USS Amethyst (YPc-3)-- Part 1: The Second of Willits J. Hole's Yachts Acquired by Navy

From Wikipedia.

Willits Hole had two ships built by the name Samona and sold the first one to buy the second one.  The first one was renamed Elvida by its new owner.  Both the Elvida and the second Samona became yard patrol craft for the U.S. navy during World War II.

Formerly the yacht Samona II.  Launched 1931.  Acquired by Navy 1940 and commissioned 1941.  Purchased from Willets Hole.

147-feet long, 24  foot 10 inch beam, two guns and depth charge racks.

Built by the Craig Shipbuilding Co., Long Beach, California.  Converted to naval service by same company.  Commissioned 27 February 1941.

--GreGen

Willits J. Hole Owner of Elvida and Samona II

In the last posts I mentioned this man as the one who had the YP-109 Elvida built.

From Wikipedia.

1858-1938

American businessman and real estate developer of Southern California.   Known as the "Father of La Habra, California."

In the early 1920s, Hole took up boating and since he was quite rich by then, he had the yacht built for him.

Naval architect Leslie Edward Geary designed it and N.J. Blanchard built the 115-foot Samona in 1923.  (It was renamed Elvida when sold.)   In 1931, the Craig Shipbuilding Company built the 147-foot, steel-hulled long range cruiser Samona II, which was bought by the U.S. Navy in 1940, and commissioned as the USS Amethyst (PYc-3).

--GreGen

USS Elvida (YP-109) Part 2: So, It Was There

*  Acquired  21 October 1941 by U.S. Navy.
*  Allocated to 14th Naval District.

*  Placed in service as District Patrol Craft YP-109 at Pearl Harbor, late 1941.
*  YP-109 present at Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941.

*  Placed out of service, date unknown.
*  Struck from Naval Register 3 January 1946

*  Delivered to War Shipping Administration for disposal 9 January 1947.
*  Final disposition, to Mexican flag 1948.  Further fate unknown.

--GreGen

USS Elvida (YP-109)-- Part 1: Somebody's Yacht

I could not find this ship's name anywhere other than on The Greatest Generation Foundation Facebook page where it mentions Steve Warren as being on this ship.

But NavSourceOnline has it, but just under the name YP-109 with no name.

It was classified as a District Patrol Craft.

*  Built by N.J. Blanchard Boat Co.  Seattle, Washington
*  Completed as the yacht Samona (ON 2223191) for Willits J. Hole, Los Angeles, California , 1923.

*  Sold to Craig Shipbuilding, Long Beach, Ca. as partial payment for Hole's new yacht Samona (later Amethyst PYc-3), 1930.
*  Sold to Thomas R. Dempsey. Los Angeles, CA. and renamed Elvida, 1936

--GreGen

Death of a Pearl Harbor Survivor Steve Warren: Saved By Infected Wisdom Tooth

As the years take more and more of the Greatest Generation.

From the Sept. 19, 2018, Rapid City Journal

STEVE P.WARREN, 97.  Died September 15, 2018.

Grew up in Meadow, Texas.  Joined Navy at age 19 and served six years, rising to the tank of Chief Warrant Officer.  In late 1941 he was to ship out on the USS Arizona but delayed because of complications from an infected wisdom tooth.

Instead, he shipped out on the USS Elvida (YP-109).  This ship was docked at the mouth of Pearl Harbor during the attack.  Had he been on the Arizona, no telling if he would have survived.  He lost many friends on the Arizona.

--GreGen