The Omaha and Somers Receive Last U.S. Navy Prize Money for the Odenwald Capture

From Wikipedia.

The Odenwald was carrying 3800 tons of scarce rubber for Germany's war effort when captured by the Omaha and Somers November 6, 1941, one month before U.S. entry into the war. At the time, the Odenwald was disguised as the American merchant ship Willmote.

Of course, being captured while America was still officially neutral led to some question as to the seizure's legality. The Odenwald was taken to Puerto Rico where an Admiralty Court ruled that since the German ship had an illegal American registration, there were sufficient grounds for its confiscation. As such the American crews could claim prize money.

A legal case began concerning salvage rights. Since the Odenwald's crew was trying to scuttle the ship, that was considered the equivalent of abandoning the ship.

The case was finally settled in 1947 with members of the boarding parties and prize crew entitled to $3,000 apiece in prize money while the crews of the Omaha and Somers received two months pay and allowances. I imagine there was some partying after that decision.

This was the last-ever prize money awarded by the U.S. Navy. Prize money was also a big deal during the Civil War and War of 1812.

--GreGen

Some More on Singer Vera Lynn

From Wikipedia.

She enjoyed popularity before the war. In 1941, during the darkest days of the war for England, she began her popular radio show Sincerely Yours, where she sang songs for British armed forces overseas according to their requests.

She was best known for 1942.s "We'll Meet Again." and was born in 1917.

--GreGen

"The Forces' Sweetheart": Vera Lynn

From the August 18-24, 2013, American Profile Magazine "Ask American Profile."

QUESTION: Who is singing "We'll Meet Again" at the end of the movie "Dr. Strangelove" as an atom bomb is exploding? R.L. Chiccitt, Pittsburgh, Pa.

"That is British singer, congwriter and actress Vera Lynn, 96, who performed concerts for British troops in Burma, India and Egypt during World War II, earning her the nickname "The Forses' Sweetheart.

In addition to that tune, her other hits include "The White Cliffs of Dover, "There'll Always Be an England," "My Son, My Son" and "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart," which in 1952 became the first song recorded by a foreign artist to hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard charts.

In 2009 at age 92, she became the oldest livung artist to top the British albums chart."

--GreGen

Still On the Neutrality Patrol.

Ever since the end of July, I have been doing deeper research on the United States Neutrality Patrol established before the war. This came about when I found out that a ship had been in it. One source led to the capture of the German blockade-runner Odenwald.

I didn't know about German blockade-runners so did research on that (I am also a Civil War Naval buff and, of course, those Confederate blockade-runners). That led to medals German blockade-runners received from the German government.

Then, the history of the light cruiser USS Omaha, which captured the Odenwald with the USS Somers. Next, I will write about the destroyer USS Somers.

Why It Takes So Long to Do These Blogs. --GreGen

USS Omaha (CL-4-- Part 2): More Blockade Runners and France

The Omaha was 556 feet long and mounted ten 6-inch guns and had six torpedo tubes.

On January 4-5, 1944, the Omaha and destroyer USS Jouett (DD-396) sighted two German blockade-runners, the Rio Grande and Bergenland. The crews of both sank their ships to avoid capture, denying Germany of much-needed rubber. The American ships rescued the survivors.

August 1944 found the Omaha in the Mediterranean covering the Allied invasion of southern France. The Omaha did much damage firing at targets in the Toulon area. After that, it was back to the South Atlantic where the Omaha was at the end of the war.

It was decommissioned November 19, 1945 and scrapped at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1946.

--GreGen

USS Omaha (CL-4)-- Part 1: A Light Cruiser

From Wikipedia.

Last month I wrote about the capture of the German blockade runner Odenwald by the USS Omaha and USS Somers of the United States Neutrality Patrol which was in place before the country entered the war. 

The USS Omaha was commissioned in 1923, the first of a ten-ship class of 7050 light cruisers built in Tacoma, Washington. It served in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans for 17 years, often as fleet flagship.

With the outbreak of war in Europe, the Omaha joined the Neutrality Patrol and captured the Odenwald November 6, 1941, a month before the United States joined the war. It continued operations afterwards as part of the Fourth Fleet, based in Brazil. It continued searching for German commerce raiders and blockade-runners.

--GreGen

Spirit of '45-- Part 2: A Big Band and A Prisoner

After the ceremonies, the Lake Area Swing Band played 1940s-style swing and Big Band music.

Bob and Helen Tittle of McHenry have been married for 67 years. Bob, 89, served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

I have heard this band many times at the Fox Lake American Legion and Dog 'N Suds. With their male and female singer and sixteen pieces, this is as close as you can get to that kind of music.

