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» Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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» Topic: American PT Boats in WW II Volume II
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Just signed the contract with Schiffer to do Volume II of AMERICAN PT BOATS IN WW II. The publisher wants me to submit more nice clear
photographs, including PT boat models. He prefers 8 X 10 glossy prints the best, however, digital images are also acceptable. Caption should
accompanys each picture. If you have rare pictures that might enhance
the book, please contact me. With your help I hope to make this book
the best ever. All pictures used will be credited to the senders of course.
Thank you all for your help.
Victor Chun
2584 Wellesley Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90064

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Feb 24, 2010 - 10:31pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Hey Victor,

If you need something specific, let me know. I may have it.

Al



Posted By: alross2 | Posted on: Feb 25, 2010 - 11:23am
Total Posts: 993 | Joined: Oct 30, 2006 - 8:19pm



Victor
I think many of the photo's we have are considered rare, so really it is up to you the Author, to decide what you are really looking for. Maybe you could come up with a list of possible subject photos you might need....



Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Feb 25, 2010 - 1:17pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am



I have several good ones in my album at photobucket. If you are interested in any of them I have many of them at higher res.
[url] http://s130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Nathaniel%20Smith/[/url]

This is what a PT looks like after its port torpedo has been hit by a three inch shore battery.
[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Nathaniel%20Smith/PT154damaged6.jpg[/image]
Three people died that night and three were wounded. That is Pat Rogers RM1C in the background.

natsmith

Posted By: Nathaniel Smith | Posted on: Feb 25, 2010 - 3:47pm
Total Posts: 211 | Joined: Jan 19, 2008 - 6:55am



Victor,
What's your time line for this?
Dave

David Waples

Posted By: David Waples | Posted on: Feb 25, 2010 - 7:42pm
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined: Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm



I have a very rare original picture of PT-32 in green with the Lewis guns that was taken after she reached the Philippines. Send me your email address and I will send you a copy. kellymark@fuse.net




Posted By: Mark Culp | Posted on: Feb 26, 2010 - 6:17pm
Total Posts: 135 | Joined: Oct 15, 2006 - 2:56pm




I have a very rare original picture of PT-32 in green with the Lewis guns that was taken after she reached the Philippines. Send me your email address and I will send you a copy. kellymark@fuse.net




Mark,

Could you upload that to this board? I'd love to see it as my Dad was on 34 at the same time.

Al Ross



Posted By: alross2 | Posted on: Feb 26, 2010 - 6:24pm
Total Posts: 993 | Joined: Oct 30, 2006 - 8:19pm



Nat;
This photo just makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck! Look how close that damage is from the fuel cap, that's about 12 inches! Those that did survive are very lucky the did, if it was a windy night with choppy seas or with the right wind direction, 154 might not have made it back at all.
take care,
TED



Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Feb 27, 2010 - 6:24am
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am



Nat
Notice on the deck of the Bridge area a lone tin of Flour sits there. The damage from shrapnel is evident in the photo. I wonder in what location the men killed were in refernece to this 5 inch shell strike. Notice it took out the entire spray shield almost to the deck. I wonder if the torpedo was in the roll off rack when the shell hit.............DAM CLOSE TO THE FUEL CAP is right.



Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Feb 27, 2010 - 7:46am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am



I corrected my earlier post - I believe it was a three inch shell. Pat Roger was in the Day Cabin on the Starboard side. The photograph was taken back at Tulagi where the boat was taken for repair. Pat mentioned that the spray shield was very damaged but it was removed by the repair people prior to the photograph. Pat may remember the locations of people better. There are two other images in this series.

