Friday I met Jack. Jack was wearing a tee-shirt that had the name USS Liscombe Bay on it.
Not knowing much more than the Liscombe Bay was a US Navy ship and that Jack was in his eighties, I asked Jack when he served on the Liscombe Bay.
He looked at me and said I was aboard her when she went down. November of 1943.
Jack looked pained as he spoke of the fate of his ship. Yet he spoke with pride of his shipmates who did not make it out of the fiery hell.
The Liscombe Bay was on her first battle mission in the Pacific. She was hit by two enemy torpedoes almost simultaniously. The torpedoes hit in the bomb storage of the ship. 200,000 pounds of bombs exploded disintegrating that part of the ship. Twenty-three minutes after being hit the Liscombe Bay was completle submerged. When she went down, 644 brave American sailors went with her. Only 272 of her compliment were rescued. Galently they served and galently they died. Preserving our future.
Jack was one of the 272. I didn't know what to say to Jack but I knew what not to say.
I did not wish Jack a "happy" Memorial Day. I am sure his Memorial Day will be full of somber rememberance of friends and shipmate long gone from the minds of most of us.
Happy doesn't seem to fit into any Memorial day I have had since Vietnam. Perhaps when you see me on Memorial Day you can say that you REMEBER them, too.
EVERY DAY IS MEMORIAL DAY TO A VETERAN!
Not knowing much more than the Liscombe Bay was a US Navy ship and that Jack was in his eighties, I asked Jack when he served on the Liscombe Bay.
He looked at me and said I was aboard her when she went down. November of 1943.
Jack looked pained as he spoke of the fate of his ship. Yet he spoke with pride of his shipmates who did not make it out of the fiery hell.
The Liscombe Bay was on her first battle mission in the Pacific. She was hit by two enemy torpedoes almost simultaniously. The torpedoes hit in the bomb storage of the ship. 200,000 pounds of bombs exploded disintegrating that part of the ship. Twenty-three minutes after being hit the Liscombe Bay was completle submerged. When she went down, 644 brave American sailors went with her. Only 272 of her compliment were rescued. Galently they served and galently they died. Preserving our future.
Jack was one of the 272. I didn't know what to say to Jack but I knew what not to say.
I did not wish Jack a "happy" Memorial Day. I am sure his Memorial Day will be full of somber rememberance of friends and shipmate long gone from the minds of most of us.
Happy doesn't seem to fit into any Memorial day I have had since Vietnam. Perhaps when you see me on Memorial Day you can say that you REMEBER them, too.
EVERY DAY IS MEMORIAL DAY TO A VETERAN!