Forty World War II veterans were recognized. One was Tony Gargano, 93, of my home town, Spring Grove, who was a POW for four years. He had been a Navy petty officer and remembers while in prison, all he had to eat every day was 5.5 ounces of rice and 8 ounces of tea to drink. He had to sleep on the floor. I imagine he was captured in the early fighting in the Pacific, perhaps the Philippines or Wake Island.

I'll Be Back Next Year. --GreGen

Small World: Aviators' Paths Crossed in War-- Part 2

Both Bill Hohan and Paul Tuck believe they are the last-surviving members of their plane crews.

Millville High School senior David Brewster has assisted in about a dozen interviews and has "a strong passion for history." A ninth grade teacher told him about the interviews being conducted with World War II veterans which have been going on for ten years. These inteviews will be turned over to the Library of Congress. I always like to find out about a young person with an interest in history like David.

Paul Tuck enlisted in the Army Air Corps at age 25 and was sent to an air base in Italy and served with the 767th Squadron, 461st Bombardment Group as an engineer and knew the workings of planes.

--GreGen

Small World: Aviators' Paths Crossed in War-- Part 1

From December 28, 2011, New Jersey Star-Ledger "WWII Vineland vet recalls war for interview with Millville High senior."

Paul Tuck, 90, was the top turret gunner and flight engineer on a B-24 Liberator and flew 22 daylight bombing missions over Germany and Austria during the war. He was shot down.

Bill Hogan was a tail gunner on a different B-24 and flew 16 missions in Europe before he too was shot down.

Both men met each other for the first time when they were being interviewed by Bob Trivellini, of the Millville Public School District.

Hogan lives in Millville and both men happened to be bombing the same target the day Hogan's plane was shot down and he ended up spending 11 months as a POW. (Trivellini's father was in the U.S. Third Army, 11th Armored Division which later liberated Mauthausen Concentration Camp which provided slave labor to Hogan and Tuck's target that day.)

Small World. --GreGen

That Horrible Thing Out in Washington

From the August 27, 2013, Dubuque (Iowa) Telegraph Herald "Teenage held on $2 million bail in beating death of WWII veteran" by Nicholas K. Geranios, AP.

Demetrius Glenn, a black 16-year-old  is being held on $2 million bond and another black teen, Kenan Adams-Kinard, was arrested in the same case Monday. The two beat 88-year-old World War II veteran Delbert Belton to death in a parking lot at the Eagles Lodge in north Spokane while he was waiting for a friend.

It appears that Belton fought back, which increased the severity of the attack.

Mr. Belton was wounded at the Battle of Okinawa.

This Is As Horrible As You Can Get.  --GreGen

Deaths: There When Gen. McAuliffe Made His Famous Reply-- Part 2

The 101st was essentially surrounded, outnumbered and running out of supplies and ammunition. McAuliffe's first response to the request was "Nuts!" Another officer present suggested he use it in his official written response.

McAuliffe wrote, "To the German commander. Nuts! From the American commander." and gave it to the Germans.

The 101st held on and the Germans were eventually forced to retreat but the arrival of the rest of the Allied Army.

Mr. Vicari on why the reply was "Nuts:" McAuliffe simply did not curse. He's the only general I came across, and I met them all--Patton, Eisenhower, Montgomery, Brradley-- and he was the only general who didn't use profane language."

Now that is some great history.

Mr. Vicari died December 5, 2011, at age 92.

--GreGen

Deaths: There When Gen. McAuliffe's Famous Reply Made-- Part 1

From the December 28, 2011, Lehigh Valley's Newspaper, The Morning Call "WWII veteran Vincent Vicari dies" by Frank Warner.

Vincent Vicari, 92, died. He was an aide to General Anthony C. McAuliffe when the famous reply for a German demand for surrender was made. That famous reply, "Nuts."

He was the past president of the McAuliffe Chapetr 101st Airborne Association and a big part of the campaign to name a 3.2 mile stretch of Route 33 in Bethlehem Township the General Anthony McAuliffe 101st Airborne Memorial Highway, which was approved in 2002.

Mr. Vicaro became the general's aide in 1943 and was at his side at the Battle of Bastogne (Battle of the Bulge) on December 22, 1944, when a white flag delegation of four Germans demanded the 101st's "honorable surrender" to avoid "total annihilation."

More to Come. --GreGen

Spirit of '45-- Part 1: The "Kiss"

From the August 12, 2013, Northwest Herald (serving McHenry County, Illinois) "Area keeps the Sprit of '45 alive" by Joseph Bustos.

There were 15 couples surrounding the statue of the famous sailor kissing the nurse photo taken on VJ Day back in 1945. They had all been married for over 60 years and were making their renewal vows.

The second Sunday in August ia the national day of remembrance. The paper had a great photo if Bill and Doris Schabow of McHenry doing their version of the "kiss" by the statue.

