Down to the Sea (39 page)

Complete book publication details are supplied in the bibliography. World War II U.S. Navy records such as deck logs, action reports, and war diaries are available at the National Archives II, College Park, Maryland. Other naval documents, such as oral and command histories, and communications, are collected at the Naval Historical Center, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Military personnel records are available at the National Personnel Records Center, St. Louis, Missouri. Information about destroyer (DD) and destroyer escort (DE) veterans is available from the National Association of Destroyer Veterans (www.destroyers.org).

Prologue

“a Nebraska farm kid”: Charles Wohlleb interview.

“Jesus…After fire room” and further quotations attributed to Franklin Horkey: Wohlleb interview.

Chapter One

“in readiness”: Log of
Monaghan,
Dec. 6, 1941.

“an old World…‘We have attacked'”: Roscoe,
Destroyer Operations
, p. 45.

“Proceed immediately…sound general quarters” and further quotations attributed to William P. Burford and the ship's lookout, Action Report,
Monaghan,
Dec. 30, 1941.

“wanting to get…Well, Curtiss…an over and…had to depth”: Prange,
December 7, 1941,
pp. 235–36.

“Okay, Captain”: Lord,
Day of Infamy,
p. 122.

n
. “unexplained and almost”: Morison,
The Rising Sun in the Pacific,
p. 97.

“could scarcely”:
New York Times,
Dec. 7, 2006.

“smoldering lust”:
Commercial Appeal
(Memphis, Tenn.), Jan. 26, 1945.

“which will live in infamy”: Franklin D. Roosevelt speech, Dec. 8, 1941.

“inspected as to quality”: Log of
Hull,
Dec. 7, 1941.

“quite a few…only man aboard…goofy guy…The Japs are…wasn't off…one solid blast…something was always”: Ray Schultz interview.

“on a scale”: Cant,
America's Navy in World War II
, p. 41.

“still a couple of”: Morison,
The Struggle for Guadalcanal
, p. 286.

“take and no give”: Morison,
The Rising Sun in the Pacific
, p. 118.

“out of…directed toward”: DuCharme,
Recollections of 7 December 1941
, p. 7.

“squirting a garden hose”: Schultz interview. 13–

“no drill…the real McCoy…just a mess”: Tom Stealey interview.

“I can swim…all over the place”: Stealey interview.

“so smashing a victory”: Morison,
The Rising Sun in the Pacific
, p. 125.

1,465 U.S. servicemen: Ryan,
The Longest Day
, p. 303.

“tin cans…too thin”: Halsey,
Admiral Halsey's Story
, p. 43.

“never mastered”: ibid., p. 59.

“guessed that the blame”: ibid., p. 82.

“seafarers and adventurers”: ibid., p. 2.

“There are exceptions”: ibid., p. xiii.

“fighting-cock stance…beetle-brows”: Potter,
Bull Halsey
, p. 1.

“Admiral”: Halsey,
Admiral Halsey's Story
, p. 77.

“My God”: Halsey dictated memoirs; Thomas,
Sea of Thunder
, p. 37.

“scene after scene”: Prange,
December 7, 1941
, p. 372.

“see enough…the worst…Before we're”: Halsey,
Admiral Halsey's Story
, p. 81.

Chapter Two

“Our Navy has…are grimly”: Bath
Daily Times
, Oct. 27, 1942.

“the Stradivarius of destroyers”: Jones,
Destroyer Squadron 23
, p. 39.

“throughout…could be felt”: Bath
Daily Times
, Oct. 27, 1942.

“fast, roomy”: Friedman,
U.S. Destroyers
, p. 111.

n
. “the heart and soul”: Holland,
The Navy
, p. 115.

“We will fight…the enlisted men”: Bath
Daily Times
, Oct. 27, 1942.

“perpetual mist”: Morison,
Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls
, p. 3.

“Roman holiday”: ibid., p. 24.

“just thrilled…Cut 'em in…all be over”: Joseph Candelaria interview.

“revved up”: DuCharme,
Recollections of 7 December 1941
, p. 24.

“sitting duck…little chance…magnificent and”: Morison,
Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls
, p. 31.

“expendable…Torpedoes!…I wouldn't”: Candelaria interview.

