Miles S Burke, Forgotten Hero- Reposted in honor of Black History Month-

StM1c Miles S. Burke-1945

USS BUSH DD 529

 

This coming April 6th 2014 will mark the 69th anniversary of the sinking of the Fletcher Class Destroyer, USS BUSH DD-529 after being hit by three Kamikaze planes off Okinawa. The Bush, her hull almost cut in two, soon folded and sank, taking almost one third of her crew down with her.

The story doesn't end there. I became aware of the story of the USS Bush, when I volunteered to help restore the USS Iowa BB-61 to become a museum ship in San Pedro, CA. One of the volunteers Jim Pobag, related how his step-father had been a crewman on the Bush, Jim went on to tell the story of that final encounter with a swarm of Kamikazes, and the heroism of the crew as they fought for their lives. But first, the back story of the Bush and how she came to that fateful day.



The USS Bush joined the war in 1943, and recorded the following service history, prior to April 6, 1945.

Between 29 July and 27 November 1943 Bush acted as a patrol and escort vessel in Alaskan waters. Arriving at Pearl Harbor 4 December 1943, she commenced operations as a patrol, escort, and fire support ship throughout the Pacific, from the Ellice Islands to New Guinea, the Philippines, and Okinawa. She participated in the Bismarck Archipelago operations, including the Cape Gloucester, New Britain landings and the Admiralty Islands landings (26 December 1943 – 31 March 1944); Saidor, New Guinea, operations (18–21 January); Morotai landings (15 September); Leyte landings (20–24 October), Luzon operation, including the Mindoro and Lingayen Gulf landings (12–18 December 1944 and 4–18 January 1945); Iwo Jima operation (19 February–9 March); and the Okinawa operation (1–6 April).

On 1 November 1944, while operating in Leyte Gulf, Bush splashed two of ten Japanese planes during a severe air attack. She was showered by flying shrapnel and suffered two men wounded.
 

On April 1, 1945 the Bush took up station off Okinawa as this brief history describes. On April 6th the Bush was attacked and eventually breaks in two and sinks.

USS Bush, right center, behind smoke after being attacked April 6, 1945

I really became intrigued, when Jim related the bravery of one crewman who, although cited for saving lives, seems to have preformed his duty far beyond what was required of any sailor, and perhaps, like another sailor who preformed heroically at Pearl Harbor, might have been overlooked for a higher award, due to his race.

The man was Miles S. Burke, StM2c an African-American who due to the segregated policies at the time could only serve as a mess steward. When battle stations were called, Burke was assigned to the handling room team on the after most gun mount #5. Burke due to his size and massive strength, was remembered by his team leader in these words.

Robert Aguilar, SKD2c, was in-charge of that handling room crew and he remembers Burke well. Aguilar says of Burke, "He had all the physical attributes to make him the perfect individual for the job. In addition, he had the mental, emotional and moral strength to handle the situations we got into without breaking down when we needed him the most. It was obvious that he was more valuable to us than he was to the crews that had the mechanical hoists from the magazine to the handling room. He never complained the about the hard work; he worked all alone; and I don't remember Miles asking to be relieved even for a short period of time." Aguilar goes on to note, "What a sight to see that big muscle-bound body, shiny with perspiration, stay on the job like he did that day in Surigato Strait when we were under air attack for several hours and the temperature got like an oven in the handling room area."
 

Burke was so fast that he out preformed the other gun crews and according to Jim's stepfathers account, made it appear that the #5 turret has an automatic loading system. When the ship was badly hit, Aguilar had a hard time getting Burke to abandon his station.

 "When we were called to come topside, I had a hard time convincing him that the order meant him also, he did not want to leave his post."
 

Once topside, Burke moved forward to the aft engine space, where he entered and began to carry wounded crewman topside to safety.

Former Assistant Gunnery Officer Hilliard Lubin, Lt.(jg) had this to say about Burke, "I do remember .... his actions going down into the afire engine spaces at least 3 or 4 times to bring up one burned snipe each time. I can still see his bloody feet, but then shoeless. Being as big as he was, and deck hatches down to engine spaces as small as they were, how he got through I find hard to imagine now."
 