[image] http://www.valinet.com/~natsmith/PT/location2.png [/image]

I think I located the actual gun on Shortland Island and it is supposed to still be there:
To get there, you travel along the back of Magusaisai Island, reaching the open sea just beyond Nuhu village. West of there is a large coconut plantation at Haleta, where one can land on the beach and follow it around to the guns which are right by the shore just west of tiny Manualai Island. About 50 meters east of the first gun is a short trail up the hill to a stockpile of ammunition with live Japanese shells still piled high. Moon Handbooks : South Pacific

Lt. Pessolano's PT-155 deck log put them right at this location.


natsmith

Posted By: Nathaniel Smith | Posted on: Feb 27, 2010 - 9:40am
Total Posts: 211 | Joined: Jan 19, 2008 - 6:55am



Hi Nathaniel,
Your recent picture of the damaged PT 154 is priceless, just the kind of
unique pictures I need. Can you write a caption about this action? I tried
to print the deck plan of PT 154 but I cut off the stern due to my small
screen. Can you shrink the drawing a little?
Thanks a lot Nat. You have been a great help.
Victor

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Feb 27, 2010 - 4:12pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Hi Mark,
My email is victorkchun@aol.com. I sure like to see PT 32 in
Philipines. It is very rare indeed. Please include a caption with it.
Thank you.
Victor

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Feb 27, 2010 - 4:20pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Hi David,
I have about six months to get everything ready for the publisher.
Victor

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Feb 27, 2010 - 4:24pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Hi Victor,
I should have my 109 model completed before too long. I hope to have the 105 boat completed as well but can't guarantee it will be done. Would love to contribute to your book with my models if they're worthy.
Dave

David Waples

Posted By: David Waples | Posted on: Feb 27, 2010 - 4:45pm
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined: Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm



Victor,

There is an incredible story here involving amazing heroics, medals, and of course several Purple Hearts. Pat Rogers (who often blogs here) was on board that night it should be his story to tell ... if he wishes I will gladly share what I now know but Pat was there and as he told me, he remembers that night as if it were yesterday. I have the deck logs of both PT-154 and PT-155. It was written up in At Close Quarters along with a few glaring errors ... but this is what makes historical research fun.

Pat is the source of these photographs even though his friend, Bill Nicholson, deserves the photo credit.

The deck plan with my red arrows is here:
[url] http://www.valinet.com/~natsmith/PT/location2.png [/url]
This is the deck plan without my red marks:
[url] http://www.valinet.com/~natsmith/PT/PT-154 top down deck only.png [/url]
A smaller version of the deck plan is on photbucket:
[url]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Nathaniel%20Smith/location2.png [/url]

This is another photograph in the series. My father was at the helm and my guess is the pattern of shrapnel holes in the plywood is matched by shrapnel wounds in his body. I believe Joe McLaughlin died so my father could live as he was standing between my dad and the torpedo. I wouldn't be writing you if Lt.(jg) McLaughlin moved one step away.
[image] http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Nathaniel%20Smith/image-5adj-72.jpg [/image]

Nat

natsmith

Posted By: Nathaniel Smith | Posted on: Feb 27, 2010 - 6:37pm
Total Posts: 211 | Joined: Jan 19, 2008 - 6:55am



Hi Nathaniel,
I printed the deck plan OK. Thanks! I am happy to have either you or
Pat write the story. Where was he standing on the boat and how do I
get in touch with him? Email?
Victor

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Feb 28, 2010 - 11:51am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Hi Nathaniel,
I printed the deck plan OK. Thanks! I am happy to have either you or
Pat write the story. Where was he standing on the boat and how do I
get in touch with him? Email?
Victor

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Feb 28, 2010 - 11:51am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Being fairly new to this forum please forgive any ignorance on my part.

At the time of the shell hit, had the torpedo already been fired and the hit was to the deck or was the damage caused by the explosion against the torpedo casing. If the torpedo was still onboard when struck, was it jettisoned or blown off?

Did torpedoes ever get set off by enemy fire?

The more I learn about these PT's the more I am amazed by the men who risked all on them!

Denny



Posted By: djwhite | Posted on: Feb 28, 2010 - 2:07pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Nathaniel,
After looking carefully at your second picture showing the sharpnel riddled plywood partition, I checked one of Dick Washchek"s drawings
that shows this partition which supposed to be armor plated originally. I
understand they were removed for varous reasons. It could save
Lt. McLaughlin"s life. Alas, life is such a fickel thing.
Victor

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Feb 28, 2010 - 2:29pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Denny,

As far as I know the three inch shell hit the after part of the torpedo not the warhead part. The shell exploded causing the shrapnel damage as seen in the photographs. That shrapnel kill three sailors and wounded two or three others. (Three crew members received Purple Hearts but I am not sure if they all are related to 13-14 November 1943.)

