[rgreen4]

This discussion area is for former members of the Military Services to tell their stories of their experiences. Others are welcome to make comments and ask questions, especially as we are sometimes fond of using acronyms that are understood by those who served, but not by those without military background.

[AuroraDizon]

I scanned some of my grandfathers war medals in the computer the other day:


Front and back (and my apollo coin)

!http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll77/AuroraDizon/Scans/scan0007.jpg|thumbnail=true! !http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll77/AuroraDizon/Scans/scan0008.jpg|thumbnail=true!

!http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll77/AuroraDizon/Scans/scan0009.jpg|thumbnail=true! < his battleship and book

!http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll77/AuroraDizon/Scans/scan0023.jpg|thumbnail=true! < 2nd row at the end you can see is my grandfather

[coastie65]

Hey rg, As many times as threads have tended to drift in his stuff, I think it is a good idea. coastie

[coastie65]

AuroraDizon said:

I scanned some of my grandfathers war medals in the computer the other day:





Front and back (and my apollo coin)



!http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll77/AuroraDizon/Scans/scan0007.jpg|thumbnail=true! !http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll77/AuroraDizon/Scans/scan0008.jpg|thumbnail=true!


!http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll77/AuroraDizon/Scans/scan0009.jpg|thumbnail=true! < his battleship and book



!http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll77/AuroraDizon/Scans/scan0023.jpg|thumbnail=true! < 2nd row at the end you can see is my grandfather

For rhose who may be curious starting from the top left and going right, the medals are as follows: Asiatic -Pacific campaign, Americam Defense, WWII Victory Medal, (Bottom Left) WWII Occupation Medal, and finally the Army Achievement medal. There is one missing that I know for sure he should have had, and that is the National Defense Service Medal. My Dad had most of those. He didn't have an Army Achievement Medal as he was Navy all the way, nor did he have the Occupation Meal. He served in the Coral Sea area, until coming back stateside to Alameda ( I was born in Oakland ) and eventually to North Africa (Morocco ; I was 2 at the time) after the war. Thank You for sharing that.

[rgreen4]

Aurora - he must have really seen some action. He graduated from Boot Camp in Jan, 1945 and got several rows of medals. Of course, on the USS Iowa he would have. Here is a link to a website with photos of Naval Vessels by category. The photos of the USS Iowa are separated by period, 1944-1945 is on seperate category if you are interested.

[coastie65]

I just received a DVD copy of Coast Guard at War . It documented the Coast Guard in Vietnam and was very good. It was kind of emotional at the end as they listed the names and pictures of the 7 Coasties that gave their lives. One of them was a shipmate of mine aboard the Halfmoon and my leading PO. He made chief and put in to go back to Nam and was assigned to CG Ron 1 Div 12 out of Danang. These were the 82 footers, that used Boston Whalers with 4 onboard for boarding operations. His name was Morris Beeson and was an ENC ( Chief Engineman). He got caught in an ambush up in Quang Tri Province in Mar. '69. He was probably 2-3 years away from getting his 20 years in. One thing I didn't know was that they had Coasties flying those Jolly Green Giants on missions rescuing Downed pilots. Those things were some big choppers.

[rgreen4]

Coastie - your dad must have stayed in the Navy, or have gone back in during Korea. The National Defense Service Medal (we called it alive in '65) has been awarded during 4 campaigns, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, and Afganistan/Iraq. Here is an excerpt from Gruntsmilitary.com.

{size:2}3.{size} Criteria:
a. The National Defense Service Medal was awarded for honorable active
service for any period between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1954; between 1
January 1961 and 14 August 1974; between 2 August 1990 and 30 November
1995 and between 11 September 2001 and a closing date to be determined.

[coastie65]

I've got 5 on my ribbon bar, although there is no corresponding medal for the NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION ribbon and I never added the Good Conduct ribbon, as I didn't receive that until the day I was released. I might update that thing sometime as I'll have to get another ribbon bar to accomodate 6 ribbons.