Miles Burke's heroism does not end there, after leaving the ship, he uses his strength to hold onto two men by keeping them afloat for five hours until rescued. Burke's actions were noted by his commanding officer CDR Westholm.

"BURKE's battle station was in the lower magazine of 5" gun #5. When his gun became inoperative he came topside and aided in the care and moving of the wounded. He did this in the face of the repeated air attacks on the ship. When forced to abandon ship he remained calm and was a source of constant encouragement to his shipmates. For a period of five hours in the water and on a raft, he supported two men unable to swim and who had lost their strength and one of which was without a lifejacket, thus saving their lives. When alongside the rescue vessel he assisted in getting those who did not possess their strength aboard."
 

Westholm, recommended Burke for the Navy and Marine Corps Medal which is awarded for:

The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is the second highest non-combatant medal awarded by the United States Department of the Navy to members of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. The decoration was established by an act of Congress on August 7, 1942. The Navy and Marine Corps Medal may be awarded to service members who, while serving in any capacity with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguish themselves by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy.

Miles S.Burke's who was also promoted to Mess Steward 1st Class, citation reads:

"For heroic conduct while attached to the U.S.S. BUSH following the sinking of that vessel in the vicinity of Okinawa, April 6, 1945. In the water and on a raft for five hours, BURKE supported two exhausted men who were unable to swim and one of whom was without a life jacket. His courage and perseverance were in keeping with highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."
 

Read the whole history of the USS BUSH from their web page.
USS BUSH DD529

As noted above, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal was to be awarded for non-combat bravery, which given the actions of Miles Burke, seems to fly in the face of history, since the action of Steward's Mate Burke certainly took place during combat, and most likely had he been a white sailor, would have at least rated the Silver Star, or even the Navy Cross. Much time has passed and it appears that Miles S Burke's image and the account of his shipmates is our only link to his bravery. I think that the Navy would be wise to revisit his actions and consider him for a higher award, or at least special recognition during their celebration of Black American History Month in February each year. Miles S. Burke is one "Fullbore" sailor who personifies duty and bravery in the face of the enemy in the highest traditions of the U.S. Navy and deserved to be recognized again. I will forever be indebted to Jim Pobag for making me aware of this man's bravery, and that of his fellow crew members on the USS Bush.

 

 

Musings on the Navy

 aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), USS Enterprise (CVN 65), USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) are in port at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. US Navy Photo

This week saw the sequestration kick in and all manner of cutbacks were announced. The sea services immediately announced cutbacks that would affect deployments and the deferral of maintenance which will affect readiness. How might this announcement be taken in foreign capitals who have found themselves on the other side of cordial relations? Seventy two years ago, one country observed the United States mired in economic doldrums and focused on an isolationist policy and went on to plan a strike that they thought would lead to a limited war, where the United States would assume the role of the punished dog, and whimper off to our corner of the world, leaving the Empire of Japan in possession of the Western Pacific region. History records the result of their miscalculation.

Today, we have as our President is fond of saying, "a teaching moment." If we ponder the current situation, alongside the open book of the past, we will find the rhymes of history written between the lines of tomorrows news.

Last week, Feb 28-March 1st, marked the 71st anniversary of the Battle of the Java Sea which saw 10 American and Allied ships sunk, with the loss of over 2,173 sailors. The date was marked by two excellent posts. The first, a reflection of the battle by Cdr. Salamander tells of the ships and the sacrifice of the men, now mostly forgotten, except by historians and history buffs. I cannot improve on his words, so I will send you back 71 years to read more, Fullbore Friday.

To help understand the lessons of this battle, Robert Farley, Assistant Professor at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce wrote this article on how the lessons of the battle are relevant for today's Navy.

America is in the throes of yet another debate about grand strategy, with terms like “deep engagement” and “offshore balancing” coming to characterize complex sets of policies towards allies and antagonists alike. Although the precise nature of the terms varies along with the preference of the author, Deep Engagement advocates tend to prefer robust, forward deployed U.S. military capability of the sort that we currently enjoy. Advocates of offshore balancing argue that the United States can significantly draw down its military and political commitments and rely on normal balance of power politics to ensure that no state gains complete control over the Eurasian landmass...

