They started throwing everything overboard, including gasoline. To fire up the generator to send out an S.O.S. signal, they collected fluid from cigarette lighters.
He remembers that the crew would play music to pass the time and he put his Sons of the Pioneers songbooks into a waterproof plastic bag and went topside where he had some cocktails. Upon jumping into the freezing water, he swam to a lifeboat, where once aboard, he sang "Cool Water" (by the Sons of the Pioneers) to entertain the other shivering sailors.
"The cocktails helped a lot but was wearing off fast."
Some of the sailors were hanging onto the outside of the lifeboat and gradually began slipping under the water. The bow of the Borie crashed into his lifeboat, tossing Mr. Kent into that cold water again.
Eventually he was brought out of the sea by another boat where a doctor restimulated blood circulation in his legs.
Quite the Ordeal. Like I Said, "The Greatest Generation." --GreGen
My Cooter's History Blog has become about 80% World War II anyway, so I figured to start a blog specific to it, especially since we're commemorating its 70th anniversary and we are quickly losing this "Greatest Generation." The quote is taken from Pearl Harbor survivor Frank Curre, who was on the USS Tennessee that day. He died Dec. 7, 2011, seventy years to the day. His photo is below at right.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
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