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 Author  Topic: Not PT related, sort of, but Great News!!!
  TED WALTHER

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Feb 17, 2019 - 4:05pm
FINALLY!!
A movie about the USS LAFFEY(DD 724) is in development and it seems Mel Gibson(recently Hacksaw Ridge director) wants to direct it! I have been waiting for a movie about this ship to come out since the 1972.
One of my fathers best friends at the NY Telephone Company, Cyril "CY" C. Simonis, Jr (Sonarman 1/C from Farmingdale LI NY 1921-2003) was on the Laffey that day, Monday April 16, 1945 off Okinawa. In fact in the History Channels Dogfights: Last Resort -Kamakaze, if you look closley at the CGI when one of the Jap planes attacks from astern, there is a guy running up the starboard side as the plane comes in, that was Cy Simonis, he was carring a fire hose aft. I have known the ships history forever, Cy was President of the reunion Association and one of the main movers and shakers, with RADM Becton, to get Laffey as a Museum Ship. I was there in 1981, with my Dad and the Laffey WW2 crew the day she was towed from Charleston Navy base to Patriots Point. What these guys went endured and overcame was outstanding!
RADM Becton, which I have a real funny story about(Not for here) was a great guy, and once my Dad told him, once I graduate High School I was applying to the Naval Academy, he jumped right up and told me, "write me when you apply Ted, I will write a letter of recommendation to Annapolis for you". I have been a RADM Becton fan ever since.
Also for a PT Boat connection: CDR Ted Sawick, XO of PT 17 and PT 41 RON 1 pre war, CO of PT 42 RON 1, XO PT 155 and co PT 156 RON 9, and CO of PT 620 RON 42 was XO of Laffey in 1954 and later CO in 1962-1963. His son is often on Frank's Facebook page.
Man I can't wait for this movie to come out!!!
Take care,
TED



REF;

https://www.wearethemighty.com/uss-laffey-destroyer-movie
https://news.usni.org/2018/05/14/video-mel-gibson-set-direct-world-war-ii-kamikaze-attack-film-destroyer


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Gary Paulsen

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Gary Paulsen   Send Email To Gary Paulsen Posted on: Feb 18, 2019 - 4:05am
Thanks Ted will look forward to seeing this come out!


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TED WALTHER

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Feb 18, 2019 - 6:33am
Gary;
You bet. Now all I have to do is find out how to be an extra in the movie.
Take care,
TED


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Shaneo2

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Shaneo2  Posted on: Feb 18, 2019 - 7:00am
I do hope they do a good job with this story, HB ridge I would give a grade of C+ in regards to combat scenes (really more of a story plot) and the portrayal of military characters . I very rarely ever watch movies, or even tv now, preferring to read the story instead.

There is a book about the USS Laffey online one can purchase on AMZ etc. I believe the : "The Ship That Would Not Die" was the one I read. Years since I read it, may get anotherr, or just watch the movie and see if I like it.

I'd imagine after the movie book price could increase (?), unless there is another printing, some of the AMZ comments mention it is out of print.


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TED WALTHER

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Feb 18, 2019 - 8:14am
*****duplicate****


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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Feb 21, 2019 - 8:08pm
Great News if this is anything as good as Hacksaw Ridge we will have a winner.



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David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Feb 23, 2019 - 7:50pm
This is great news! Thanks for sharing Ted.

David Waples

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