...The most likely future for the USN lies in some mix of predominance and retrenchment. The USN will continue to be the most powerful player, but will need to rely on its allies for an edge against the PLAN, its most likely peer competitor. The United States should perhaps look to something more akin to “offshore engagement,” which preserves opportunities for robust engagement while still giving allies sufficient reason to take care of themselves...

Read the whole article: History Lesson: The Battle of Java Sea

Taken alone, the lessons learned and forgotten in the warm waters of the Java Sea might never cross our national path again. But when one ponders the debate currently raging over who should get their share of the shrinking defense pie, this thoughtful post by Bryan McGrath on Information Dissemination should trigger some amount of pondering of how past planning intersects with the current pathway.

Professor Jim Lacey of the Marine Corps War College gets one thing right in his National Review Online post entitled "Why Armies Matter". Well, maybe two things. The first is his view that "....Around the Pentagon, the budget cutters have put away their knives and are reaching for axes. In times like these, every service naturally circles the wagons around its share of the budget pie." On this, he is correct. I have been sounding the alarm for several years now as the tea-leaves pointed to lower defense spending, that the role of American Seapower in defending our national interests should be privileged...

...Professor Lacey takes us on an interesting and fascinating tour of history, recounting the (unchallenged) record of land-battle as war-winner. Therefore, one should surmise, since Seapower does not win wars, it is and should necessarily be secondarily considered. Or as a former CIA Director once stated, "this one is a slam dunk." This view adequately considers 100% of 50% of the question, leaving the other 50% completely unanswered, unquestioned, and un-valued. That is, what function does military power perform when it is not actively engaged in combat? Or put another way, do we invest in our Armed Forces to do things other than fight and win wars?

The answer of course, is yes, we do. Chief among them is that we invest in our Armed Forces to look after our far-flung national interests, to deter emergent threats to those interests, and to assure our friends and allies in an effort to create an reinforcing architecture aimed at--yes, protecting and sustaining our national interests...
 

Bryan makes a sensible rebuttal to the suggestion that in order to win wars we need to maintain a massive land force capable of defeating all comers. As Bryan aptly notes, deterring emergent threats before having to engage in costly wars as the past 11 years have tolled is the one of the prime missions of the Navy-Marines. So how might the events of history played out in 1942 begin to rhyme with sequestration and arguments that having a strong navy is not as relevant as a massive army play out in the eyes of our potential adversaries? This post from the insightful founder of ID, Galrahn, might give one pause, when pondered in the light of past histories of strategic miscalculations based on a perception of weakness.

What happens today, March 11, 2013, local time off the Korean Peninsula could become a historic event, so I want to make sure it is noted what happened. This was the threat as reported by BNO.

My sense is North Korea is looking for a small skirmish, some kind of clash that raises tension on the security situation, but only a limited battle not a full war. After 2010 it is unclear if they can maintain escalation control though, which may explain why they are message traffic heavy to the locals. The key here is that North Korea wants to change the dynamics of the security situation for the purposes of negotiation, because apparently they have calculated the security situation is too comfortable for everyone else for security to be used in negotiation as a concession. If that is truly the case, then if a skirmish or something breaks out North Korea would need to get hit harder than they hit the South in order to keep the security situation from being a concession in negotiation, but that isn't easy to do unless we feel you have control over escalation and deescalation of the situation.

All of this is good timing for North Korea though. The Navy has 4 destroyers in the area, but no available aircraft carriers anywhere in the Pacific and the nearest is a few weeks away. USS George Washington (CVN 73) is in a 6 month availability window that began in February. The Navy is probably saying otherwise, but if something happens they are not in a very good position to react quickly - not even close. O&M budget shortages due to sequestration and the continuing resolution probably make it difficult for the DoD to react based solely on rhetoric, although the DoD has other, more legitimate means of evaluating the legitimacy of threats from North Korea.

