USS Oklahoma-- Part 3: A Timeline of Her Service

Here is a short timeline of the career of this mighty battleship:

**  AUGUST 13, 1918:  Sailed with her sister ship, the USS Nevada to protect and escort allied convoys  in European waters until World War I was over.

**  DECEMBER 1918:  Participated as an escort to President Woodrow Wilson traveling to France to negotiate the Versailles Treaty.  On June 1919, returned to France to escort the president home.

**  1919-1926:  Part of the Atlantic Fleet for two years and then the Pacific Fleet for six years.  Participated in the Peruvian Centennial and the unveiling of  the San Martin Monument.   

**  The Oklahoma became one of the first warships to have bunks instead of hammocks.

**  1927-1929:  Modernized in Philadelphia, then rejoined the Scouting Fleet.

--GreGen

The USS Oklahoma-- Part 2: Sister Ship of the USS Nevada

Here is the story of the USS Oklahoma.

In 1911, Congress authorized the building of two new battleships -- the Nevada and Oklahoma.  They were to be a modern symbol of U.S. power.  The New York Shipbuilding Company of Camden, New Jersey,  laid the keel of the USS Oklahoma in Otober 1912.

These two battleships were the first to burn  oil as fuel instead of coal.  The Oklahoma was commissioned in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 2, 1916.  The commissioning statement stated:  "That it was hoped that the Oklahoma might never become a mere instrument of destruction nor of strife, but a minister of  peace and a guardian of rights and interests of mankind, protecting the weak aganst the strong."

Attending the commissioning was  Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Franklin D. Roosevelt,   As president, he would ask for a declaration of war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The USS Nevada was also at Pearl Harbor that day and was the only battleship  to get underway.

--GreGen

The USS Oklahoma-- Part 1

From the December 27, 2022, Times-Gazette "Story of the USS Oklahoma  and her lost servicemen."

On December 7, 1941, the USS Oklahoma was sunk during a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor entombing hundreds of servicemen.  In 2015, Project Oklahoma began in an effort  to identify 388 men whose remains were unaccounted for. Since then, 355 have been accounted for by the Defense MIA/POW Accounting Agency.

One of those men, Seaman 1st Class Maurice Spangler, born and raised in Defiance, Ohio, will be reburied  in the National Cemetery of the Pacific, or "Punchbowl" on Hawaii on January 4, 2023.

On December7, 2021,  in a ceremony at that cemetery, the remains of the 33 men who could not be identified by DNA were laid to rest with full military honors.  In attendance were the families of both unidentified and identified sailors and Marines.

--GreGen

Another Illinois Pearl Harbor Unknown Identified: Herbert Jacobson-- Part 2

Their bodies were not recovered until the ship was raised much later.  He was identified in 2019, but reburials were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Jacobson was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery this past September.

McDonald's father was a friend of Jacobson's in boot camp at Great Lakes naval Station north of Chicago.  The father met Jacobson's sister during a visit to Herbert's home in Grayslake and eventually married her.  They've since passed away, never knowing what became of Jacobson's remains.

McDonald, who himself later served as a staff sergeant in the Air Force, said his uncle had considered his assignment to Hawaii like going to paradise.

Before Jacobson's reburial, the family placed a few momentos in the casket-- a USS Oklahoma baseball cap, a handkerchief from Jacobson's mother with the aroma of her perfume and a photo of their home in Grayslake.

"I was overwhelmed," McDonald said.  "We've been waiting a long tme."

--GreGen

Another Illinois Pearl Harbor Unknown Identified: Herbert Jacobson-- Part 1

From the same article as the news about Keith Tipsword.

Tipsword wasn't the only Illinois veteran at Pearl Harbor recently identified through the use of DNA.  The remains of Herbert Jacobson, 21, of northwest suburban Grayslake, were recently identified, and his family, some of them who now live in North Carolina, chose to have him buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

The night before the attack, Jacobson had worked running boats from the USS Oklahoma to the dock, according to his nephew, Bradley McDonald.  After his shift, he filed a report, got a meal and retired to sleep in his bunk.

That's where he likely died when the ship was hit by torpedoes, capsized and sank, trapping hundreds of men below decks.

--GreGen

Keith Tipsword Comes Home-- Part 3: The Ceremony

Tipsword's family lived in tiny Moccasin in Effingham County.  Their house was just a mile from the cemetery, but is long gone, with only a silo remaining.  The family still has a salt-and-pepper shaker that Tipsword made aboard his ship and brought home to his mother while visiting.

The Patriot Guard motorcycle group escorted Tipsword's casket from a military base in the East St. Louis to Effingham, with firetrucks on overpasses and bystanders saluting.  Many members of the local veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Disabled American Veterans attended.  

Sailors folded the American flag on the casket and presnted it to Tipsword's sister.

"It was pretty moving," said Sapp.

