Autógrafos y letras de Survivor recibidos (pagina 5 de 11):
|
Elmo Wojahn U S S Hornet C V - 8 Survivor.. W W I I - 19 de March de 2019
Elmo M. Wojahn Born 3/2/1924
War: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953; Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Branch: Navy
Unit: USS Hornet (CV 8); USS Solomons (CVE 67)
Service Location: Pacific; Atlantic
Rank: Chief Petty Officer
Elmo Wojahn is a Hornet survivor and plank owner* of the Hornet. Part of the Doolittle Raider history. veteran of Guadalcanal, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Elmo Wojahn was an Aviation Machinist's Mate on the Hornet and survived the sinking of the ship at the Battle of Santa Cruz.
Plank Owner: A "plank owner" is an individual who was a member of the crew of a ship when that ship was placed in commission, recommissioning or decommissioning.
Sent him 2 photos (of the Hornet) on 8 Mar and got them back signed on 19 Mar..
ADRC Elmo M. Wojahn
110 S. Henderson St. Apt 111
Houston, MN 55943 |
 Comentar | Ver el comentario
|
Arthur Leenerman U S S Indianapolis Survivor W W I I - 09 de February de 2019
Mr Leenerman, who served for two years on the Indianapolis and is now one of about 19 living survivors, said he had time to put on a life jacket before climbing overboard. The amount of oil in the water made him vomit almost immediately.
He clung to a group of men as they waited for rescue through four days and five nights.
ââ¬ÅAs long as we were together and stayed in a bunch we were fairly safe from the sharks,ââ¬Â he said, recounting his extraordinary tale of survival.
The story of the ship and her survivors has occupied a special place in the American psyche. They were the subject of countless books, documentaries and films.
The tale made for a chilling plot point in the Steven Spielberg blockbuster Jaws, when the fictional survivor Capt Quint describes the terror of waiting to be rescued while sharks snatched men in the water.
Arthur Leenerman, a 95-year-old survivor, said he had wished for years that the wreck would be found.
ââ¬ÅWe were wondering whether they would ever be able to find it or not,ââ¬Â he said. ââ¬ÅIââ¬â¢m glad they found it and I hope I get a chance to have a closer look at the pictures.ââ¬Â But he added he was saddened that so many survivors and relatives of those lost at sea had died without ever having a chance to learn of her final resting place.
Don McCall Jr, whose father died earlier this year after surviving the sinking, said everyone connected to the ship would be a little more at peace
ââ¬ÅIt brings a little bit of closure to all those families and especially those survivors who can now see their shipmatesââ¬â¢ final resting place,ââ¬Â he said.
The Indianapolis was returning from a secret mission to deliver parts for the atomic bomb which was later used on Hiroshima when she was hit by Japanese torpedoes on July 30, 1945.
What came next made the episode one of the most retold tales of Americaââ¬â¢s war.
The vessel sank in just 12 minutes giving survivors little time to use rescue equipment. No distress call was ever received and it was not until four days later, when a bomber on a routine mission spotted survivors, that the alarm was raised.
Sent him 2 photos on 31 Jan and got them back signed on 9 Feb
Mr Arthur Leenerman
Address removed |
Comentar | Ver los 2 comentarios
|
Cleatus A. Lebow U S S Indianapolis Survivor - 08 de February de 2019
Cleatus A. Lebow... about 95 years old..
ABERNATHY, TX (KCBD) - A special alum visited Abernathy High School to speak to students about his time in World War II on Tuesday.
Cleatus Lebow graduated from the school in 1941, just two years before he entered the war and served on the USS Indianapolis.
On July 30, 1945, a Japanese submarine torpedoed the ship, leaving hundreds of men in shark-infested waters with no lifeboats, food, or waters for days.
1,196 men stepped onto that ship. Only 317 made it home. Cleatus was one of them. He says he feels lucky to still be here.
"After we got hit by a suicide plane in Okinawa, I was on leave, I was home, and they called and I had to go back to the ship three days earlier than I was supposed to," Cleatus said.
He still remembers every moment from the day their ship was hit. He recalled his mother's words as it started to sink.
"When the ship got hit by the torpedo and I was walking down the side, I was a scared young man. And I just said a short prayer. Lord help me. And a warm feeling came over me, just like everything was going to be okay. I was either going home to Abernathy, or I was going home to heaven. And it didn't make a difference, I was ready," Cleatus said.
Just about 18 of the survivors are still alive today. Cleatus is now the only Texas survivor still here to tell his story.