I do not believe North Korea is looking for a major war, but I do think the North is looking for an incident. From their point of view, they have honored every legal requirement regarding any direct attack against any target beginning March 11, 2013 is not some random act of violence. That is what really bothers me, basically North Korea has positioned their nation to be legally at war on purpose, but the specific purpose is yet to be revealed.
 

Read the whole post:North Korea Scraps Armistice Today (Again) 

The next few weeks will reveal whether the North Koreans continue to master their strategy of coercion to gain rewards, or prove to be bumblers who end up getting their nose not just bloodied but broken in an exchange fof tit for tat. The bigger issue to be resolved is how the United States projects its power, in lieu of having a strong naval presence as a deterrence. This on a local level is like inviting the burglar to break the glass, because the cops are back in the station house counting their bullets and practicing report writing.

70 years ago this week, a chance meeting San Pedro

USS Zeilin AP-3 by Wayne Scarpaci

The transition of time for most of the world is now January 1st. As the celebrations of the year 2013 were ushered in from Sydney, Tokyo, Shanghai, Dubai and across Europe as Paris, then London lit the night sky with the spectacle of fireworks worthy of any independence celebration or in the case of our own history, a nation born of martial combat.

It is also significant that we in the US mark the transit of anniversaries as they reach milestones. This year past we marked the bi-centennial of the War of 1812, the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, and as we move through this decade, the 70th anniversary of the events of World War II. This brings me to write about an event that occurred 70 years ago this past week, that is seminal to my existence. It was during the week between Christmas and New Years in 1942, that my mother met my father at a USO dance. The chance meeting came about when dad's ship the USS Zeilin AP-9, was attacked on the eve of the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal and escaped being sunk through the efforts their escort the USS Atlanta CL-51, and her own crew's gunnery who claimed two planes, and their efforts after a bomb glanced of off the side and blew out several hull plates.

USS Atlanta defending the USS Zeilin Nov 11, 1942

Jay B Wade, 1942

After temporary repairs, my father's ship returned to San Pedro, California, arriving on December 23, 1942 where she entered dry dock until March 1943, when she sailed for Aleutian Campaign followed later with the invasion of Tarawa and Kwajalein in the spring of 1944. My dad, was sent home on leave and joined the new carrier USS Bon Homme Richard CV-31 and ended the war off Japan.

My Dad returned from the war and in the first half decade of my life, left me to wonder why. I wrote the several posts in the early days of this blog about my memories of him, and how I came to discover that I had two long lost brothers from different mothers who have become as close as if we were raised together in the same home. My brother Vince, shares a love of history and the Navy, inspired by our father's service. Over time I was able to construct my father's service history and when the USS Iowa BB-61 became a museum ship in San Pedro, I began to spend all my spare time as did Vince. It was during this time that Vince quietly commissioned a remembrance that I will cherish forever. He had a mutual friend and gifted naval artist Wayne Scarpaci, make a painting of the USS Zeilin passing Angels Gate as she sailed into San Pedro, setting the stage for me to sit here typing this heartfelt thank you to my brother Vince, and Wayne, for a superb tribute to my dad's memory.

Fast Battleships: The Aegis System of World War II

USS Iowa plowing ahead on a new mission

Become a plank owner below

A month ago, I wrote about the New Mission for the USS Iowa BB-61 the lead ship of the last battleships build for the US Navy. Today, I wanted to revisit the Iowa and write a bit about the history of battleships in World War II, where their original mission to defeat the enemy fleet as decried by Alfred T. Mahan and his writings that had influenced naval doctrine since the turn of 20th century, was re-purposed to provide what we might dub the Aegis System of World War II.