--GreGen

Keith Tipsword Comes Home-- Part 2: On the USS West Virginia

When Japan mounted the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, Tipsword's ship, the battleship USS West Virginia, was hit by torpedoes and bombs and sank.  The explosions rendered many of the victins impossible to identify.

They were buried in mass graves and labeled as "unknown" in a cemetery located in a volcano crater known as the Punchbowl in the island of Oahu.

In 2015, the federal government began matching the remains to DNA from family members of service members who were missing or killed in action but unidentified.  The program has identified hundreds of missing service members from around the world who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

--GreGen

Illinois Veterans' Remains Finally Come Home from Pearl Harbor-- Part 1: Keith Tipsword

From the December 7, 2022, Chicago Tribune by Robert McCoppin.

In a cemetery amidst the cornfields of downstate Illinois last month, a military honor guard fired shots in salute before the remains of World War II veteran Keith Tipsword were lowered into the ground.

Tipsword, a machinist's mate, was 22 when he died on the battleship USS West Virginia in the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.  In the wake of the attack, his body was never identified, and he was listed as m missing in action, until the Navy recently identified his remains through DNA.

His sister, who was 5 years old when he died, and is now 86, vaguely remembers a man in uniform who visited their home in tiny Moccasin, Illinois, her son Greg Sapp said.

"My mom said that her mother always had an expectation the door would open  and Keith would be there," Sapp said.  "She never thought he wouldn't come home. "  Well, he finally has."

With his burial in November, Tipsword is among dozens of Pearl Harbor veterans who have been identified and brought home to be reburied with loved ones.  Through new DNA techniques, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has been able to sort through remains that were long considered to be unidentifiable.

--GreGen

Another Unknown USS Oklahoma Sailor Accounted For

From the December 21, 2022,  WTRF (West Virginia)  "West Virginia sailor  in World War II on USS Oklahoma accounted for."

The Defense Department POW/MIA  Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Navy Fire Controlman 2nd Class  Donald R. McCloud, 21, of Monaville, West Virginia, killed during WW II, was accounted for on September 23, 2022.

On December 7, 1941, McCloud was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, moored in Pearl Harbor when the attack came.  The ship sustained multiple torpedo hits which caused her to quickly capsize.

The attack resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Don McCloud who was listed originally as MIA, but later declared dead.  His remains were found, but could not be identified  until recently.

To identify his remains, dental records and anthropological evidence were used.  Additionally there was DNA analysis.

He will be buried June 24, 2023, in Dingess, West Virginia.

--GreGen

Are There Any Other USS Arizona Survivors Still Living?

While I was reading the article In used for the last several posts about USS Arizona survivor Lou Conter, I got to wonderingif there were any other survivors of the ship still living.  Unfortunately, the article didn't mention any.

I looked it up and there is one other survivor still living, Ken Potts, 101.  He is a member of American Legion Post 13 in Provo, Utah.

Two other USS Arizona survivors died in 2019 and 2020.   They were Lauren Bruner who died September 10, 2019 and Don Stratton who died February 16, 2020.

--GreGen

USS Arizona Survivor Lou Conter is 101-- Part 5

Organizers have set a theme of "Everlasting Legacy" for the ceremony, highlighting how fewer and fewer survivors remain.

"We honestly have to know and be prepared that eventually we won't have the ability to connect with their stories and have them with us anymore," David Kilton of the NPS said.

Conter hasn't forgotten his shipmates.

He said he'd like the military to try to identify USS Arizona sailors whose bodies were found and buried as unknowns in a Honolulu cemetery after the war.

"They should never give up on that issue.  If they're ever identified, I'm sure their families would want to bury them at home or wherever, but they should never give up on trying to identfy them," he said.

--GreGen

USS Arizona Survivor Lou Conter is 101-Years-Old-- Part 4

This year's remembrance ceremony is the first to be open to the public since 2019.  The pandemic forced the adoption of strict public health measures for the last two years.

David Kilton, the National Park Service's chief interpreter for Pearl Harbor, said he's not sure how many people will attend, but he's anticipating 2,000 to 3,000 people.  

It will be held at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial visitors center, which overlooks the water and the white structure built to honor those killed on the Arizona.

--GreGen

USS Arizona Survivor Lou Conter is 101-- Part 3

Lou Conter's autobiography, "The Lou Conter Story" recounts how one of the Japanese bombs penetrated five steel decks on the USS Arizona and ignited over 1 million pounds of gunpowder and thousands of pounds of ammunition.

"The ship was consumed on a giant fireball that looked as it it engulfed everything from the mainmast forward," he wrote.

He joined other survivors in tending to the injured, many of whom were blinded and badly burned.  The sailors only abandoned ship when their senior surviving officer was sure they had rescued all those still alive.

The Arizona's 1,177 dead account for nearly half the servicement killed in the bombing.  The battleship today sits where she sank  81 years ago, with more than 900 of her dead still entombed inside.

Conter wasn't injured at Pearl Harbor, nor during the rest of World War II or the Korean War.