“I should have…in the states”: Ernest Stahlberg interview.

“We were goners”: Candelaria interview.

“smothering them…seemed impossible…outstandingly valiant”: Morison,
Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls
, p. 32.

“boy, what a sight”: Joseph Guio letter, Dec. 21, 1943.

“what seemed almost”: Morison,
Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls
, p. 31.

“no fights…Just having”: Candelaria interview.

Chapter Three

“the first…surprised and”: Morison,
The Struggle for Guadalcanal
, p. 15.

“various holes…traumatic amputation”: Action Report,
Hull
, Aug. 11, 1942.

“in for…What makes…There's smoke…sunk a truck…ran Japs…short chain…no match…the trees…nothing to eat…artillery duty”: Schultz interview.

“British and warm”: Michael Franchak interview.

“headed up north…You're going”: Patrick Douhan interview.

“thawed into…in a fog”: Roscoe,
Destroyer Operations
, pp. 249, 250.

“as unlike those”: Morison,
Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls
, p. 38.

“frozen stiff…about twenty-one…wiped out…the whole ship”: Franchak interview.

“fog hung over…thicker than…glowing mushroom…like a dead…remarkable exploit”: Roscoe,
Destroyer Operations
, pp. 252, 253.

“by three feet…But I…I trembled”: Guio letter, Dec. 21, 1943.

“long, tedious”: Candelaria interview.

“possibly the world's”: Roscoe,
Destroyer Operations
, p. 246a (caption).

Chapter Four

“green as grass”:
Time
, “King of the Cans,” July 17, 1944.

“5 percent…screwed up…tough but”: Al Bunin interview.

“some of us”: Jones,
Destroyer Squadron 23
, p. 37.

“You have over”: ibid., p. 219.

“refresher course”:
Parkin, Blood on the Sea
, p. 264.

“hard-driving”: Potter,
Admiral Arleigh Burke
, p. 51.

“a thousand miles…work like hell”: Potter,
Admiral Arleigh Burke
, pp. 3, 15.

“trademark that…the little beavers”: Potter,
Admiral Arleigh Burke
, p. 93.

“how he loved”:
Converse
newsletter, Mar. 1983.

“I'm heading”: Potter,
Admiral Arleigh Burke
, p. 93.

“administered to”: Jones,
Destroyer Squadron 23
, p. 5.

“superior cruiser”: Morison,
Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier
, p. 313.

“to attack upon”: Jones,
Destroyer Squadron 23
, p. 22.

“the first to”: Sigismund L. Koperniak diary, Nov. 3, 1943.

“wracked by a murderous”: Parkin,
Blood on the Sea
, p. 264.

“Execute turn…roughly parallel…sparks flew…handsome silver…the good saint”: Jones,
Destroyer Squadron 23
, pp. 230, 231. 45–

“right standard…Ship approaching…Full right…in night actions”: Action Report,
Spence
, Nov. 8, 1943.

“feisty Spence…columns of fire”: Parkin,
Blood on the Sea
, p. 265.

“We have…Cease firing!”: Potter,
Admiral Arleigh Burke
, pp. 97, 98.

“Sorry, but”: Jones,
Destroyer Squadron 23
, p. 234.

“scared plenty…overcame fear”: Koperniak diary, Nov. 3, 1943.

“sprawled over…suddenly came”: Jones,
Destroyer Squadron 23
, p. 240.

“swift continuous…pouring out…masterpieces”: Morison,
Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier,
p. 322.

“fanatical speech…swarming”: Parkin,
Blood on the Sea
, p. 265.

“the most weird”: Koperniak diary, Nov. 10, 1943.

“very good intelligence”: Jones,
Destroyer Squadron 23
, p. 240.

“Please, Arleigh”: Jones and Kelley,
Admiral Arleigh (31-Knot) Burke
, p. 133.

“31-Knot Burke”: Potter,
Admiral Arleigh Burke
, p. 102.

“gentle reproach”: Jones,
Destroyer Squadron 23
, p. 40.

‘sardonic rib”: Jones and Kelley,
Admiral Arleigh (31-Knot) Burke
, p. 133.

“with true instinct”: Morison,
Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier
, p. 354.