"We lost 881 men, so there's that many families out there that really...I feel sorry for them. I feel like the good Lord answered my mother's prayers and made me lucky," Cleatus said.
Sent him 2 photos on 14 Jan and got them back signed on 8 Feb
Mr Cleatus A. Lebow
PO Box 96
Memphis, TX 79245 |
Comentar | Ver el comentario
|
Gilbert Meyer Pearl Harbor Survivor U S S Utah - 07 de February de 2019
Former Fireman 1st Class Gilbert Meyer, a Pearl Harbor survivor, was excited to be promoted to fireman first class on Dec 6, 1941, just one day before the Japanese attack on the Navy fleet at Pearl Harbor.
In his soft-spoken Texan accent, he told about what happened 77 years ago.
ââ¬ÅI had the mid-watch that night and was really tired. After my watch, I went to the galley and we drank coffee and discussed what we would do if the Japanese attacked,ââ¬Â he remembered.
As Meyer recounted the hours that led up to the attack, he reminisced about the good news of his promotion. ââ¬ÅI got to sleep in luxury on a cot in the fire room. Everyone else on board were on hammocks,ââ¬Â he said.
Meyer said that he barely woke up as the first torpedo hit. ââ¬ÅI was sleeping on the starboard side, so I was safe. The torpedoes came from the channel on the port side.ââ¬Â
The second torpedo hit and the battle lanterns were not operational. The steam fell to zero and the lights went out.
ââ¬ÅMy good friend, John Reeves Crain, died then. We only knew each other six months, but back then, that was a long time,ââ¬Â Meyer said.
Meyer explained that there were three of them who had just been promoted to firemen first class Crain, Leonard Lew Purifoy and himself.
ââ¬ÅAfter the lights went out, the ship began to list and I knew I had to get off. I started to run off in my skivvies and shoes, but once I made it off the ship I did not have my shoes. I have no idea what happened to them.ââ¬Â ââ¬ÅThe ship was rolling and there were large timbers on board and they rolled off and killed some. As we all got to shore, the wives from the officer housing told us to run in their homes and find any clothes we could.ââ¬Â
They were in grave danger because many Sailors either could not swim or were drowning in the oil that had spilled due to all the heavy strafing. He also told how everyone found a way to help ââ¬â by either shooting rifles at enemy planes or rescuing Sailors from the water.
Meyers explained that after the attack was over, Sailors would walk onto the quarterdeck of any ship and give their rate to see if anyone needed assistance. If they did, that is where they would work for the day.
A one-cent postcard was sent to Meyerââ¬â¢s parents to notify them of his status after the attack. The postcard was pre-typed with multiple options: I am well; I have been admitted to hospital as wound-ed/sick/serious/not serious; I am getting on well, hope to return to duty soon. Sailors had to scratch off the items that were not appropriate and the card usually took three- to six weeks to reach their families on the mainland.
Sent him 2 photos on 25 Jan and got them back signed on 7 Feb. He also sent a business card size card listing what battles he took part in during the war.
Mr Gilbert Meyer
Address removed |
Comentar | Ver los 5 comentarios
|
Richard Thelen USS Indianapolis Survivor - 30 de January de 2019
In 1945, Thelen, was an 18-year-old sailor deployed aboard the U.S. Navyââ¬â¢s USS Indianapolis, sent to deliver parts for the first atomic bomb to the U.S. base at Tinian during World War II.
From there, the ship went to Guam and then was headed across the Philippine Sea to Leyte when a Japanese submarine torpedoed the USS Indianapolis just after midnight on July 30. It sank within 12 minutes. Of the 1,196 crewmen on board, about 300 went down with the ship and another 600 died of exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning or shark attacks as they bobbed in the Pacific Ocean for several days.
Thelen was one of only 317 people who survived what turned out to be the largest single loss of life at sea in the history of the U.S. Navy.
ââ¬ÅItââ¬â¢s easier to die out there than to try to live. You had to work at staying alive,ââ¬Â Thelen says. ââ¬ÅI wanted to go home to see my dad. Iââ¬â¢m a Catholic, so I prayed like hell.ââ¬Â
ââ¬ÅIââ¬â¢m no hero,ââ¬Â Thelen said, . ââ¬ÅMy statement is never give up, just donââ¬â¢t give up.ââ¬Â
Sent him 2 photos on 15 Jan and got them back signed on 30 Jan..
[youtubeovk-HA79DP4[/youtube
Mr Richard Thelen
518 Chanticleer Trail
Lansing, MI 48917 |
Comentar | Ver el comentario
|
|