I think the boat wandered into the reflection of the just-passed full moon which made it visible to the Japanese shore battery operators. They fired three shots in a bracket. The first went too far and splashed off the starboard bow. My father assumed the splash was a bomb from an airplane (there was a Japanese seaplane base a few miles away) so he laid to. This is the procedure for night time bombing as the wake of a speeding boat would light up with blue-green phosphorescence. This would make it easy to spot if the "airplane" made a second pass. PT-155 pushed full-throttles and got out of harms way. My father has had to live with the decision he made that night.

I have always wondered why the shore battery only fired three shots in a bracket. They had a boat dead in the water for a while and they could have fired several more rounds. My conclusion is that the boat drifted out of the silver reflection of the moonlight and became invisible again to the shore battery. The full moon was on 12 November and the attack was on 13-14 November. The attack was shortly after midnight so the just past full moon would have been very high in the sky.
[image] http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Nathaniel%20Smith/moonlight.png [/image]

I am wondering if the torpedo actually helped and it prevented the three inch shell from penetrating down to the fuel tanks and exploding at that level. I did not see signs of a fire in the photographs. The boat made it back to base under its own power and it continued later on to Tulagi where it was restored and returned to active duty.

Nat

natsmith

Posted By: Nathaniel Smith | Posted on: Feb 28, 2010 - 5:38pm
Total Posts: 211 | Joined: Jan 19, 2008 - 6:55am



My publisher likes the picture to meet the following standard:
1. scanned images must be captured in AlobeRGB 1998 mode at 350 dpi at 4 X 6 inch image size.
2. All pictures must be captured using 6 megapixels camera.
3. Black & white images TIFF or JPEG files at a minimum 350 dpi at 4 X 6
inch image size.
I really don't know what he is talking about being not an expert in computer yet. I hope you guys know what he wants. However, I welcome
all pictures.
Victor

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Mar 1, 2010 - 9:33am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Al Ross,
Good to hear from you again. The following specific pictures I sure like to have:
1. Any PT boat pictures taken at the Philipines at the beginning of WW II.
2. Picture of PT 26, the boat that picked up Rickenbacker.
3. Pictures of PT 489 and 363 that rescued Navy pilot in Wasile Bay.
4. Clear picture of quad 50 cal mount on any PT boat.
5. Builder's model of PT 41 in 1/16 scale.
6. US PT boat and British MTB in formation.
7. Higgins and Elco boats in same picture
That's it for now and thanks.
Victor


Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Mar 1, 2010 - 9:49am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Al Ross,
Good to hear from you again. The following specific pictures I sure like to have:
1. Any PT boat pictures taken at the Philipines at the beginning of WW II.
2. Picture of PT 26, the boat that picked up Rickenbacker.
3. Pictures of PT 489 and 363 that rescued Navy pilot in Wasile Bay.
4. Clear picture of quad 50 cal mount on any PT boat.
5. Builder's model of PT 41 in 1/16 scale.
6. US PT boat and British MTB in formation.
7. Higgins and Elco boats in same picture
That's it for now and thanks.
Victor


Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Mar 1, 2010 - 9:49am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Hi Nathaneil,
I down loaded a picture showing McLaughlin and Hamlin. Which one is
McLaughlin? the one in front?
Also where was Pat Roger standing when the shell hit?
Victor

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Mar 1, 2010 - 9:56am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Victor,
This is a larger and more cleaned-up version of the picture of the two officers. Joe has a hat and Hamlin is at the helm. This picture almost duplicates the positions these two men were in when the shell hit the torpedo. The closer man died instantly. The more distant man was unconscious for three days, survived to father two additional children, and is still enjoying life at aged 90.
[image] http://nathanielsmith.com/PT/Joe%20and%20Ham%20on%20bridge%20180.png [/image]
Nat

natsmith

Posted By: Nathaniel Smith | Posted on: Mar 2, 2010 - 1:31pm
Total Posts: 211 | Joined: Jan 19, 2008 - 6:55am



