Aircraft carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) attacked during WWII
USS Franklin (click for high-res)
“The carrier is afire and listing after she was hit by a Japanese air attack while operating off the coast of Japan – the crew is clearly seen on deck. Many of the crewmen were blown overboard, driven off by fire, killed or wounded, but the hundreds of officers and enlisted who voluntarily remained saved their ship through sheer tenacity.”
My father was on the USS Miller, a destroyer that
came to the rescue of the USS Franklin.
He survived the war and was killed when a school roof
collapsed on him, about 30 years ago….He went on the USS Miller at the very beginning of that Destroyer’s WWII career. He had just turned 18 in 1943 and was on
the USS Miller until april 1945. I am putting together my parents
history and he left a journal telling a little about
the war.
connie hastings
November 2, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Cool! Good luck!
Warren
November 3, 2009 at 9:05 am
A hearty “Thank You” to your father for putting his life on the line to fight the good fight against the Japanese Empire during WWII. Also, my condolences for losing him in such a freak accident.
I would also like to extend an offer to you Connie. If you would like to publish some of your Father’s journal as well as any photos you may have of him or photos that he took during the war, I would gladly dedicate a page here on this blog to his memory.
Jason Jeffrey
November 3, 2009 at 9:45 am
Let me consider what would be appropriate.
I am not really into computers, but my son could
probably help me email some photos to you…my father did not
take any photos of the war as such, i just have photos of him
on the USS Miller with a few comrades, I could send you that photo. I don’t know the names of his comrades in the photo….but maybe someone would recognize them. His older brother died during WWII, he was a pilot. Maybe we could put him in the blog. He had just received his wings. But his plane crashed during routine manuvers on the Pacific Coast, so he never actually got into the war, as my father did….but ironically, he was the one that died. Give me a week or two to figure out how to send photos. Thanks.
Connie
November 3, 2009 at 7:32 pm