Posted on 03/28/2006 4:33:56 PM PST by LS
Freepers,
I need some first-hand info from someone who has served in WW II, or shortly thereafter (say, up to 1950) in the Navy, preferably aboard a carrier or as a pilot. I need detail that will be hard to find in most typical history books.
Depending on the level of information provided, I not only will be willing to give a cover "contributing editor" credit, but would consider cutting the person in for a share of the royalties.
contact your local/state? VFW
Give me some time and I will find a first hand account from a survivor of Pearl Harbor. It appeared on a small town web site and the man was my neighbor when I was growing up. As far as I know he is still living. His account of his activities is fascinating and includes his naval service after Pearl Harbor as well.
I'll find it and get back with you.
It's not particullary well written but is factual and as I said, fascinating.
Bookmarking thread.
Tonk, would you ping this out please? Thanks!
The person I referred to lives in south east Missouri.
One of my great uncles who is still alive served in the Navy during WWII. He's from Illinois (though he may be living with a son in Missouri). I'm bookmarking and will let you know.
One of particular interest which I would be willing to transcribe for you (if I don't have to reread every letter) is dated May 1941 where a sailor writes about painting the ship black (can't understand why), and going out on night maneuvers with the lights out from Pearl Harbor.
Too bad you didn't do this sooner. My FIL just passed away in January, he was a Marine pilot, but he was attached to the Navy in WWII and Korea.
susie
The man I referred to is dead now but the interview can be found at:
http://www.cityofmorehouse.com/Paul_Sherrard.htm
At the bottom it says that it is to be continued and I will see if I can find the continuation.
My fondest memory of this great guy was when I was about 10 years old, he was at my house sitting and chatting with my father and my pet parakete landed on his head. Paul didn't shoo him away and I tried to warn him - too late, Pete the parakete took a dump right on his bald head. Nobody laughed harder than Paul about it.
#9 was meant to be addressed to you.
My great uncle - one of several brothers who served in War II but the only one of the veterans of that war still living - did serve in the Navy on an oiler in the Pacific.
He's got all his senses about him and when I saw him two years ago had a good memory.
If you're interested I can ask if he'd be interested in talking to you. Just let me know.
Thanks, though.
That could be a problem but not impossible. About three years ago, I found one of the men who wrote a set of letters in a suburb of Chicago and called him. He was the one who wrote from the Mariana Islands. He was very lucid. We had a very nice conversation. I can give you his name off the board, but I don't know if he is still in yahoo people search or where now. Things happen fast when people get old. I could give you several names, and you could see if you could find them. I have all the letters sorted by name in ziplock bags except for a few miscellaneous.
One thing you could do is go to www.rootsweb.com and see what mailing lists they have. They have one for WWII, I think, was on it for awhile. They also have archives going back several years you can search.
And I made a mistake. Tojo was in a hospital in Yokohama, not Hiroshima. When I don't work with data for awhile, I get foggy.
I tried to call several people from my letters, but could only find the one, didn't try to find them all.
You could also check with the Navy bases and see if they can help. Large military installations usually have historians. Just suggestions.
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