It is possible that the 3 inch shell hit the after body of the MK-13, causing the shell to deflect in a downward trend. You will notice if you ever fired a rifle, what happens to the bullet, when it hits branches of a tree. The shell is deflected. There is no doubt, the Torpedo never exploded, as most shell hits will not detonate a warhead. In my new book, PT-242 had taken a stray bulllet directly into the war head, splitting the casing, and causing the torpedo to smolder. I would say, if not for the torpedo, that 3 inch shell hit might have certainly killed more men, and possibly hit the fuel line, if not deflected...................



Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Mar 2, 2010 - 3:06pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am



Nathaneil,
Thanks for the new picture. I transfer it to my picture file all right but I can
not print it for some reason. I tried it three times. Can you send it to my
email (victorkchun@aol.com) to see if I can print it.
Victor

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Mar 2, 2010 - 4:58pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Frank,
I wonder where the shell exploded. As I assumed it exploded on deck, I wonder why there was not more damage. I assume a three inch shell has more punch than a hand grenade. There seems to be about a grenade's worth of shrapnel damage to the area around the spray shield. If it were to be deflected where was the moment of explosion? I wonder if the shell penetrated the metal afterbody of the torpedo and it absorbed some of the explosion. You are to notice that there was little damage to the day cabin.

When I went to see the Deck Logs of PT-154, I saw that many of them had been recopied by Wm Carver (who took over after my Dad was wounded). I assume that the originals were damaged by explosion or water. Deck Log 1 was okay but 2, 3, and 4 were recopied. The must have been readable as the contemporaneous recopies have a great deal of detail.

By the way the decklog for PT-155 mentioned losing a torpedo and a tube in the collision with PT-154. PT-154 had roll-offs but PT-155 still had tubes and this was November 1943!

[image] http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Nathaniel%20Smith/PT155note.png [/image]

Nat

natsmith

Posted By: Nathaniel Smith | Posted on: Mar 2, 2010 - 5:50pm
Total Posts: 211 | Joined: Jan 19, 2008 - 6:55am



Nat;
This is purely a educated guess, due to years of gunnery practice in varying conditions: the 3 inch shell (according to the visible damage) appears to have detonated on the downward outside slope of the MK 13 torpedo after body. the majority of the round was deflected downward into the deck, the remainder of he round and possibly some of the after housing burst apart and resulted in the shrapnel damage. If Joe McLaughlin was standing on the inside of that cockpit panel, he caught most of what was meant for you Dad. If he was on the outside.....he caught a hell of alot more.
Warmest regards to Ham.
Take care,
TED



Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Mar 2, 2010 - 6:27pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am



The projectiles from the shore batteries usually had a fairly high trajectory. At its landing zone it would have been on a downward angle. We need an old GM or artillery man to estimate the angle on impact.

Posted By: QM | Posted on: Mar 2, 2010 - 6:34pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



QM to answer that question you need a few bits of info first,

1. How far from the shore was the PT 154.

2. What type of 3in (75mm) gun was used e.g. A.A. Howitzer, Navel
Gun.

3. What sort of projectile was chosen or avaiable.

To give you an idea the American M2A2 105 Howitzer gives about
1,500 yards of almost flat trajectory firing a 33lbs high explosive
projectile. Any further and the gun would need to be elevated to
obtain the range, once we know the elevation we can calculate a
trajectory.
Thats why we need the answers to the questions.




D.buck

Posted By: David Buck | Posted on: Mar 3, 2010 - 4:21am
Total Posts: 332 | Joined: May 4, 2008 - 2:59am



The two PT's were about a mile and a half from shore. I do not know how far down range they were. My father said the first shell went too far and splashed off of his starboard bow.

