she was invited by Prince Ranier to be in port for his wedding to Miss Grace Kelly 19-24 April 1956. She furnished a 40-man honor guard for the occasion. From Monaco she joined the 6th Fleet off Greece, and then departed for Fall River, Mass., where she arrived 28 May 1956. Heermann operated out of Newport until 6 November when she sailed for the Mediterranean where she proved to be a first-rate antisubmarine ship in joint exercises with the Italian Navy. After revisiting Monaco at the invitation of Prince Ranier and Princess Grace, she returned to Fall River 20 February 1957. She served as gunnery school-ship out of Newport until 30 June when she joined Badger in the screen of antisubmarine warfare carrier Leyte for 2 weeks of air operations for the training of Academy midshipmen. She decommissioned at Boston 20 December 1957 and was assigned to the Boston Group of the U.S. Atlantic Reserve Fleet. On 14 August 1961 she was transferred on a loan basis to the government of Argentina under terms of the Military Assistance Program. She serves in the Argentine Navy under the name Brown (D-20).

In addition to the Presidential Unit Citation, Heermann received the Philippine Republic Unit Citation Badge and nine battle stars for World War II service.

One one level, it’s a cheap way for the Navy to horn in on the USAF contract for the purchase of the F-22 Raptor airframe.

At another level, it shows a disconnect between society and the understanding of our military.

But…its’ sorta like being able to “zap” an AF jet with the bad manners and planning to land on a Naval location, only we’re imprinting the youth of America with the right model of the real aviators!

Don’t even think about it, Navy/Coast Guard team!

This weekend is to do the work the big bloggers (John, Matt, Jimbo and Mrs G) won’t do – taking it to the streets.

They must just sit about, sipping coffee drinks with odd names, dreaming of victory (except for Mrs G, who might have not had her coffee and has fallen asleep at the wheel, like John the Zoomie did last year).

So, find some brew that appears to resemble the mid-watch coffee, get a full mug (borrow one from your CPO’s Mess is you’ve lost yours) and hit the bricks. Talk ValOUR-IT up something fierce, get them to nod and say (using the “repeat back” method of reinforcement): “I will go home, log on the net and contribute to our wounded service members, via the Navy/Coast Guard team.” Make them say it, without errors, three times in a row (it’s a memory thing) before you let them out of your vicinity.

Bring it home for Navy/Coast Guard!

End note: No “complaining” and whining. Get on with it. You know you’ll feel better when Monday’s number show it’s worth your effort…

Tracked back @: Steeljaw Scribe

Evidence here.

In the ‘Shoe Navy, we say “back in battery.”

Good to have the master tale spinner back at it…

Load up the comments with trackbacks….if you dare….

I have to admit, I spent most of my time in the Navy insulated from serving with women at sea. Ashore, they were still “GURLS” (General UnRestricted Line officerS), I didn’t look upon them as even Staff Corps types, since we took Supply Officers and docters to sea with us.

As the “economies” of the mid-90s were settling in, my command, the Combat Systems Mobile Training Team was directed to figure out the merge of ourselves and the Fleet Training Unit that essentially did the same thing we did. It made sense and it wasn’t too much of putting round pegs in square holes.

Off we went, us not the top leadership types, to draw and erase on the dry erase board, until we cobbled together the new organization, which would fulfill the missions of the two units.

At CSMTT, we had a few female sailors, both Yeomen, so they handled admin tasks. FTU, on the other hand, hand a number of females, to include, as I recall, two officers…one listed as the XO, the other in charge of the computer stuff.

LCDR Kathy Hobbs was a “mustang” and the XO. Looked good on her GURL record, being the #1 and all, but we had 5 O-5s as department heads, and a 6th as the Assistant OIC. The discussion went to how to put Kathy in a billet title that wouldn’t appear like she got some demotion. We finally decided, in the Combat Systems Training Group organization to put her into the XO job, recognizing she would be the one to handle the macro and micro administration, which, for the massive travelling we did, not small task, yet we would also know, she wasn’t our “Second in Command” in any sense.

The merge happened, the FTU personnel moved into our building and we shuffled about, grudgingly, but because it was the order of the day, we smiled somehow.

I will also admit, I was tersely polite to Kathy when I had to talk to her, but much of my time was spent on the the road/aboard ship, so the interaction didn’t occur often.

Then one day, OSCM(SW) Dave Roddy came to me to tell me he had been out having a cigarette, and LCDR Hobbs had, during her transit between buildings, commented “So this is how my tax dollars are spent!” Dave was, a little miffed. Dave was one of those E-9s you had to tell to go home, and sometimes drag off the ship we were working so we could catch our lift back to home plate. The taxpayer way underpaid Dave Roddy in any case, but Kathy didn’t know that.

Maybe a week of so later, as a few of us were “brainstorming” (no, really, we did it all the time!) in LT Russ Wyckoff’s office (he had a couch his wife told him to get rid of), three of us on the sofa, feet on the edge of Russ’ navy issue metal office desk, were greeted by LCDR Hobbs stopping n the door and saying (you guessed it): “So this is how my tax dollars are being spent!”