“any Allied”: Potter,
Admiral Arleigh Burke
, p. 103.

“a foe…a wait…detonations boomed…orange flame”: Roscoe,
Destroyer Operations
, p. 264.

“in hot pursuit…One more”: Morison,
Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier
, p. 356.

“fuel line…King of”:
Time
, July 17, 1944.

“Never had the”: Potter,
Admiral Arleigh Burke
, p. 106.

“not even…an almost…fortune of…we reached”: Morison,
Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier
, pp. 358–59.

“hoisted into”: Jones,
Destroyer Squadron 23
, p. 264.

“Yesterday was”: Robert Strand letter, Nov. 26, 1943.

Chapter Five

“viciously intercepted…gallantly pressed…courageous fighting…played a major”: Distinguished Flying Cross citation.

“dogfighting a Zero”: Robert J. Cressman, Naval Historical Center, “Tabberer,” revised Nov. 2006.

“immediate active…assistant athletic”: Henry L. Plage letter, Jan. 7, 1941.

“cruiser, battleship”: Plage letter, Mar. 6, 1942.

“engulfed himself…one step”: Arthur H. Plage interview.

“above average”: Report of Fitness, Henry Lee Plage, Jan. 31, 1944.

“I believe”: Navy News Service, Aug. 1, 2005.

“90 Day…couldn't get”: Henry L. Plage letter, circa 2001.

“run the ship”: Paul Phillips interview.

“engines going”: Log of
Tabberer,
May 29, 1944.

“very capable”: Frank Burbage interview.

“great ship handler”: Tom Bellino interview.

“Cruising in the”: Log of
Tabberer,
June 11, 1944.

“hardly stay up”: Howard Korth interview.

“youthful exuberance”: Henry L. Plage statement, Aug. 30, 1986.

“very high…treated the enlisted”: Burbage interview.

“attached to…from time…everybody loved”: Bellino interview.

“best chow…couldn't get fat…best cinnamon…not too tough…cutting back…not many dogs…they didn't look”: Phillips interview. 62–

“establishment that…made a few…took on…bloody, with…a real crew…not supposed…the first time…developed real…so very”: Plage statement, Aug. 30, 1986.

“pretty good system”: Adamson and Kosco,
Halsey's Typhoons
, p. 130.

“there always…Sir, you”: Phillips interview.

“under war…Ensign Surdam”: Report of Fitness, Robert McClellan Surdam, Dec. 8, 1941.

“As officer of”: Report of Fitness, Surdam, Dec. 12, 1943.

“the fitting”: Navy Dept. Bureau of Personnel letter, May 8, 1944.

Chapter Six

“goners”: Candelaria interview.

“more valuable…mother would…thinking of”: Candelaria interview.

“murderous fire…the Marines”: Candelaria interview.

“the President…we are going…The Monaghan is…lots and lots…Bill, I've changed…putting a fake”: Guio letter, Dec. 21, 1943.

“never-ending cheerfulness”: Joseph C. McCrane letter, Mar. 15, 1945.

“real laid-back…like a father”: Russell Friesen interview.

“exceptionally well”: Calhoun,
Typhoon: The Other Enemy
, p. 16.

“GQ Wendt…every five…everyone wanted…all wrapped up”: Joseph C. McCrane interview.

“a very religious…Mother McCrane”: Candelaria interview.

“knows where…Now I'm going…Is she dancing…I thought he…wouldn't have…Louie walk”: Candelaria interview.

“falling over…over a mile…closer than”: Statement Concerning Finding of Death, May 1, 1945.

“they took the…
looked
like”: McCrane interview.

“pounded the”: Candelaria,
Tin Cans
, p. 198.

“all night…monotonous…back and forth…not doing much”: Candelaria interview.

“when the Japs…filled their…started at…good ship…pretty busy”: Evan Fenn interview.

Chapter Seven

“quite a few…murderous journey”: Franchak interview.

“dim, flashing…a float…a hole…presenting a…column of…mighty roar…men, planes…fragments of…flared up…spreading pool…frightful condition…thickly covered”: Morison,
Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls
, pp. 140–41.

“an uneasy…blew up…but never”: Douhan interview.

“entered the oil”: Action Report,
Monaghan
, Dec. 10, 1943.