My guess is that the shore gun was not a howitzer type. Three guns were installed at this location to get PT's coming from Treasury Island. I am told they are still there.
[image]http://nathanielsmith.com/PT/1.5 nautical miles.png [/image]

Nat

natsmith

Posted By: Nathaniel Smith | Posted on: Mar 3, 2010 - 3:07pm
Total Posts: 211 | Joined: Jan 19, 2008 - 6:55am



Frank: I can give you an eye witness account of the torpedo that was hit on the 242. It occurred on the night of December 27, 1943 off the coast of Bougainville. It was the port rear torpedo. I helped put out the smouldering fire with a bucket with a rope to dip water from over the side. I got the bucket out of the lazerette. We fired the air charge to get the torpedo out of the tube but it was wedged in and didn't budge. It was a Mark 8. (We got new Mark 13 to replace) We and the 254 (a Ron 20 boat) encountered 4 barges that night. We sank three of them but one got away to the beach and it was to shallow to go in after him.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Mar 3, 2010 - 3:08pm
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm



Nataneil,
I notices Pat's last name spell Roger and Rogers. Which one is right?
Victor

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Mar 3, 2010 - 4:25pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Pat frequents this Board. I am sure he will jump in when he has time.

This is a post from Apr 15, 2008 - 6:00pm

This is Pat Rogers, Radioman on PT154 from Dec 1942 until June 1944. I was present when PT154 was hit by a mortar shell on Nov. 13th, 1943 off the coast
of Bougvainville in the Solomon Islands group. (I don't know where you get the Shortland Island.) I am 85 years old and I believe my memory is very good. I can recall your father and the crew like it was only yesterday. I would like you to know that I served in the Navy until Sept. 1949, long after I left PT Boats back in Feb 1946. I was going to be a 20 year or 30 year retiree until i got married in 1947 but my wife to be made it a condition of our marriage - get out of the Navy. I am glad that I did as when went ahead and had 6 children, all grown up and on their own. How about telling me a little about Ham?
(I can say that now that I am out of the service.)

Here is a picture of Pat from an earlier posting (he is in the middle).
[image] http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Nathaniel%20Smith/Artie-Pat-Cookie.jpg[/image]

Nat

natsmith

Posted By: Nathaniel Smith | Posted on: Mar 3, 2010 - 4:42pm
Total Posts: 211 | Joined: Jan 19, 2008 - 6:55am



My post regarding the trajectory of the projectile was in reference to the possibility of it being deflected downward on impact with the torpedo.. Such deflection could have been possible but my guess was that the projectile may have already been on an unknown downward angle. I was guessing that it was fired from a howitzer which was probably the most common shore battery in New Guinea Pat Rogers' post which is repeated above refers to a mortar shell. It would have a steeper trajectory than a howitzer. There are too many unknowns to try to calculate a trajectory. With all of the numbers, I still would not be capable of making the calculation.

Posted By: QM | Posted on: Mar 3, 2010 - 5:35pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



Hi QM, Thanks to Nat we have a range ie; 3,000 yds after a little research the most likely 3in. shore battery Gun would have been the Type 41 (1914 Patten) 76.2 Navel Gun. Copyed from the British weapon supplied to the Japanese during WW1. There are a large number still sitting on their mounts all through The Solomonds, and up through PNG.
It would be interesting to see if someone could confirm this.

A little info on the Gun will help us get a very rough trajectory.

Max Range = 11,000 Yds.at 40 Deg.

Muzzle Velocity =2,210 Fps with standard 12.5 lb HE Shell.

So without taking into account the arc effect or the curvature of the earth or velocity drop off, to make it easy to calclulate the elavation would have been around 11 Deg laid onto the gun with the top of the arc at roughly 300 ft. above sea leavel with a corresponding 11 Deg. angle heading down to the Boat give or take a little.

The Muzzle Velocity gives us a time of flight of around 4 seconds, so if the same Gun fired three rounds and a good crew can load and fire 15 rounds a minute the boat was very lucky indeed.