I, moving only my head to look her direction said: “LCDR Hobbs, you’re new here. It might be good if you went out on a CSA (Combat Systems Assessment) with us sometime, so you could see what we do. It would help you a lot when you have to answer the questions on the phone when we’re on the road.”

Yes, I was baiting her. The response, without her missing a beat,,,,that will come next Wednesday! Come back then for another installment in this series…

Place holder until the dust of getting the ValOUR-IT program moving.

I was planning on covering the USS HEERMAN (DD-532), but there isn’t any easy answers on the ‘net as to who she was named for.

Check back later today, and I should have some gouge up for Naval History’s sake come early evening.

It’s later…later than I’d like, but here it is:

Born in 1910 in Tacoma, Washington, Rear Admiral Robert Copeland, USNR, was one of many reservists who played a critical role in WWII. At the time he was needed to step up to the plate, he was a Lieutenant Commander.  Enlisting in the Naval Reserves in 1929, he was commissioned in 1935, and served in a reserve status until he was called to active duty in 1940 as part of the military buildup. A lawyer by professional trade, he was a captain of a destroyer escort on Oct 25th, 1944, present at the Battle Off Samar. That ship has become a storied one: USS SAMUEL B ROBERTS (DE-413).

From James Hornfischer’s excellent and throughly researched book, “Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors:”

“This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.”

LCDR Copeland said to his crew and then turned his ship into harm’s way to face off against the most formidable Japanese fighting force to sail, as part of Taffy 3, he and his crew’s actions are legendary and earned LCDR Copeland the Navy Cross. Taking three 14″ hits from Japanese battleship rounds, the ROBERTS was severely damaged. His gun crews continued firing, even without hydraulics and gas ejection air, expending almost every single 5″ round they carried, regardless of the type of projectile it was.

He wrote a book about his ship, “The Spirit of the Sammie B,” along with his shipmate, Jack O’Neill.

After the war, Robert Copeland returned to his legal profession, but also remained in the Naval Reserves, rising to the rank of Rear Admiral. He passed away in 1973, in the same city where he was born.

One ship has served the US Navy named for RADM Copeland: USS COPELAND (FFG-25) of the OLIVER HAZARD PERRY Class of guided missile frigates.

Built by the Todd Shipyard at San Pedro, CA and commissioned August 7th, 1982. I helped train her combat systems team during their pre-comm training at Fleet Combat Training Center, Atlantic.  She was homeported in San Diego for her entire service time. Decommissioned September 18th, 1996, she was immediately transferred to the Egyptian Navy, renamed Mubarak (F 911).

Time to review the checklists and then get some shut eye before the Mid-Watch tonight.

Review your email program contact lists…check all the commenters on your blog (extract their email addy), and shuffle through that pile of business cards in your desk drawer.

H-Hour is 290001 OCT 2007. $60K for the Navy/Coast Guard, but…$240K is the end game

The link to join a team, and/or to donate has been put up by the ever hard working Holly Aho, and assisted by Rusty Bill.

Grab your widgets and edit them into your site. Run out the guns and be prepared for a spirited run against the “other” forces. They have Chuck Z out at Las Vegas, banging the drum and you can bet he won’t tell the audience about any donate button besides the one for the Army. Mostly rude on his part, but…it’s all about the competition from now until midnite on the 11 of November.

The V-IT bulletin board is warming up and more players registering there. FbL has posted lots of general and specific info there, plus it’s a place to take potshots at the other teams/bloggers, as well.

Let’s ROLL!

Posting, sadly, may be light, but hopefully not “lit,” for the next time span undetermined.

Fires, you know…are not just bad for pilots while airborne…

Note: Don’t forget to go back in time (one day, anyhow) to catch Eagle1’s Sinking of the Albermarle Sunday Ship History entry.

Attack on Island Nr 10I can’t find a picture of him, yet two ships have gone to sea for our Navy to honor him: LT John Vincent Johnston:

ohn Vincent Johnston of Cincinnati, Ohio, entered the United States Navy in September 1861 as First Master in gunboat St. Louis. He assisted in the Union gunboat attacks that captured strategic Fort Henry on the Tennessee River 6 February 1862. The night of 1 April 1862 he was the Navy commander of a combined Army-Navy boat expedition from St. Louis, Missouri which landed and spiked the guns of Fort No. 1 above the Confederate stronghold, Island No. 10. He was promoted to Acting Volunteer Lieutenant for gallantry in this expedition. After joining in the bombardments of Vicksburg, Miss., he took command of Forest Rose to patrol the Mississippi River and its tributaries. On 15 February 1864 his gunboat repelled the attack of confederate raiders, saving the town of Waterproof, La., and its federal garrison. Lt. Johnston resigned from the naval service 23 June 1864 and died 23 April 1912 at St. Louis, Mo.

