Thanks for that link on your uncle’s experience. They could have made an exciting movie just on his story of survival. Unbelievable!
His daughter wrote:
Hi Paul, Thank you for all of the work you have done to assure these heroes be remembered. It has been huge task, I'm sure, and please know how tremendously your efforts are appreciated. I have attached a photo [above]of my mother and father taken in Nov 1941. The photo was taken on the farm in Connecticut where she was born and raised. She and dad were married in march of 1942 and moved to California in 1950 after the Port Chicago, CA disastrous explosion. Dad taught classes to Navy personnel there and they decided to settle here and raised 5 children. He died of leukemia in Dec 1981 and mom will be 85 this June. His remains were cremated and sprinkled at sea as he wished. He said he wanted to rest with his buddies and "maybe kick the sh_ _ out of some sharks". Gratefully, Dona Hartney