Greetings all, Just wanted to check in to inform those interested that my dad, a sailor on the USS Johnston which was sunk at Samar in the Leyte campaign, has just been sent home from the hospital in hospice care with a three month life expectancy. Dad was one of the sailors who manually steered the rudder of the Johnston following the bridge being taken out during the battle. Captain Evans himself yelled down directors to the after steering room as I understand it. Dad came out of the room when everything quieted down only to notice there was no one around him, and dove in to join the others. He gave his life preserver to someone who eventually was killed by a shark, and at about 5pm of the second day he found an empty lifeboat. He pulled seven other survivors in and was finally rescued on the third day. Dad is mentally in great shape but is surviving on a heart that is only 10% efficient due to a lifetime of smoking. Dad believes there are only a handful of survivors left from the ship. If there are any questions that members might have I would be glad to ask him. Thanks for your time! John
All I ask is that you give your brave dad a big thank you and a Salute from me. You have to be proud of him !
Hi John. Welcome to the forum. Please pass along my regards. I have one question (that is, if you and your father don't mind). I've heard several stories that Captain Evans remained on-board after he gave the order to abandon ship, and was last seen steering the ship himself. Others have said that he was one of the last men off the ship but later died in the water. Does your father have any memories of this?
Now is the time to pick his brain for all his memories about his life's experiences from the depression years to the post war years. Even a small anecdote could be priceless.
Your father has much to be proud of, that was a fine ship and crew. The bravery of your father and the men of the Johnston does not go unnoticed and unappreciated by the membership here and while their service in October, 1944 does not often get noticed by much of the nation, we know what they did. Please extend to him my greatest regards for his brave actions and those of his shipmates as they charged into Kurita's force. If he is willing to talk and you have to time post, we'd love to know more about him and his ship. Feel free to post photos if you have them.
Welcome gq-johnnie, I'd also love to hear any stories your dad wishes to relate. He participated in one of the most epic battles in US Naval History. Shake his hand for me and tell him I said, "Well done sailor".
Glad to have you aboard John. The sea battle off Samar is one of those that got me hooked on the Pacific Theater. I'll echo the others and say give your dad a big thank you from me. Please talk to him while you have the chance, and post whatever you and he feel comfortable with. I hope to see pictures and first hand accounts of events that he remembers.
John, I am very sorry to hear about your father's health condition. Please let him know how much we appreciate and honor his heroic service.
Hi there. What an amazing man! Thank you for offering to relay questions. It sounds like your father has talked to you quite a bit about the war. Can I offer a suggestion? As one who also has a WWII father (age 91), and who finally heard his stories when he was in his 80's and experiencing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, I know how precious those stories are. I also know that when we've heard the stories so many times, we think we've got it all straight. But when your father is gone, you'll think of things you'll wish you'd thought to ask. The solution is to not just ask the questions now, but also record them. Whether it's a video, audio, or writing down the stories, the act of recording them will help you to clarify things by asking follow up questions. This is all assuming your father is able. I don't know if you know about my memoir. It is about my father's WWII service and my quest to find out why he was suddenly having nightmares and flashbacks more than 50-years after the war. Turns out, he hadn't just sat behind a desk during the war, as he'd told us so many times. He was actually a top secret (Katakana) code breaker, working aboard submarines and ships. The book was published by Sourcebooks about a year ago. I would be honored to send your father a copy, double-signed - from one WWII veteran to another. If you think he would like that, just email me at karenlalaniz [at] gmail [dot] com, and I'll get a copy in the mail asap. By best to you and your father, Karen