Navy History

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Comment by NavyDads Admin (Paul) on September 6, 2009 at 9:18pm

Glad you found the book to be everything we said it was! Larry-- I'm on the last few pages of another book I highly reccommend called Luck Lady- The WWII Heroics of teh USS Santa Fe and Franklin by Steve Jackson. An amazing story about the Franklin...a carrier that became the most decorated naval vessel of WWII and the Santa Fe which sailied more that 221,000 miles, earned 13 battle stars and did not loose one sailor during the war in combat! The Franklin was hit by two 500-lb bombs and was very close to sinking and the Santa Fe pulled off one of the most daring and amazing rescues ever....pick it up--- you really enjoy it!!

Comment by Larry Huffman on September 6, 2009 at 6:12pm

Decided to do a little family history fact finding this weekend regarding my wife's great uncle. I had been told he had died on a destroyer in the battle of Coral Sea. That was close...he was on the USS Neosho (AO-23)...a US Navy oil tanker on station to refuel the Yorktown. The ship was sunk by Japanese bombers killing 177 men in the initial attack. 68 men, believing the ship was going to sink, jumped into rafts and ended up all bound together adrift. My wife's uncle was one of these men, according to the Navy's memorial department. They only 4 survivors of the 68 were found 9 days later. The other 64 died of starvation, dehydration, exposure or shark attack. Her uncle did not survive, though there is no record (I have found yet) that mentions just how he perished. Amazingly enough, 123 crewmebers (mostly engineering) stayed on board and was able to keep the ship afloat for 3 days until help arrived, and the ship was scuttled.

I was prompted into this discovery mode because I had just finished reading Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors...recommended so highly in this group. It was fantastic...one of the best historical accounts I have ever read. I highly recommend it as well. What an incredible battle that was, and what heroics the men of those tin cans performed. One of those times when history itself can keep you on the edge of your seat...and the people in the story are larger than life and completely true. The feelings I had for htese men as you get to know them and then in some cases learn of their demise...reminded me of my first reading of Band of Brothers.

Comment by Larry Huffman on August 21, 2009 at 10:34am

Oh...and I would have to say the the USS Wm. H. Standley was the best ship in the gulf at the time. :-)

Comment by Larry Huffman on August 21, 2009 at 9:13am

Kathleen, the author of Six Frigates is Ian Toll. Not sure about the publisher. It is a great book about our early navy. I have seen The Last Stand and almost purchased it a couple of times. I think that is my next book.

Regarding the USS Samuel B. Roberts (and in my intro I mistakenly said my son;s ship was FFG-58...it is FFG-48. Both excellent Olivr Hazzard Perry class frigates!)...when I was in we sailed with the Roberts during the Earnest Will Gas King convoy. I was on the USS Wm. H. Standley cg-32. In fact, here is a picture of us doing it! :-)

We are the cruiser aft of the tanker. The frigate in the foreground is the USS Hawes, another OHP class frigate. It was quite an amazing array of ships that carried out that operation. This was my last cruise as well.

Comment by NavyDads Admin (Paul) on August 20, 2009 at 9:55pm

I want to mention a "related" story and book you may want to investigate. When you read The Last Stand you will learn of the heroic efforts of the USS Samuel B Roberts. It went down during the battle--- and has become one of the most revered names in the US Navy. There have been two other ships named Samuel B Roberts. The most recent generated another heroic story of survival which is detailed in the book No Higher Honor by Bradely Peniston. The story is summarized as follows:

"The USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) was a small warship built for escort duty — much like its namesake vessel, one of the tin-can heroes of Leyte Gulf. But its skipper imbued his brand-new crew with their forebears' fighting spirit, and when the guided missile frigate was thrust into the Persian Gulf at the height of the Iran-Iraq War, there was no better ship for the job.

For two months in 1988, captain and crew sailed a Gulf aflame, escorting tankers in Operation Earnest Will, the largest convoy operation since World War II. Forbidden to fire unless fired upon, they relied on wit and nerve to face down Iraqi fighter jets and Iranian warships.

The Roberts' sternest test arrived on 14 April, when an Iranian mine ripped open its engineroom, ignited fires on four decks, and plunged the ship into darkness. With seawater rising around their boots, the crew fought flames and flooding into the night."

That quote is from www.NavyBook.com.....The story is also detailed as a stroy in volume 1 of Hero Ships, a two-DVD set from the History channel.

Read The Lsat Stand first and learn about the Roberts....then read No Higher Honor and see how the heroic efforts continue.

Comment by Paige on August 19, 2009 at 6:16pm

Kathleen, the author of The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors is James D. Hornfischer. This is a true story about the most famous battle fought at sea during during WWII. If you have trouble locating a book dealer/store who sells it, just let me know and I'll tell you where I found my paperback copy of the book.

Comment by Kathleen~Ma of Jonis on August 19, 2009 at 3:51pm

Paige & Larry; who are the arthors of those books & who published them???? I need that info just in case I have to order it..... Thx

Comment by Paige on August 19, 2009 at 12:28pm

Larry, welcome to the Navy History group!!

Thank you for sharing your family's military history with us. It is long and distinguished. I'm sure it is an honor for you to have such a strong military background.
Also, thank you for the book recommendation of the "Six Frigates". I will keep it in mind when selecting my next book to read. I just recently purchased the book "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors". It was highly recommended by other members on this site.

Comment by Larry Huffman on August 19, 2009 at 11:44am

A little more about the book "Six Frigates"...

The first 6 sips commissioned by our country were over-sized frigates. They were the: Constitution, Constellation, President, Congress, United States and the Chesapeak. The Chesapeak was the only one built to slightly different standards and the only one not named for an item from our constitution. It was also the only ship of the bunch considered a dog or unlucky. The book covers the design and building of these ships, as well as their quite extraordinary action. The book also coveres some great naval heroes and bums. Decatur, Bainbridge, Preble, Sterrit and Rogers to name a few.

Again...excellent book. I am actually considering a second reading. :-)

Comment by Larry Huffman on August 19, 2009 at 11:37am

Hello all...just joined this group...I lvoe military hsitory, and especially Navy history.

About me: I am a third generation sailor...my father was a lifer, and his father served on the Hornet in WWII as a GM. My dad made chief (he went in as a Missle Tech, was switched to FT when the rate was created) then mustanged to WO then to full commissioned officer. I was enlisted and served as an FC on board the USs William H. Standley (CG-32...now decommed and sunk in an exercise in 2005) in the mid 80s. My great uncle was in the army during WWII and was captured by the Japanese in the PI. He was a survivor of the deathmarch, and survived the long POW status by being attached to a small repair group that was better treated than the main camps. My wife also has Navy history behind her...her father and gradfather were also Navy men...and her uncle was as well, losing his life in the Battle of Coral Sea, on board the Lexington.

We have two kids in the Navy right now...our son is an IT on the USS Vandegrift (FFG-58) out of San Diego. Our daughter is currently in boot camp to become a CTI.

Oh...and I just finshed an EXCELLENT book for those who like Navy history. It is called "Six Frigates" and is baout the founding of the US Navy. It really begins after the revolution...so it covers the formation of the actual US Navy...not our revolutionary Navy. It is fascinating...I elarned so much about that period of history that just is not disucssed much. Such as the Qiusi-war with France and a lot about our North African dilemmas...like our war with Tripoli and struggles with the Barbary pirates. It finishes up with the conclusion of the war of 1812...which it covers in great detail. The book reads well too...not too dry or lecturing. Lots of very interesting tidbits thrown in. Well worth the read.

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