--GreGen

USS Arizona Survivor Lou Conter is 101-- Part 2

On Wednesday, December 7, the U.S. Navy and the National Park service will host a remembrance ceremony at Pearl Harbor in honor of those killed.

Last year about 30 survivors and some 100 other veterans of the war made the pilgrimage to the annual event.  But, they only anticipate one or two survivors will likely attend this year's event in person.  Another  20-30 veterans of World War II are also expected to be there.

Lou Conter won't be among them, however.  He attended for many years, most recently in 2019.  But his doctor has told him the five-hour flight, plus hours of waiting in airports, is too strenuous for him now.

"I'm going to be 102 now.  It's kind of hard to mess around,"  Conter said.

Instead, he plans to watch a video feed of this year's 81st anniversary observance from home.  He's also recorded a message that will be played for those attending.

--GreGen

At 101, USS Arizona Survivor: Honor Heroes Killed in Attack

From the December 7, 2022, Chicago Tribune by Audrey McAvoy and Haven Daley, AP.

Honolulu

USS Arizona sailor Lou Conter lived through the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor even though his battleship exploded and sank after being pierced by aerial bombs.

That makes the now 101-year-old somewhat of a celebrity, especially on the 81st anniversary of the December 7, 1941, assault.  Many call him and the others in the nation's dwindling pool of Pearl Harbor survivors heroes.

Conter, however, rejects this characterization.

"The 2,403 men that died are the heroes.  And we've got to honor them ahead of everybody else.  And I've said that every time, and I think it should be stressed," Conter said in a recent interview at his Grass Valley, California, home north of Sacramento.

--GreGen

81st Anniversary of Pearl Harbor: Herbert Jacobson-- Part 7

This is the final entry in the story of Herbert Jacobson, one of the USS Oklahoma's unknowns who had since been identified and buried at Arlington National Cemetery.  I wrote about this story in seven of my eight blogs today.

Brad McDonald has a half-inch thick booklet containing the massive amount of technology and analysis used to identify his uncle and the other USS Oklahoma unknowns.

Of the 429 crewmen killed on the ship, 22 are still unidentified, likely because DNA samples from relatives weren't available,  Brad McDonald said.  He and other family members are traveling from Wisconin for the burial simply feel fortunate to have closure.

"It's a solemn occasion, but there's a sense of joy involved because we've been waiting a long time for this," he said.  "For me, it's nothing short of a miracle that they can identify someone who died 81 years ago."

A Great Story.

Five Best Battleships of WW II

From the December 5, 2022, 19fortyfive by Peter Suciu.

More than sixty battleships, including 23 from the United States took part in World War II.

These were the five best of the lot.

This did not include these battleships since they were sunk:  Yamato, Musashi, Bismarck, Tirpitz or Prince of Wales.

I am just listing them.  Go to the site to find out the reasoning for their inclusion.

1.  USS Texas  (BB-35)

2.  USS Alabama (BB-60)

3.  USS Iowa  (BB-61)

4.  USS New Jersey  (BB-62)

5.  USS Missouri  (BB-63)

What!   No USS North Carolina?

--GreGen

Medal of Honor Recipient John Basilone

Back on October 11, 2022, I wrote about the christening of a new U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer, the USS Basilone (DDG-122).  It was named after World War II Marine Medal of Honor recipient John Basilone.

From the Arlington National Cemetery site.

JOHN BASILONE

Section 12, Grave 384

Gunnery Sergeant John Basolone (1916-1945) was awarded the Medal of Honor for extraodinary heroism in combat at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands,  in October 1942.  During the brutal fighting with heavy casualties on both sides, he killed at least 38 Japanese soldiers.

He returned home to a hero's welcome, including a parade featured in "Life" magazine.

But, he requested to return to combat, stating that he was "just a plain soldier" who belonged with his unit.

On February 19, 1945,  Basilone was killed in action leading an assault on the beaches of Iwo Jima.  He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, the only enlisted Marine to be honored with both the Navy cross and the Medal of Honor..

--GreGen

Keith Tipsword's Death Notice

In the last post I wrote about his burial in Illinois after years of not being identified.  I am very thankful for the DPAA and all their efforts to identify American unknowns.

This death notice from 1942 accompanied the article from yesterday and had a picture of him.

**************************

KILLED IN ACTION

Keith Warren, son of  Mr. and Mrs. Frank Tipsword of Effingham, has been killed in action, his parents were notified by the U.S. Navy department Tuesday.  He was a first-class machinist.

The date of his death and details were not given.    Keith, who was  27 last June, had been in the  navy since 1936.

He was born and reared in Effingham county.

Besides his parents, he leaves two brothers, Dean, in the army, and Hugh, in Idaho, and four sisters, Mrs. Gail  Stanford,   Mrs. Frances  Jean White, Betty Fay and  Dalyne Tipsford, all of  Effingham.

***************************

--GreGen