The first ship named in LT Johnston’s honor was DD-557, a unit of the FLETCHER Class. Commissioned in Seattle, WA on Oct 27th, 1943, he commissioning skipper, LCDR Earnest Evans said this:

“This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go in harm’s way, and anyone who doesn’t want to go along had better get off right now.”

She was. Her lifespan was was one year and two days, but left a mark the most significant battle fought by the US Navy.

Enroute this day with destiny, the USS JOHNSTON (DD-557) got right into the thick of things. From the Ship’s Wikipedia entry:

During the Marshall Islands campaign 3 months later, Johnston bombarded the beaches at Kwajalein 1 February 1944, and made a 5-day bombardment of Eniwetok 17–22 February. She gave direct support to invasion troops there, destroying several pillboxes and taking revetments along the beach under fire. En route to patrol duty in the Solomons 28 March 1944, she bombarded Kapingamarangi Atoll in the Carolines. An observation tower, several blockhouses, pillboxes and dugouts along the beach were shelled. Two days later she came into the mouth of the Maririca River, southeast of Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, Solomon Islands. After laying a heavy barrage into that area, she took up antisubmarine patrol off Bougainville. During this duty 15 May 1944, she depth charged and sank the Japanese submarine I-176.

After 3 months of patrol in the Solomons, Johnston sailed to the Marshall Islands to prepare for the invasion and capture of Guam in the Marianas. On 21 July 1944 she teamed up with that Pearl Harbor “ghost”, the battleship Pennsylvania, to bombard Guam. The destroyer had sent in more than 4,000 rounds of shells by 29 July. Her accurate gunfire shattered the enemy 4 inch battery installations, numerous pillboxes and buildings. Johnston next helped protect escort carriers providing air support for the invasion and capture of the Palau Islands.

Following those operations, USS JOHNSTON prepared to support the landing at Leyte Gulf of Genearl MacArthur.

On Oct 25th, 1944, the USS JOHNSTON (DD-557), as part of the “Taffy 3” task force, would make her indelible mark on history:

For the first 20 minutes, Johnston was helpless as the enemy cruisers and battleships had her in range. But the destroyer’s 5 inch guns could not yet reach them. Not waiting for orders, Commander Ernest E. Evans breaks defensive formation, and goes on the offensive by ordering Johnston to speed directly towards the enemy—first a line of seven destroyers, next one light and three heavy cruisers, then the four battleships. To the east appeared three other cruisers and several destroyers. Amazingly, the enemy gunners could not score a hit on Johnston.

And from the Battle off Samar entry:

Concerned about the splashes of incoming fire, Lieutenant Commander Ernest E. Evans, skipper of the destroyer USS Johnston, which was the closest to the attackers, suddenly took the initiative to order his ship to “flank speed, full left rudder,” ordering Johnston to directly attack the greatly superior oncoming Japanese ships on his own in what would appear to be a suicidal mission.

The Johnston was a relatively small and unarmored destroyer, completely unequipped to fight Japanese battleships and cruisers. Designed to fight other destroyers and torpedo boats, she was armed with only five 5 inch (127 mm) guns and multiple anti-aircraft weapons which were ineffective against an armored battleship. Only the Johnston’s 10 Mark-15 torpedoes could be effective, but they had to be launched well within range of enemy gunfire.

Weaving to avoid shells, and steering towards splashes, the Johnston approached the Japanese heavy cruiser Kumano for a torpedo run. When Johnston was 10 miles (17 km) from Kumano, her 5 inch (127 mm) guns rained shells on Kumano’s bridge and deck (where they could do some damage – the shells would simply bounce off the enemy ship’s armored hull). Johnston closed to within torpedo range and fired a salvo, which blew the bow off the cruiser squadron flagship Kumano and also took the cruiser Suzuya out of the fight as she stopped to assist.

From seven miles (11 km) away, the battleship Kongo sent a 14 inch shell through the Johnston’s deck and engine room. Johnston’s speed was cut in half to only 14 knots (26 km/h), while the aft gun turrets lost all electrical power. Then three 6-inch shells, possibly from Yamato’s secondary batteries, struck Johnston’s bridge, killing many and wounding Comdr. Evans. The bridge was abandoned, and Evans steered the ship from the aft steering column. Evans nursed his ship back towards the fleet, when he saw the other destroyers attacking as well. Emboldened by the Johnston’s attack, Sprague gave the order “small boys attack”, sending the rest of Taffy 3’s destroyers on the assault. Even in her heavily damaged state, damage-control teams restored power to 2 of the 3 aft turrets, and Evans turned the Johnston around and re-entered the fight.

At the end of the morning, the USS JOHNSTON was lost, but the Japanese knew they had had a worthy opponent in LCDR Evans and his crew. The ship received a Presidential Unit Citation and six battle stars in her short time at sea.

The second ship to be named for Lt Johnston was the USS JOHNSTON (DD-821) of the GEARING Class. She was commissioned in Aug, 1946. This USS JOHNSTON served in the Atlantic Fleet, and was strkien from US Navy records in 1981 and finally transferred to the Republic of China’s Navy.