World War II saw the methods of sea control move from the barrel of  a 16" main gun battery to the air and under the sea. The battleships before the new classes of North Carolina and South Dakota could not keep up with the fast carriers, and consumed too much fuel to be deployed to support the early landings in the South Pacific. The newer classes arrived in the Pacific in October 1942, where they found a new mission of providing a massive platform for anti-aircraft guns to help fend off attacking planes that threatened the carriers. The Battle of Santa Cruz Islands, October 26, 1942 saw the effect of what the anti-aircraft firepower of the new battleships could do to protect a carrier. The American Order of Battle was divided into two groups; the USS Hornet, protected by two heavy cruisers, two anti-aircraft cruisers, and six destroyers, with a combined firepower of 72 5" DP guns and numerous 1.1 anti-aircraft mounts. The USS Enterprise group was protected by the USS South Dakota, one heavy, and one light cruiser and 8 destroyers with an equal battery of 1.1 anti-aircraft barrels and added 40 MM barrels on the South Dakota. The results of the battle saw the Hornet sunk, and the Enterprise damaged but surviving the onslaught of over 100 Japanese planes, with the South Dakota credited with shooting down 26 of the attacking planes by putting up 890 rounds of 5", 4,000 of 40MM, 3,000 1.1 and 52,000 rds. of 20MM.

South Dakota firing on Japanese bomber Oct 26, 1942

flak from South Dakota and San Juan

USS South Dakota Oct 26, 1942

I am not one to second guess history, but the concentration of having such a robust anti-aircraft gun platform as the South Dakota, supported by the antiaircraft cruiser USS San Juan CL-54 seemed to be the deciding factor in the Enterprise surviving to fight again. The effect of the lesser armed destroyers, in the Enterprise group was impacted when the USS Porter which carried no effective 5" guns, was accidentally torpedoed and required the assistance of another destroyer to rescue her crew in the height of the battle which potentially removed five 5" barrels from the fight. One can only surmise what would have happened it the Enterprise had been lost, or had there been no fast battleships ready to answer the call on the night of November 14-15, 1942.
As the war progressed, the six fast battleships were joined by the new Iowa Class ships, along with the their older sisters, re-floated, and re-armed with scores of anti-aircraft guns that produced such a volume of fire that when used with the new proximity fuse shells, saw no further losses of battleships or fast carriers, with only the light carrier USS Princeton being sunk during the battle of Leyte Gulf. In a time before guidance systems like the AEGIS, the battleship was the last line of air defense during the horrific final months of the Pacific War.

The Iowa class battleships brought 10 twin barrel 5" mounts, 20 Quad 40 MM mounts, and 49, 20 MM guns, which concentrated to put a wall of steel in front of any attacking foe, as the flag plot below showing five battleships surrounding four carriers will illustrate.

The effect of these great ships was also felt as they turned their main batteries to soften up every invasion beach after Guadalcanal which will be the subject of future post.

But for now, I want to pause to invite anyone reading this who has not already done so; to considering parting with a few dollars and becoming a Plank Owner on the USS Iowa as she prepares for a new mission of becoming the host of an education center and museum , devoted to preserving our naval heritage and the memory of those who served their country so valiantly. To those of you who live close to San Pedro, or in the bay area, where she currently needs volunteers to assist in painting and restoring her vast deck, I would invite you to fill out a volunteer pledge application and lend a hand in something you can tell your grandchildren about.

So in the immortal words of US Marine SGT Dan Daly,  lets see if we can all step it up and join the effort to make this the finest historical center on the world, devoted to our Naval heritage.

Anchors Away: The Iowa's New Mission Begins

A New Mission

Anchors Away

Tomorrow at 1200 hours the lead ship of the great Iowa class battleships USS Iowa BB-61, will be gently eased from the anchorage she has occupied for the past ten years and moved to Pier 3 in Richmond, CA were she will undergo refirbishment to make ready for one final sea passage to her new duty station, at pier 87 in community of San Pedro, in the Port of Los Angeles. The following is the offical press release.

 USS IOWA to be towed to Richmond, Calif., beginning on Thursday

- Non-profit begins process to bring famed battleship back to life, transform vessel to interactive museum based in Los Angeles -

Los Angeles – October 25, 2011 – Pacific Battleship Center, the organization that is bringing the USS IOWA back to life, will begin towing the famed battleship from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet to Richmond, Calif., on Thursday, October 27, 2011.

In doing so, the non-profit group begins the months-long process to transform the vessel into an interactive experience permanently based at Berth 87 in Los Angeles. 