Of course, those married between 1945 and 1963 were quite involved in the Baby Boom.

The event included speeches, recognition of the couples and World War II veterans as well as a lot of U.S. flags (including a huge one hanging from the fire department ladder). Rolling taps were played and thirty or so doves released.

It Was a Touching Event. --GreGen

USS Ramsay (DD-124)(DM-16)-- Part 2

Eight days later, the Ramsay, escorting a merchant ship, had two more submarine contacts and made two runs over it dropping depth charges. This created another oil slick, but no definitive kill.

Later, the ship planted defensive mines off Samoa. After that, the ship served off the Aleutian Islands by Alaska and then more Pacific duty before being decommissioned in 1945 and sold for scrapping in 1946.

The Ramsay was 314 feet long, had a crew of 133 and carried four 4-inch guns, torpedo tubes and depth charges.

--GreGen

USS Ramsay (DD-124) (DM-16)-- Part 1: At Pearl Harbor

From Wikipedia

The Ramsay was the ship one of the people at the museum at the Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive ceremony was on when Pearl Harbor was attacked. I hadn't heard of it. The person called it a destroyer, but a photo there called the ship a light minelayer.

The Ramsay was a Wickes-class destroyer commissioned in 1919, serving afterwards in the Atlantic and then the Pacific. In June 1930, it was reclassified as a light minelayer (DM-16) and homeported in Pearl Harbor.

It was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and fired its guns at the Japanese planes. It got underway at 0900 and made sound contact with a submarine at 1120. It dropped ten depth charges and saw an oil slick. It is believed that the Ranmsay either sank or damaged a mini-sub.

More to Come. --GreGen

Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive-- Part 9: Rolling Taps, Doves and Old-Time Radio

At the close of the marriage renewals, we had what is called "Rolling Taps" where that song, which all by itself is sad, is played by bugles all the way around the park, each one starting several notes after the previous one, making for an echo and a real tear-bringer. I couldn't help but tear up. This is done by a group that calls themselves "Bugles Across America."

Thirty white doves were released, flew away and then came back as a flock.

After that, the band and a radio deejay from a Kenosha, Wisconsin, station did a radio show like you would have heard on the radio back during the war.

I'll Be There Next Year. --GreGen

Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive-- Part 8: The Greatest Generation

The main speaker opened the ceremony with the remark that it is important to keep the ideals and fortitude of The Greatest Generation alive and not to forget the sacrifices they made in the Great Depression and World War II.

Case in point was the closing of American embassies for fear of terrorist attack, something that he (and I) felt was unnecessary. Essentially, if you're dumb enough to attack us, be prepared for dire consequences. Just look at what happened to Japan after Pearl Harbor.

Again, excuse the short entries, but I still can not get the compose button to work on the blog and so can not do any paragraphs and I hate really long paragraphs.

The Greatest Generation is why I sign off with GreGen, short for it.

A Great Ceremony. --GreGen

Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive-- Part 7: The "Kissing" Statue

The "Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive" commemoration was passed by Congress in 2010 and the second Sunday of August is to be the date (close to the surrender of Japan ending the war).

This is the fourth observance in McHenry, Illinois. A life-size statue of the famous "Kiss" in Times Square was in front of the gazebo where the ceremony was held. It is one of only four of these statues. The other three are in New York City, USS Iowa and in Pearl Harbor.

There were also twenty couples there who had been married before 1953, and they renewed their vows. The announcer kept saying these people were responsible for the Baby Boom. Two of the couples were married during the war.

At this point, I couldn't help but think of my parents, who were married in 1950.

-- GreGen

Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive-- Part 6" Army, Army Air Corps, Navy

It was remarkable to see this many World War II veterans together in one place. Most appeared to be in pretty good shape, especially considering the youngest are in their upper 80s now and most in their 90s.

John Bonato USN
Carl Abbug USN-SeeBees
James Patel USN

Frank Trenier USA Air Corps
William Kerskie USN
Bill Garish USA

Stanley Diedrich USA
Kenneth Gafert USA
Ed Peronic of McHenry USN-medic

Eugene ____ USA-Air Force
Ed Konzak USA
Chuck Butrick USA-- 3rd Army under Patton and Marion Messman USA-engineer.

The Greatest Generation. --GreGen

Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive-- Part 5

More World War II veterans:

Bill Murray USN, Bill Bolges USMC
Tony Gargona USA (of Spring Grove, Illinois and POW for four years. Probably captured at Philippines or Wake Island.)
Donald D. Doherty USA

Carl Brooke USCG,
Robert Schwille
Peter Lorea USA

Lattime Corea USA,
Jim Miller USA
Herbert Rowe USA

John Babbitt USN
John Bowienwski USN
Earl Gable USMC

Harry Smith USA
Red Touerville, USA

More to Come. --GreGen