Commemorating Pearl Harbor Day 2010, a small group of survivors of that “day that will live in infamy” and their families gathered at the Navy Memorial in frigid temperatures. The flags snapped in a bitter wind, a trumpet sounded Taps, and the Navy Band played as we joined them and  stood in honor of those who are still on duty, below the waves at Battleship Row.

                Irene Telecky, widow of Eugene Telecky who was stationed on USS Raleigh during Pearl Harbor,   was accompanied by her sons, Kenneth and Jeffrey as well as David her grandson. We sat down and talked before the ceremony, both of the sons told me that their dad never talked about the war for years. They grew up not knowing their father was standing in a “circular room” on the Raleigh on that sunny Sunday morning when a torpedo bomb dropped through the deck and went down through all the decks, lodging in the mud below the keel before blowing up.   Irene remembers him telling her about the USS Utah  moored right next to the Raleigh; about the Utah’s wooden deck burning and the screams of the men on fire jumping into the water; about the welding torch they used to get a man out who was banging on the hull for rescue; and most of all of the next day – when Eugene walked down the pier and saw the stacked coffins, row on row. 

 Irene and Eugene were married on December 7, 1946.   I asked Irene if there was any special reason for that date, she told me it was strictly a coincidence “we could get the church that day”. 

Only after he joined the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, did he begin to talk to his sons about the war, about Pearl Harbor and the War in the Pacific. He and the boys watched the movie “Pearl Harbor” and Eugene thought it was awful, had nothing to do with the history of that day. He didn’t watch other war shows, and he wouldn’t go to Hawaii for the 50^th anniversary commemorations (much to Irene’s chagrin)

Chief Telecky served the United States Navy for 20 years, retiring in May 1960. But that perfect Sunday morning in Hawaii never left him, nor did those other days and nights of the Pacific War. Irene talked frankly about the effects of Post Traumatic Stress that Eugene endured, the nightmares and the depression that the VA didn’t diagnose for years, until he was in his 80s; and she thanked the wonderful VA hospital people and the psychiatrist that Eugene loved.  They helped him so much in his last days. Chief Telecky died September 6, 2009 and is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. 

 

 

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 The Blogger’s Roundtable put on by the Department of Defense on December 8th had a fascinating guest: Navy Cross recipient and fighter ace Bill Davis.

In 1944, Davis was the Lieutenant credited with the sinking the Imperial Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku, the last surviving carrier which had participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Although the sinking took place on October 25, 1944, you would have thought that it was yesterday. (Listen to Podcast.) 

“You could see the entire Jap fleet on the horizon,” Davis recalled. “We circled for a minute. Our air group commander was target coordinator, so he held us off until he was satisfied and gave us the word to go.”

And go he did. Flying “high cover” at 20,000 feet, he put his Hellcat F6F into a dive with other planes, but realized right away that the speed of the dive would end up with him being too fast and too flat to hit the carrier. At 12,000 feet, he pulled out of the group and kept flying until he was directly over the Zuikaku.

“I stalled the airplane and it went straight down, which is somewhat hazardous in a fighter plane because you pick up too much speed,” Davis said. “With a dive bomber, you have the big dive breaks that keep you slow. But I didn't care about that. The thing that astounded me was the amount of anti-aircraft fire. There were two clouds forming, one at 10,000 feet and one at about 4,000 feet, of continuously exploding shells. And I knew there was no chance to fly through that and come out the other end. But I still didn't care. I was going to get my hit.”

With the plane at a low level, he pulled the bomb release. His hit was credited with the sinking of the carrier.

Davis got the word from the air group commander that they were taking the admiral and his staff off the Zuikaku, which was beginning to sink. He and others of the air group were ordered to go back and strafe the ships.

At the time of his attack, Davis did not know that it was the Zuikaku he was attacking. It was only later he learned that the carrier was the last remnant of the Japanese Pearl Harbor Strike Force.

In 2007, Davis published his memoirs of his experiences as a Naval aviator, including the strike on the Zuikaku. “Sinking the Rising Sun”, (MBI Publishing Company) is available on Amazon.com.

I asked Davis what led to the publishing of his book three years ago.

“After the war, our family took up skiing,” Davis recounted. “

There was no FM radio in those days during those long drives from West L.A. up into the Sierra mountains. To pass the time, one of his daughters pleaded with him to tell the family stories from the war. Starting with some of the funnier ones, recounting some of his Navy experiences became a routine during these drives. Davis said his daughters kept after him all these years to write a book on his experiences.

“Fortunately, I had kept a diary,” Davis said. “I didn't know we weren't allowed to keep diaries. Somehow that directive missed me. So I had something to work from and a map of all of our movements throughout the Pacific. So I sat down finally and wrote it.

The Naval ace and Navy Cross recipient was asked by the panel moderator to make a closing comment.