“This marks a significant milestone in our dedication to create the world's last available battleship for educational, historical and recreational benefits to those who visit her,” said Robert Kent, President of Pacific Battleship Center. “Our goal is to have the USS IOWA open for visitation by July 4, 2012. There is a great deal of work that needs to be performed starting with this towing evolution. We are excited to be launching into this next phase of restoring what is a true American treasure!”

The two-day event will start at approximately Noon on Thursday where USS IOWA will be towed from Suisun Bay to the Benicia Car Dock. The ship will remain there until 9 a.m. the following morning and make its way to Richmond Pier 3 on Friday. USS IOWA will stay in Richmond for approximately three months to complete refurbishment work before making the tow to Los Angeles.

Media is invited to cover the event at the various locations where the ship will pass along the entire transit. Interviews are available by phone and in person (if feasible) upon request.

In September, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that the United States Navy donated the USS IOWA to the Pacific Battleship Center. The decision was possible under the Navy’s ship donation program and reflects the culmination of years of work by many dedicated volunteers. The USS IOWA is the only battleship of its class that has not been saved and turned into a permanent museum and was the last battleship available for donation.

“To meet our timeline for opening the ship to visitors, we -raised more than $10 million in donations and loans,” said Jonathan Williams, Vice President of Pacific Battleship Center. “We’ve been privileged to receive generous support from so many organizations to make this happen, including the State of Iowa, Torrey Pines Bank, the USS IOWA Veteran’s Association, and civic and business leaders. However, while ten million is the minimum amount needed more funds will allow even more development of the IOWA. We need others to get involved, including the general public and have launched a membership drive to entice those to join this worthwhile cause. We are excited about the initial response and support weare getting for this call out and anticipate keeping the momentum going!”

Interested people can follow the progress of bringing USS IOWA back to life on the organization’s website, Facebook and Twitter pages. Individuals can also sign up to become “plankowners” at Pacific Battleship Center

###© 2011 Pacific Battleship Center. All rights reserved.

Anyone who has followed this blog for the past year has been aware of my interest and support of this organization that is truly motivated by the spirit of volunteerism by scores of people who answered the call from Robert Kent, and the other dedicated people who formed the cadre of this organization and were able to raise millions of dollars, and encourage others, who to date have pledged over 85,000 hours to get her ready to open on July 4, 2012. I would encourage anyone living within driving range of San Pedro, and who wants to be a part of something worthwhile that will live on in time and stand as a living memorial to the history that the ship represents; to become a vollunteer by clicking on the pledge form. I know that my wife is already prepared to see me trudging out the door every weekend beginning in January, as I join the hundreds of others who have pledged to step up and make the "Big Stick" into the best living history museum and education center in the United States.

Battle off Samar, October 25, 1944

Battle off Samar Island Oct 25, 1944

Battle Map

Sixty seven years ago this October 25th, a battle that ranks among the greatest naval epics in American history took place when one small part of American Task Force 77.4 was attacked by a Japanese fleet led by their most powerful warship, IJN Yamato, two other battleships, five cruisers and three destroyers in what was called the Center Force. The battle closed when the Japanese battle fleet breached the unguarded San Bernardino Strait and attacked the northern most part of the task force know by their call sign, Taffy III consisting of six Casablanca Class escort carriers and their escort of three destroyers and four destroyer escorts.

The story of battle has been retold over the decades, perhaps never better than by James D. Hornfischer's Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors which puts the reader aboard the ships and in the cockpit as out gunned pilots attacked the oncoming Japanese forces with every thing from depth charges to making empty strafing runs and shooting pistols fired from inverted fighters as they swept past Japanese flag bridges. Little FM-2 Wildcat fighters, and TBM Avengers, loaded for submarine patrol and close air support, kept the on-rushing Japanese warships dodging and weaving, under a constant rain of bombs, depth charges and a hail of .50 caliber bullets.  The three destroyers charged into the rain of Japanese steel to launch their torpedoes and blast away with all guns until one was down, another holed and still fighting, and another hit and making smoke to cover the retreating baby carriers. alongside the destroyers, one DE, the USS Samuel B Roberts DE-413 charged into the fray and engaged the HIJN Chikuma in a gun duel that destroyed the cruisers #3 8" turret before being holed and sinking with the loss of 89 men.

