In appreciation of those who led the way, those who didn't make it home, and those veterans of battlefields, barracks, ships, subs, planes, platoons, helicopters and Humvees, and most especially those families who sacrificed so much along with their service members, we cannot say it enough:
Grandpa Jack's U.S. Army footstone, North Carolina,
Visiting Family, North Carolina Road Trip, May 2010This handcrafted model of the U.S.S. California is in the safe care of a cousin.
When most people think of Pearl Harbor, the U.S.S. Arizona memorial comes to mind. However, more than 21 vessels were destroyed or damaged that day, including the California, which was hit by bombs and torpedoes, flooded, and sunk. Almost a hundred Marines and sailors from the California were killed, with the injured matching them in numbers.
The photograph of our family sailor, in his Navy best, is near the bow of the model.
On this anniversary of that day, we salute those lost, those injured, and the families left behind.
For more information about the memorial, and the attacks on Pearl Harbor, please go here. The lists below were obtained from that site.
USS California *
BB-44, Battleship
--------------------------------
U.S. Navy (98 fallen)
Howard L. Adkins, F1c
Moses A. Allen, MAtt1c
Thomas B. Allen, GM2c
Wilbur H. Bailey, Sea1c
Glen Baker, Sea2c
James W. Ball, F2c
Harold W. Bandemer, Sea1c
Michael L. Bazetti, Sea1c
Albert Q. Beal, RM2c
Thomas S. Beckwith, SF3c
Henry W. Blankenship, PhM1c
Edward D. Bowden, F2c
Robert K. Bowers, Ens (VO-2)
Robert L. Brewer, Sea1c
Samuel J. Bush, MAtt1c
James W. Butler, F2c
Elmer L. Carpenter, BM1c
Cullen B. Clark, F1c
Francis E. Cole, Msmth2c
Kenneth J. Cooper, FC3c
Herbert S. Curtis, Jr., Sea2c
Lloyd H. Cutrer, Sea2c
Edward H. Davis, SK1c
John W. Deetz, GM3c
Marshall L. Dompier, SK2c
Norman W. Douglas, Sea1c
Guy Dugger, F1c
Billie J. Dukes, Sea1c
Thomas R. Durning, Jr., Sea2c
Robert W. Ernest, Sea2c
Alfred J. Farley, Sea2c
Marvin L. Ferguson, Jr., AS
Stanley C. Galaszewski, Sea2c
Robert S. Garcia, SK3c
Thomas J. Gary, Sea2c
George H. Gilbert, Ens
Tom Gilbert, Sea1c
Helmer A. Hanson, Sea2c
Gilbert A. Henderson, MAtt2c
John A. Hildebrand, Jr., F1c
Merle C. J. Hillman, PhM2c
Paul E. Holley, Sea1c
Richard F. Jacobs, SF3c
Ira W. Jeffrey, Ens
Melvin G. Johnson, RM3c
Ernest Jones, MAtt3c
Herbert C. Jones, Ens
Harry Kaufman, BM1c
Arlie G. Keener, SK3c
Harry W. Kramer, F1c
John T. Lancaster, PhM3c
Donald C. V. Larsen, RM3c
John E. Lewis SK1c
James E. London, SK1c
Howard E. Manges, FC3c
John W. Martin, F3c
George V. McGraw, F1c
Clyde C. McMeans, Sea1c
Aaron L. McMurtrey, Sea1c
James W. Milner, F1c
James D. Minter, Sea2c
Bernard J. Mirello, Sea1c
William A. Montgomery, GM3c
Marlyn W. Nelson, F2c
Wayne E. Newton, Sea1c
June W. Parker, QM3c
Kenneth M. Payne, Sea1c
George E. Pendarvis, F3c
Lewis W. Pitts, Jr., Sea2c
Alexsander J. Przybysz, Prtr2c
Roy A. Pullen, Sea2c
Edward S. Racisz, Sea1c
Thomas J. Reeves, CRM (PA)
Joseph L. Richey, Ens (VO-2)
Edwin H. Ripley, Sea2c
Earl R. Roberts, Sea1c
Alfred A. Rosenthal, RM3c
Joe B. Ross, RM2c
Frank W. Royse, RM3c
Morris F. Saffell, F1c
Robert R. Scott, MM1c
Erwin L. Searle, GM3c
Russell K. Shelly, Jr., Mus2c
Frank L. Simmons, MAtt2c
Tceollyar Simmons, Sea2c
Lloyd G. Smith, Sea2c
Gordon W. Stafford, Sea2c
Leo Stapler, MAtt1c
Charles E. Sweany, EM1c
Edward F. Szurgot, SK3c
Frank P. Treanor, RM3c
Pete Turk, Sea2c
George V. Ulrich, F1c
George E. Vining, MAtt2c
David Walker, MAtt3c
Milton S. Wilson, F3c
Steven J. Wodarski, Sea1c
John C. Wydila, SF3c
Marine Corps. (4 fallen)
John A. Blount, Jr., PFC
Roy E. Lee, Jr., Pvt
Shelby C. Shook, Pvt
Earl D. Wallen, PFC
*The U.S.S. California was later raised, repaired, and served honorably until her decommissioning in 1947.
She was later scraped in 1959. We salute her as well.
In appreciation of those who led the way, those who didn't make it home, and those veterans of battlefields, barracks, ships, subs, planes, platoons, helicopters and Humvees, and most especially those families who sacrificed so much along with their service members, we cannot say it enough:
In this family, this means remembering to thank Dad for his service, and remembering the grandfathers for their service before, during, or after WWII. I also am reminded that my paternal grandmother should also be thanked for her service to this country, for her work as a "Rosie." (See this article in today's NYTimes about "Rosies." )
I need to have the "stars and bars" identified, and then I need to mount and shadowbox these pieces for our family history. (If any Navy vets stumble across this blog and can id these for me, I'd be greatly appreciative.)Happy Veterans Day to all those who have served and are serving our country, including those family members holding up the fort on the homefront.
Update: With thanks to Casey over at mooshinindy.com, I found out about ancestry.com's offer to let people troll through the military databases free of charge. After looking around a bit, I was able to discover that Grandpa J was on the U.S.S. Cowpens in July of 1944, plus his service number, and when and where he enrolled in the service. That's more information than I had an hour ago! Plus, I'm pretty sure I saw about four of my forefather's military records in there as well, but as I'm supposed to be oh, I don't know WORKING, I have to get out of personal research mode.
Awesome. Thanks Casey. Thanks ancestry.com. Thanks also to all the Clydes, Horaces, Elijahs, Roys, and LeRoys!
As a veteran of many artistic and academic wars, I am not entitled to a day off today. Me thinks that Athena, the goddess of heroic endeavors, would not be pleased. 