“I enjoyed my time in the Navy, about four and a half years, very, very much,” Davis said. “I liked almost every aspect of it, and loved the men that I was associated with, both at the very local level and our own squadron. Everyone there was a volunteer. And they were all in there and anxious. No one ever begged off a flight. I don't know whether we were exceptional, but I have a feeling it was like that throughout the Naval Air Corps. And I was very proud to be part of it.”

Many Navy men and women, past and present, share his view.

Davis turns 90 years young in a few weeks. Please join me in wishing him a Happy Birthday and, more importantly, thanking him for his service. He is a fascinating member of the Greatest Generation.

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With fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Navy and Marine Corps amphibious skills have not been honed in a major exercise for nearly 10 years. That will change on December 11 when Exercise Bold Alligator kicks off.

This unique amphibious exercise will be a simulation, a war game which permits insertion of various weather conditions, sea states and aggressive action by opposing forces. It will be followed by an actual amphib exercise some 14 months from now in February 2012.

Rear Admiral Kevin Scott, USN, Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Two (ESG2), is excited about this opportunity to hone the skills of the Navy and Marine Corps team.

“We need to remain the premier amphibious force in the world,” said Scott, who will be the embarked commmander of the Amphibious Task Force on USS BATAAN (LHD-5).

Although Exercise Bold Alligator will be a simulation this year, it will involve plenty of sailors, Marines and commands. Some 29 participating commands, eight ships, seven training centers, plus 14 units under ESG2 and the 2^nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (2MEB) will be deeply immersed in this week-long war game. In addition to simulated amphibious insertions, simultaneous non-combatant evacuations will be part of the scenario.

The goal is to improve amphibious readiness and proficiency, while exercising the six core capabilities of our Maritime Strategy: Forward Presence; Deterrence; Sea Control; Power Projection Assistance; Maritime Security and Humanitarian and Disaster Response.

RADM Scott grew up in New York City and maintains the Big Apple as his home of record. When he was a college student at the University of Buffalo, he decided he wanted to fly for the Navy. His career has been an interesting one (RADM SCOTT BIO.)

Starting Saturday, there will a lot of folks deeply involved in Exercise Bold Alligator. It will be a far cry from my first amphibious experience, which was reading “Away All Boats”  and later seeing the movie. My initial orders as an Ensign had me headed to an APA, the same type of ship in “Away All Boats”, but those orders changed and I was sent to the USS AMERICA (CV-66).

Exercise Bold Alligator will be a far cry from the amphibious operations of World War II. Some of the early principles remain the same, but the ships and equipment, as well as the operators have changed dramatically. My guess is that the exercise will prove that our Navy-Marine Corps team is ready for the demands of any amphibious combative operation or humanitarian mission.

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Thanks to I Like The Cut Of His Jib for alerting us.  It would have been Admiral Zumwalt's 90th Birthday on Saturday. If you click on the link, you'll see the Navy Log of Admiral Zumwalt, the 1994 Lone Sailor Award recipient.  The Admiral's son wants to get a postage stamp issued commemorating Admiral Zumwalt and his immense service to the Navy and to his country.  If you read the blog, you'll see the address to which to write your letter of support.

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The Naval Intelligence community mourns the loss of Cdr Robert (Bob) Fleming  - his service spanned WW2 and the Korean War - a link to his Navy Log is here.  After leaving the Navy, Cdr. Fleming went into business and continued to serve his community.  In 1987, The Commonwealth of Virginia General Assembly passed a house resolution lauding him "… for his exceptional civic leadership, his outstanding dedication and his unselfish service".  Our condolences to his family and many friends.  For more information concerning burial services please go to : High Point Enterprise - Obituaries November 14

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At the 13^th Annual Veterans Conference held at the Navy Memorial, I asked one question of many of the participants – Who was the one person or group that made you say “wow, I’m in the same room with ______________” The answers, and the reasons, were very interesting!

Two young female cadets from one of the military academies were quick to tell me – the men of Band of Brothers – they study them, the strategies, the relationships between the men. Two others – wearing AirForce Blue – told me they were most impressed by the Tuskegee Airmen, they helped break down the barriers and began the dismantling of the barriers to women serving in the AirForce (they did say they were looking forward to meeting the WASP who was scheduled for later in the day and might change their mind then!)   The Tuskegee Airmen were cited most often for breaking down barriers to service, as was Ben Kuroki “they had to fight the system, to fight the enemy”.  Others were most impressed by Yogi Berra, the veterans of Iwo Jima were cited by all the former Marines in the crowd and Medal of Honor winner Ron Rosser was cited by many of the young ROTC cadets. As one young man told me, Rosser was just like a video game – he just kept going and going, and lived through it all!

