Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Survivor Located after 62 Years

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Survivor Located after 62 Years

    Bear with me on this story - ;)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Copied from the Jul, Aug, Sep 2006 'Fighting forth' Newsletter
    Dear Editor of "The Fighting Forth Marine Division of WW ll" ,
    I'm Vaughn Hampton, and was a crewman aboard the USS LCI 450 during the Pacific theater operations. Several years ago I sent you a NY Times article about our USS LCI 450 saving some 50 marines from drowning at Kwajalein Atoll after their Amtracs flipped in the heavy surf 31 January 1944. I requested your help in possibly locating some of those men to invite them to one of our ship reunions. You graciously placed it in your newsletter and I heard from a couple marines that observed the overturned Amtracs that day but not from any we pulled out of the sea.
    I happened across a book called "Strong Men Armed" by Robert Leckie that explains the humongous explosion that occurred on Roi-Namur during that invasion action. Any man on Kwajalein during that invasion will recall this explosion that shook the area and created a mushroom like black cloud that momentarily obliterated the sun. I thought your readers might be interested in knowing what caused that explosion 62 years ago February 1944. I'm including the story I'm placing in my monthly newsletter I send out to the LCI 450 crewmen. Feel free to excerpt any of it for your newsletter.

    Kwajalein's Roi-Namur 1944 Explosion -
    During a recent local library visit, I checked out a book named "Strong Men Armed" by Robert Leckie. While reading it, I begin a chapter which detailed a humongous explosion a group of marines caused during the Kwajalein invasion 31 January 1944. Those aboard the ship during that action will recall we completed our first objective and were underway to the second when the ship grounded on a coral reef and we became observers of the invasion instead of participants. Our ship came to a metal screeching halt and later that day was able to save a number of marines from drowning when their Am tracks flipped over in the choppy heavy surf. I can't recall the day when this big explosion occurred after we grounded and the book doesn't give a date. The Black Gang and those below deck probably heard the loud explosion but wouldn't have seen it unless they immediately rushed topside to see what had happened. The large column of black smoke billowed upwards and outward carrying debris from the explosion center. I believe our ships Cook, Nick Grosso mentioned in one of his letters that some of the debris fell on our ship but I don't remember that. Here is the account of that explosion as written in the book.
    “Shortly before one o'clock Major Charles Duchein was in a rear gunners seat of a Douglass dive bomber roaming the skies above the battlefield giving visual reports to Major General Schmidt's staff, he peered down at Namur's eastern shore seeing a marine assault team moving against what seemed to be a giant blockhouse. But the build- ing was used as a warehouse and it was stuffed with torpedo war- heads. Lt. Saul Stein led his men cautiously to the big blockhouse on Namur. One of his Marines slipped forward and placed a shaped charge against the side of the building. He ran back and ducked. The blast tore a hole in the side of the building. Out of the hole, out exits suddenly flung wide, came streams of Japanese soldiers. Lt. Stein's Marines were too surprised to open fire. They were not bewildered. They had heard the Japanese were crazy. "Throw in some satchel charges," Stein ordered. They were thrown in! "Great God Almighty", Major Duchein roared. He thought he had seen the island disappear and his plane had shot up into the air like a rocket. He peered into the dense clouds of smoke billowing in all directions below him, and he yelled again to headquarters; "The whole damned island's blown up!' "Are you hurt?" Headquarters inquired. "Wait a minute," Duchein replied, still trying to see land beneath the smoke. "Stand by a minute." "Is your plane damaged? Where are you?" Duchein could hear debris rattling off the bombers fuselage, but he breathed with relief for he had seen land beneath the smoke, and he answered the question. "I'm about a thousand feet higher than I was but the island is still there." It was but the warehouse that had held tons and tons o torpedo warheads had vanished completely. Its fragmented remains were still falling on those Marines who crouch in shell holes and craters wondering what had caused that unbelievable rocking roar. They crouched in inky darkness while whole heads of palm trees, chunks of concrete, bomb and torpedo casings fell from the skies. It seemed an endless rain, and then the smoke drifted away and where there had been a warehouse there was now a great crater filled with water. Lt. Stein and most of his men were dead, though one man who had been blown 150 feet out into the lagoon was found unhurt. There were 40 Marines killed by the explosion and another 60 wounded. A half hour later there were more casualties when the Japanese blew up two other blockhouses.
    Men, we now know what caused that tremendous explosion the start of February 1944, 62 years ago. I've always thought it was an ammo or gasoline dump hit by shells or bombs. Now you men aboard her during that invasion know what caused that big bang! .

    The next entry was printed below my letter -
    Hamp
    USS LCI (L) & (G) 450
    WW ll Gator Navy

  • #2
    Continuation of above story

    Dear Editor of "The Fighting Forth Marine Division of WW ll",
    During World War II, I was in Battery 0, 3rd Battalion, l4th Regiment, 4th Marine Division.
    At a recent reunion of the 4th Division I met a veteran who was in the same battalion I was in, but a different battery when we invaded the Marshalls. After the introduction, he commented that my battery (G), had several alli- gators overturn in the surf and the doctor in our group saved several Marine's lives. For this action, Dr. lra Hardy received the Navy Cross.
    I need to set this incident straight.
    During this invasion, as we were approaching the channel into the lagoon, the Navy lead vessel went too close into the corral reef and several alligators were hit by two gigantic waves. I would have gone overboard when the first wave hit us, had not a comrade pulled me back. The next wave overturned us. After I came up and was aware what had happened, I had to swim a long way. A crewmember, Art Deer, asked me for assistance. He could not swim and his belt wasn’t inflated. I told him to put his hand on my shoulder, which he did, and to my surprise, after swimming a little bit, my feet touched the corral reef and I could stand up. I yelled this information to the rest of the fellows.
    We gathered at a buoy on the reef, when we noticed an LCI stranded on the same reef. I took off walking to the LCI for a better location. Upon my arrival at the LCI, a sailor tossed me a line, which I took back to the buoy and tied it around. The rope gave safe guidance to the stranded Marines and one Naval Officer. After the last man completed the journey, I untied the rope and made it back to the LCI. On a lighter note, on my return a sailor gave me cup of coffee and a cigarette. I told him, I didn't smoke nor did I drink coffee. He replied: "Go ahead, you look like you need both." He was right and I was hooked. The smoking I gave up after returning from the Pacific.
    This event took place on our approach to a small island in the Kwajalein Atoll on January 31, 1944. Sir, I was a very young PFC at the time and just doing my duty. However, it does hurt to know someone else taking unjustified credit.
    I would love to hear from any member of the 4th who recall this incident to contact me at Roy Hughes, 214 W. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80906
    Hamp
    USS LCI (L) & (G) 450
    WW ll Gator Navy

    Comment


    • #3
      Continuation -

      A continuation to the above two stories -
      Immediately after I read Roy Hughes letter that followed mine, I called his number in Colorado Springs and we ended up chatting about that incident that happened 62 years and 8 months ago.
      He was mighty pleased to hear from me. I emailed him several items about that day including a picture of the LCI 450, the New York Times article and two pages of the LCI 450's Deck Log/War Diary that recounted the happenings of the ship grounding and subsequent saving of over 50 marines from drowning that day.
      After 12 years of searching for one of those survivors, I finally found one.
      Hopefully Roy will be able to attend our ships reunion next year.
      Vaughn
      Hamp
      USS LCI (L) & (G) 450
      WW ll Gator Navy

      Comment

      Working...
      X