[coastie65]

I was born in June '46 in Oakland when he was NAS Alameda. He got out and went back home to North Carolina. Once there he drove the 50-60 miles to Norfolk and reenlisted to maintain his CPO rate. He was Medically Discharged sometime in 1950 due to TB and the partial loss of lung function ( His VA rating was ultimately 30%). I don't think he evre received the others as they were putting them in the service records, but due to the war and needing medal they weren't making them, and thus not awarding any. I don't even know what happened to his wings either. I guess they must have been lost over the years.

[mjd420nova]

Gosh guys, I only kept one ribbon and tossed the rest, the combat action ribbon. I did keep one medal, for good conduct. I was supposed to wear a hash stripe for the last two years but never put it on any of my uniforms. The only clothing I kept was the peacoat and I still wear it when it gets cold, still smells like mothballs too. I think I have a white hat(dixie cup) around some where and a number of ball caps for different ships. I tossed all my uniforms except for the dress blue jumper complete with ships patch and liberty cuffs and a zipper on the side. I wore out my boondockers within a year after I got out and haven't had a comfortable pair of boots since. I do have a blue denin cruise jacket with all the patches and embroidered cruise dates and ports visited. I also have a wooden plank with engraved aluminum photo of the ship I commissioned(plank owner). The boat no longer exists as the class was retired and scrapped. I think a few were sold to Japan and Taiwan but they have all been replaced with the newer FFG class destroyers and the Aegis cruisers. While in school at Treasure Island, San Fran, I knew a lot of guys from the Coral Sea, Hancock and Midway(built at Hunters Point) but there isn't an existing base left in the bay area. Alameda, Hunters Point, Treasure Island and Mare Island have all been closed, as has Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland. A real shame that there's no real bases anymore between San Diego and Bremerton, Washington.

[AuroraDizon]

Thanks for the link rgreen, what catagory am I looking for? I am a little lost as to what catagory the USS Iowa would fall under. ?:|

[coastie65]

If you have a Dress Blue Jumper with a zipper on the side, that sounds like the Custom Made Gabardines. I had those things, and had the Golden Dragon Liberty Cuffs. We were still wearing the "Dixie Cup" White Hats when I went in. The only difference in uniforms with the Navy, was the shield on the right sleeve. They eventually went to that Flat Hat ( Donald Duck Hat ) which nobody liked. I was born at the Oak Knoll Naval Hospital. My Brother was born at Portsmouth Naval Hospital.

[coastie65]

Hi Aurora, It would fall under either Battleships or BB's

[AuroraDizon]

I don't think my grandfather was ever in the Army? I only remember hearing about him being in the Navy. I'll ask though. I have more pictures, although they are not cropped yet, would you guys want to see them when they are done? Just pictures from the war and stuff. I thought about you guys when I was scanning them, I wanted to show you but didn't quiet know where to post it. Thanks for the thread rgreen :8}

[coastie65]

It could have been a joint service thing where the Army awarded it to Naval personnel. I was in the Coast Guard, and our ship was awarded a Navy Unit Commendation Award ( didn't get anything from the CG). It is unusual, but not unheard of and is definately something special. I had to look that one up as I didn't recognize it.

[rgreen4]

Sorry, Battleships, the first one listed, naturally. They were the Queens of the seas. No matter what other class ship you were on, you would just look at one in awe. I was never lucky enough to actually see one at sea, but have visited the Massachusetts (BB59) and Alabama (BB60). I visited the Massachusetts while I was in Newport, RI going through OCS, and the Alabama while going through flight training in Pensacola. Last summer a local Scout Troop spent a night on the Alabama and I tagged along for the trip. The first day was touring, then spent the night (there were two groups) and the next day we went through the Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola. Spent the second night at a campground and then back to S. Georgia.

I remember that on the USS Massachusetts they had a 16" shell standing on the deck that weighed 2,200 LBS! I looked at it and realized it weighed more than the VW I was driving. For those not familiar with the system that is just the "bullet", as they load it and then three large bags of powder and the fuse. The ship can hurl that 2,200 projectile over 22 miles! Approching Mobile on I-10, you pass a billboard notifiying you that you are now in gun range of the Alabama and you don't even see the city yet, much less the ship.

