War Baby

I would like to thank the Japanese and Germans for starting WW2. Without the war my mother would not have met my father and I would probably be some one else. If I was anyone at all.

On Dec 7th, 1941 my Dad (God rest his soul) was in the Coast Guard. Not long after the attack he was in the Navy for the duration. He was a Chief Petty Officer (Damage Control) on the AOG-27 USS Escatawpa a gasoline tanker that was involved in the Battle of Okinawa.

AOG-27 USS Escatawpa

* Mettawee class Gasoline Tanker:
* Displacement: 2,280 tons
* Length: 221'
* Beam: 37'
* Draft: 14'
* Speed: 9.5 knots
* Armament: 1 3"/50 DP, 2 40mm, 3 20mm
* Complement: 62
* Cargo: 1,228 DWT
* Diesel engines, single shaft, 720 hp.
* Built at East Coast Shipyard, Bayonne, N.J., and commissioned 18 August 1944

BTW the 9.5 knots is the top speed. The economical speed is 8.5 knots. Cruising the Pacific in such a ship must have been daunting. I served on a frigate, the USS Bainbridge. When I was on it we had TWO Dual 3" 50s aft. And a top sustained speed (nuclear powered) of above 30 knots. Although I was in a combat zone for a while the only time we ever went to general quarters was for drill. I had nothing like kamikaze attacks to deal with. Of course being in engineering I would have been the last to know. Unless we took a hit. My general quarters station was damage control central.

My dad and I used to swap sea stories when he was with us. All because of WW2. Which started for America today. 69 years ago.

Cross Posted at Classical Values