One young cadet, who is hoping to go into Military Intelligence was most impressed with General Singlaub, and when I saw him later, talking to General Singlaub, he was grinning from ear to ear – reminded me of a kid at Christmas when he got his picture taken with the “super spook” of OSS and CIA.   Watching the young men and women meeting those men and women they have studied or read about, was marvelous. The awe in many faces was palpable, and some of them told me that they appreciated hearing from their heroes. Some of these stories were new to them, or they only knew the names from movies or TV shows. The group of men who had won the Congressional Medal of Honor were most often characterized as modest, quiet and honorable by everyone. It’s pretty awesome, as one cadet told me, to shake hands with the man who received that highest honor!  The Doolittle Raiders – to see the real person whose exploits were shown in the movie “Thirty Seconds over Tokyo” was a thrill, and to hear the real stories of how they managed to accomplish that strike, and without any leaks to media or the enemy, was inspiring.

Meeting the storied Band Of Brothers members was a TV moment for a lot of us. Many of the older men and women said they’d love to sit down with Babe Heffron, have a beer and just listen to his stories, the man can tell a GREAT story! After talking to many women in the audience, we agreed that Don Malarkey is still a very very handsome man, with a twinkle in the eye that hasn’t dimmed from the famous picture on the cover of his book. 

Who was it for me? Oh… I’m in the “all of them” camp – I was inspired, honored and dumbstruck by so many of them, I can’t pick just one. But I’ll tell you who I want to sit and talk with – Kayla Williams, the US Army linguist/intel specialist who wrote a wonderful book about Iraq “Love my Rifle More Than You” and Col Susan Luz – the Nightingale of Mosul. They could give me the insight to the veterans of the current wars, especially the women.   But, I’d love to sit down and pop a brew with Babe Heffron as well, or with David Ballavia, or Ron Rosser, - great storytellers!  

It was such an honor to be there. 

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Sis and I took a lot of pictures. When the camera came up, Mom insisted that Dad take off his hat. So many pictures were delayed or retaken because Mom was busy fussing with Dad, trying to get him to take off his hat. We’d start to line up a shot (maybe even be ready to shoot) when Mom would say, “Bill, take off your hat! Your hat! Bill! Take your hat off! They’re taking a picture. Take off your hat!”
Mom, it’s ok. Let him have his hat.
“Bill, take off your hat! Your hat! Bill! Take your hat off! They’re taking a picture. Take off your hat!”
Mom, we will be able to tell who he is. Let him keep his hat.
“Bill, take off your hat! Your hat! Bill! Take your hat off! They’re taking a picture. Take off your hat!”
…
*snap*
The day of the Memorial Tour was no different.
Waiting in the lobby with all these other Navy Veterans, Dad had plenty of people to talk to. “Navy,” or “My hat,” or he’d try to tell his Navy story using his (or someone else’s) hat.
The buses pulled up in front of the hotel and Dad was ready to hurry out and board, afraid we might miss our ride.
On the bus, he was presented with both defended and defenseless hats. Defended, by those who’d already experienced Dad’s attempts at taking them; defenseless by those who had not. Sis and I tried to interfere, but at least 2 hats were snatched, and returned. Dad even managed to grab one and place it atop his own hat only to realize there was something in the way. Removing them both, he was confused by what he found. We’d return the stolen hats and apologize.

One of our stops was at the WWII Memorial. I took Mom and Dad around to find the Ohio pillar, wanting a picture of them in front of it. Our tour guide offered to take the picture for us using my phone. I handed him the phone, showed him how to use it, and lined up for the shot with them. “Ready? Say cheese!”
Mom, carrying a plastic shopping bag, reached up to remove Dad’s hat, saying, “Bill, take off your hat! Your hat! Bill! Take your hat off! They’re taking a picture. Take off your hat!” and hit Dad in the face with the bag just as the camera snapped.
The guide suggested taking another picture, but I insisted that this one was nearly perfect:

We attended the dedication at the Navy Memorial and got pictures of Mom and Dad with the Destroyer Escort Bas Relief and The Lone Sailor:

I’ve looked at all the pictures I took on this trip. In about half of them, Mom succeeded in getting Dad’s hat off his head. (In only one is there evidence of an assault!) In about half of them, Mom is wearing her Transitions glasses – which darken with camera flashes and in daylight.
Many years ago, when these lenses started becoming more abundant, Mom complained that everyone’s eyes were darkened out because of them. Sometimes she’d insist she couldn’t even tell who they were because of their dark glasses. Whenever pictures were going to be taken, Mom would remove her glasses, and insisted that others do the same. (We used to tease Mom about her outdoor pictures looking funny… something about them… hmm… what was it? Oh, yeah, SQUINTING in the bright sunlight. Much better than the dark glasses!)
Even years later, when she no longer had Transitions lenses, she still usually removed her glasses. When we got her last pair of glasses, she decided she wanted Transitions, again. Now, she thinks to remove them about half the time. These times only coincided with Dad’s hat being off in about half of the pictures. So I have an fairly even mix of hat on – glasses off, hat off – glasses on, hat on – glasses on, hat off – glasses off. (I should see if Sis found the same mix.)

After the tour, we returned to our room for a nap. It wasn’t to be.
to be continued…

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