IJN Chikuma under attack

Meanwhile the USS Johnston DD 557 was becoming a legend as she engaged and torpedoed a heavy cruiser before being hammered into a wreckage and sinking taking 186 lives with her as her captain won the Medal of Honor. Dogfight, USS Johnston off Samar.

USS Johnston attacking the Japanese battle line

The battle rages on and Taffy III's pilots are joined by aircraft from Taffy I and II making the Japanese believe they were engaging the Halsey's 3rd Fleet and after being pummeled for three hours turned back to the strait believing that to remain would invite destruction.  As mist of time close off our memory of what took place on that balmy day off Samar Island in the Philippines, men like Hornsfischer and web sites like Battle off Samar keep the memory alive and add immortality to men, many still boys, who turned too and fought as bravely as any sailor in history.

Adding to the what if, is had the Japanese fleet charged on swatting the aircraft aside and pressing home the attack, they would have been rewarded with this sight, the landing fleet arayed before them defenseless against Kurita's guns.

probable all six carriers would be sunk

unopposed access to destroy landing fleet

A New Mission For BB-61 USS Iowa

USS IOWA BB-61

Now Here This, Now Here This! A Special Announcement from the Secretary of the Navy.



LOS ANGELES, CA – The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus announced today that the United States Navy has donated the Battleship USS Iowa to the Pacific Battleship Center, a Los Angeles‐based nonprofit on course to turn the ship into a permanent museum and memorial at the Port of Los Angeles.

The donation of the USS Iowa to the Pacific Battleship Center, under the Navy’s ship donation program, is the culmination of years of work by many dedicated volunteers. The USS Iowa is the only Iowa‐class battleship that has not been saved and turned into a permanent museum,and was the last battleship available for donation.

“We want to thank the Secretary of the Navy, and the entire United States Navy, for the donation of the USS Iowa to the Pacific Battleship Center,” stated Robert Kent, the President of the nonprofit. “With this award, the USS Iowa will become a permanent museum, memorial and educational center. We can now move forward with the work necessary to restore the ship and to bring her to the Port of Los Angeles.

”The Pacific Battleship Center acknowledged the support and thousands of hours volunteers have contributed to this project. “Without the support of our volunteers, the people of the Los Angeles area and the people of the State of Iowa, this dream would not have become a reality,”stated Kent.

While there are too many people to thank for this great achievement, we do want to make special mention of the efforts of Congressman Buck McKeon, Los Angeles Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, the Los Angeles City Council and their President, Eric Garcetti, the Los AngelesHarbor Commission and their President, Cindy Miscikowski, and Craig Nelson of Torrey‐PinesBank. This award also would not have happened without the tireless support of former Los Angeles City Councilwoman and current Congresswoman Janice Hahn. “Without the persistence of Congresswoman Hahn, the USS Iowa would not be coming to the Port of LosAngeles,” remarked Kent.

The people of Iowa were also instrumental in making this day a reality. We would like to thank Governor Terry Branstad and the Iowa Legislature for their support in appropriating $3 million this year for the restoration of the USS Iowa. The entire Iowa Congressional Delegation also supported the efforts to bring the USS Iowa to Los Angeles. Robert Kent commented, “I would like to particularly thank Congressman Tom Latham and Senator Charles Grassley, for their special efforts to help ensure that the USS Iowa becomes a permanent memorial for all of our citizens.”

As the Pacific Battleship Center moves forward with the restoration and relocation of the USS Iowa, there are still numerous opportunities to be part of this historic project. You may contact the USS Iowa’s new caretakers at www.pacificbattleship.com.

I could not be more proud of the people of the non-profit organization Pacific Battleship Center who have worked so hard to make this a reality. Robert Kent and Trish Place, and hundreds of other volunteers have donated countless hours to bring this great ship back to life and deserve a huge amount credit and appreciation for a job well done. I have written before about the USS Iowa and the goal bring her to San Pedro where she will take on a new mission as a living history museum, and education center dedicated to the men and women who served in our armed forces and aboard great ships like the USS Iowa.