The pictures of the guns in the Solomons show that they were fitted with very high angle mounts this would be so that the Gun could also fill the A.A. roll as well as be a Shore Battery with a fair range ,the afore mentioned M2A2 only has a range of 7 Kilometers.

I hope this helps a little as without the Guns Trajectory tables this is the best I can do.

To others on this forum this may seem to be a little cold blooded to be working on a subject that took the lives of three brave men but I hope in a small way that this discourse continues to keep their memory alive.

D.buck

Posted By: David Buck | Posted on: Mar 4, 2010 - 3:17am
Total Posts: 332 | Joined: May 4, 2008 - 2:59am



If it seems cold blooded David then, well .......

But for me this thread really hits home on the perils these guys faced. My Dad never spoke about his time on the 156 boat, nothing more than a few 'specifications' anyway. It wasn't until my brothers and I were in our late teens that we started to realize just how much the war had changed our Dad. The war wasn't something he wanted to remember. No way.

Unfortunately for us boys there is almost nothing in the literature or records on the 156 boat while Dad was on her. The closest we will ever get to knowing what he went through is by reading what little we can find.

Even though I and my middle brother were in the Navy in the mid '60s we never came up against anything that could possibly compare with wartime experiences like has been described in this thread.

This Board, and PT Boats, Inc., has been of inestimable value to us in our search for understanding.

Thanks to all of you.

Pete


2nd generation PT'er
Son of Arthur C. Krogh,
CMoMM, Plankowner Ron 9, 156 Boat

Posted By: Peter Krogh | Posted on: Mar 4, 2010 - 4:36pm
Total Posts: 30 | Joined: Sep 3, 2009 - 6:12pm



Peter,

As I read your post, I felt chills as my brother and I have had the same experience with my father who was on the 154. We felt that being on PT boats would be adventurous and exciting ... especially with JFK connection and all. My dad never would tell us much. We were in our twenties when we began to sense that the war had changed him. My quest too is to get some understanding of what he might have gone through ... even though, with no combat experience I know I never can.

Communicating with the real PT vets on this Board has been a special experience ... I am thinking about what Earl has been recently trying to say in his thread called "Respect". Earl once told me that he might have served a meal to my Dad and the connection to this mysterious part of my Dad's life was brought to life.

It is only now with my researched understanding of what really happened over there that my dad is comfortable about talking to me about 1943. It is as if my knowledge of things PT puts me into that inner circle with whom a father ... a combat vet ... can safely share. Sure we talk about when he got the roll-off torpedoes and when they mounted a 37mm gun on the bow but we also can talk about what it was like to be strafed by our own airplanes and having to shoot one down that made repeated attacks even though he had IFF and had done proper recognition maneuvers and how that image keeps popping into his thoughts for 67 years. My dad is 90. His memory is not very good now ... I am amazed at Pat Rogers' crystal clear memory (I wish mine was as good and he is 27 years my senior).

I, too, appreciate this Board. I just wish I had not waited so long to start this journey.

Nat

natsmith

Posted By: Nathaniel Smith | Posted on: Mar 4, 2010 - 6:18pm
Total Posts: 211 | Joined: Jan 19, 2008 - 6:55am



"I just wish I had not waited so long to start this journey."

Yup. I wish I still had Dad around to talk to......

Pete



2nd generation PT'er
Son of Arthur C. Krogh,
CMoMM, Plankowner Ron 9, 156 Boat

Posted By: Peter Krogh | Posted on: Mar 4, 2010 - 9:29pm
Total Posts: 30 | Joined: Sep 3, 2009 - 6:12pm



Peter , Nat,

I Lost my Dad in 1996 before he went he gave me his WW11
Medal which he had received for being in PNG as an artilleryman.

Although serving in the Australian Army was rewarding I and many
of my generation never got to go O/S. (We called ourselves the
peace time army) I did get to meet and make friends with a
number of Vietnam Vets.

One thing I will say is that ALL of them have a story to tell and
it is well worth our time to listern to them.


D.buck

Posted By: David Buck | Posted on: Mar 5, 2010 - 2:41am
Total Posts: 332 | Joined: May 4, 2008 - 2:59am