Posted on 10/31/2018 1:55:32 PM PDT by iowamark
Some would say that the USS Panay was the first US ship lost in WWII.
Tom Clancy used the name “USS Reuben James” in his book “Red Storm Rising”...
The Sinking Of The Reuben James
Words and Music by Woody Guthrie
Have you heard of a ship called the good Reuben James
Manned by hard fighting men both of honor and fame?
She flew the Stars and Stripes of the land of the free
But tonight she’s in her grave at the bottom of the sea.
Tell me what were their names, tell me what were their names,
Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?
What were their names, tell me, what were their names?
Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James
Well, a hundred men went down in that dark watery grave
When that good ship went down only forty-four were saved.
‘Twas the last day of October we saved the forty-four
From the cold ocean waters and the cold icy shore.
It was there in the dark of that uncertain night
That we watched for the U-boats and waited for a fight.
Then a whine and a rock and a great explosion roared
And they laid the Reuben James on that cold ocean floor.
Now tonight there are lights in our country so bright
In the farms and in the cities they’re telling of the fight.
And now our mighty battleships will steam the bounding main
And remember the name of that good Reuben James.
I had not thought about it but the Panay was the first.
USS Reuben James was a brand new OHP Class FFG when RSR was published. She had one of the fleet's best nicknames, the "Rubber Jimmie". She decomm'd about 5 years ago.
Didn’t Reuben James save a captain or maybe and admiral’s life?
Off North Africa?
I would agree. The USS Panay was attacked by Japan in a unquestioned act of aggression. Sort of like what happened in 1941.
Germany attacked the Soviet Union in June, 1941. Woody Guthrie was very motivated to help the Soviet Union by convincing the US to join the war. Before this, the Communists worked to keep American out of the war.
US Communists and fellow travelers went from isolationists to interventionists after the USSR was attacked in June 1941.
During the expedition against the Barbary Pirates, there was hand to hand fighting and an officer was about to be slashed with a sword or a scimitar or something.
Reuben James put himself between the sword and the officer and died saving his life.
Seems like a Marine I once worked with told me this story as he was taught it in boot camp, so I'm sure someone will come along momentarily to refresh my memory.
I once years ago got banned from FR for posting the painting of Reuben James saving Lt. Stephen Decatur’s life, while Decatur was in the process of blowing the head off of a Barbary pirate. Boy have times ever changed.
He was supposed to have saved Lt. Stephen Decatur in a fight off Tripoli in 1804 (some say it was Daniel Frazier, who was treated for a head wound while James was not).
The slang term "Leatherneck" is supposed to come from a heavy leather collar the Marines wore to prevent throat cuts during that war.
Like Dalton Trumbo who wrote about the horrors of war through a quad amputee in Johnny Got His Gun, but then said, "eh, never mind" when Uncle Joe got his nuts in a wringer.
Admiral Doenitz’ U-Boats nearly accomplished what Herman Goering’s Luftwaffe did not: bring England to her knees.
My late wife’s Great Uncle grew up with Woody and went to the same high school.
At a family reunion someone asked him what he thought of Guthrie. He thought for just a few seconds and said. “He was just plain sorry”.
Thanks.
I listened to it and came away thinking, "This guy sure thought a lot of himself..."
His kid didn't turn out much different. JMHO.
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