I also did not know that there were 7 more BB's planned after the Wisconsin (BB64), including a complete new class that would have included a new USS Maine (BB69). The keels for these 5 were never laid, and the Illinois (BB65) and Kentucky (BB66) were scrapped before launching. Japan did indeed awaken a sleeping Tiger. I remember a phrase in Tom Clancy's book "Teeth of the Tiger" that when you pull the tail of a Tiger, you better have a plan for dealing with the Teeth.

As fond as I am of Carriers, there is just nothing like a Battleship. When I was on the USS Randolph, we had a W-4 who was misserable. He had come up as an Electrician's Mate, and had been promoted out of his favored ships. There were no billets for W-4's on Cruisers, just BB's and Carriers, and he "hated bird farms". I used to like to play Acey Duey with him in the Wardroom annex and listen to his sea stories. I think on the entire two month cruise, I managed to beat him once, and he probably let me win. He was good, of course he had lot's of practice.

[coastie65]

There were several of the BB's moored In Philly when I was there TDY for some Firefighting and Damage Control training. They were mighty impressive. We now have one moored in Norfolk as a museum but forgot which one. I think it's somewhere around Nauticus in Norfolk, on the Elizabeth River. The 5" rounds, the projectile only weighed 53 Lbs or so and the power charges were in brass shells. Together they looked like a huge bullet. They also only had a 5 mile range.( 5' 38). They newer ones ( 5" 54) had a somewhat longer range. We were in Nam when the New Jersey showed up. We were sitting about a half mile off the beach doing a gunfire support mission on targets about 3-4 miles inland. We used a spotter plane to help with targeting. Anyway, here we are sitting there lobbing in 5" rounds when the New Jersey opens up the Battery of 16" guns..............right over top of us. We couldn't even see the New Jersey, but we could hear the projectiles as they passed over. They were on a target further in then the one we were pounding. That was also as far North as we got as well. We never did see the New Jersey as they prefered the OTH ( Over The Horizon) approach to things. Due to range limitations, we were stuck with the close in work. I think the BB in Norfolk may be the Wisconsin, but again I'm not sure.

[rgreen4]

You are correct. I found this photo and picture on that website.
George Washington (CVN-73) passes by the decommissioned battleship Wisconsin (BB-64),
in downtown Norfolk during her transit up the Elizabeth River Feb. 25,
2003 from Norfolk Naval Station to Norfolk Naval Shipyard in
Portsmouth, Va.



I plan to be up in Virgina toward the end of the month, I may have to swing by Norfolk. Looks like they have a first class museum there as well.

[Adama]

Hi RGreen, what a great idea! It's good that you guys now have room for all your wonderful sea stories, etc.

ps - Expect a PM from me shortly.

[coastie65]

My Cousin was visiting from Oregon and we had spent the day visiting the Plantations along the James River, and one Civil War Site and went down to Norfolk to see it. By the time we got to the exit, it was getting late, and there was a big Family Dinner planned at a restaurant so we figured we had better head back up to Richmond. One it was his Birthday and two, he was leaving the next day so we didn't get to visit. We did drive on to Ft Eustis, where his dad had retired from. That was just before 9-11 when you could do that, as there was no one on the gate. Same with the Norfolk Navy Base, although there were some restricted areas there that you couldn't go. I believe you are in for a shock at all the changes down there since you were there. The growth on the peninsula from Williamsburg to Hampton exploded and has just about swamped it. No more ferry from Hampton to Ocean View, as I-64 runs across there as a combo Bridge/Tunnel. The Tunnel part runs under the shipping channel. The old Ocean View Amusement Park is long gone. One piece of advice, at 1600 Hrs. all the civilian and some military employees are off for the day and I-64 tends to get a might crowded. The traffic for the most part moves along though, unless there is a construction zone ( which seemed to be a perpetual thing for years and years) or an accident. The good thing is you have timed it after the Vacation season is pretty much over with, so you won't have deal with the extra summer load. This time of year, you still get the weekenders though as the weather is still nice and day trippers like me who want to get some fishing in.