Tom, thank you so very much for this info. Wish I knew enough about computers to help you put a stop to such hurtful behavior.

Dick Huddleston: I try to keep a close eye on those that write here and if you recall I deleted one very recently from the guest book asking for pictures as his father was on a different carrier then. No advertising as I will remove as soon as possible. These are for Essex Sailors or families of.

 It is hard to remember names after 60 years If people would just give the work station or GQ station. I would not recconize a name but if you were in the 1st. div/ and was on gun 2 or 4 I'd do a lot of hard thinking on it.
I was second loader on Gun #4 My best buddy was hot shell man Kenny Cook. He was the only hot shell man I knew of that didn't have a blister on his nose. Most hot shellmen did you know. I have about every documentry film of naval action and have never seen a shot of gunners loading and firing a 5'' gun. I dont think the photographers liked to work with out cover of a splinter shield. Otherwise they could stood right over us on the edg of the flight deck and got a birds eye view of all the action. They may have goten a picture when a 40 MM shell hit gun 4 just in front of the first loader. Fragements hit pointer, first loader and me. The pointer (Moon) was in sick bay a couple of weeks. I dug splinters out of my belly for a week. I think Moon was in sick bay when the bomb went off under our screws.
A battle dressing station was just inbord between guns 2 and 4 and to set the reccord strate, Four of the black 20MM guners walked to our gundeck and asked me where the battle dressing station was I led them to it less than 15 feet away.They all died a few minuts later. So don't beleive it when you read in books and Navel History that they all died instantly. They did stick to there guns and fired until the Komakuzy hit them. I watched the whole thing sitting atop gun 4 The fire ball was about 2o ft. high when I ducked below flight deck level. When it was all over there was a half a dead Jap on our gundeck. A couple of guys wraped his deployed parachute around him and tossed him over the side. I don't useualy Write without spell check I hope you can read this.

Jack...when were you on the Essex?
My father was aboard 1943-44.
His name was Walter J. Deptula at that time. He later changed his last name to Drew.
You can read about him on the Essex Bravepages at:
http://www.ussessexcv9.org/Bravepages/8strikes.html

Today he is 85 and has pretty advanced Alzheimer's. He lives at Aegis of Kirkland in Washington State. One of the guys he flew the air strikes with is alive and well in Seattle. His name is Herbert 'Andy' Anderson.

Debbie Shaw

< replied-to message removed by QT >

Debbie Shaw, please e-mail me at froabo2@juno.com as I want to discuss your father's (Walter J. Deptula) stories.

Thank you,

Frank R O'Connor USS Essex Past Chairman

All,

I need some help. We are purchasing a Flight Jacket for our Manager and would like to make it look like what his father would have worn. He flew a Hell Cat during WWII off the Essex. He was part of VF-83. I am trying to find a patch for the VF-83 and can't find anyone that makes a reproduction. I am also looking for the CV-9 patch for that era. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Bill Glaser
870-776-0849

Whomever posted the air launch picture on the USS Essex Korean operation picture I humbly thank you for the best Christmas present you could have provided to the family of Lt JG Ross K. Bramwell, KIA 4 Sep 1951. The plane in which he was killed was VF-51 F9F-2 #102. His aircraft was located in the foreground of the photo. Although other pilots flew that aircraft I believe this is him on either his last flight or one shortly before. I have never been able to find an actual photo of this aircraft. Bless all of you fine people who served on the USS Essex, especially those of you in Squadron VF-51. Sincerely, Gordon Bramwell James, nephew, Major (ret), United States Air Force-Vietnam. PS-My wife was thrilled also since she had painted a special painting for me of #102.

World War II: Interview with U.S. Navy Photographer Jack Stewart
 
http://www.historynet.com/world-war-ii-int...er-jack-stewart.htm
 
PH Stewart was aboard the Essex during WWII
 
Frederick R Miller, PH1, USN Retired 55-73
Ballston Spa,NY 12020

Hi Everyone,
Dad Sullivan Palermo served as a gunner on a Hell Diver SB2C in 1945. Dad is in good health and has always wanted to get a hold of his pilot. Through all these years he has been unsuccessful. The Dept of Navy gave me me this web site so I thought I would give it go. Pilot was / is Ens. David Kenneth Breece. I did check the memorial page and did not see his name. Perhaps one you knows of another web site....
Many thanks to you for serving our country and for any help you can give.
Bob Palermo, Huntville, Alabama

Hmmm.... I guess the attachments didn't work...or got blocked

Here's the list of Torpedo Squadron Niners I tried to attach:

Adams, Bob
Aiken, Thomas N. LT.
Anderson, Herbert (Andy) C.
Bates, Frank W. ARM3C
Berwick, Al
Braun, Marc
Bright, Roy D. ARM 3/C
Cassady, John (Jack)
Chalman, Charles A. AMM 2/C
Conlon, John E. AOM 1/C
Cooke, Byron E. LCDR
Deptula-Drew, Walter CPO RET
Donnelley, Gaylord LT
Emrick, Paul E. CDR (CAPT USN RET)
Fairtrace, Anson A. AMM2C
Fox, Fredrick H. LTJG
Fox, Myrton F. ARM 3/C
Gamel, John J. AOM 1/C
Garrison, Paul T. ARM 2/C
Garwood, Robert H. AMM 2/C
Goodrich, Hilton D. YN 1/C
Griffin, Charles D. CDR (ADM USN RET)
Gulick, Robert A. Jr.
Hamill, Dick A. ARM 2/C
Hebert, Paul L.
Henry, George C. LTJG
Hibbs, George A. AOM 1/C
Holland, William AOM 1/C
Hoover, Charles C. LTJG
Hord, David A.
Hoselton, Cordy Lee
Houck, Herbert CDR
Iiames, Guy R.
Ingram, Milton L.
Jacobs, Walter A. LTJG
Jaep, Charles H. III LT
Jenkins, Gordon K.
Kane, Donald C. LTJG
Karney, Joseph J. ARM 3/C
Kazulis, William P. ARM 3/C
Keller, Eugene L. AMM 1/C
Kemp, E. Duane
Kent, Don
Kettles, Archibald Y. ACMM
King, David A LTJG
Knight, Joseph E. ARM 2/C
Knowlton, Harry E. (Stumpy) ACOM
Krummeck, K. Kenneth
Lee, Charles Isaac ACMM
Lee, Clyde J.
Lock, Kenneth J. AMM 2/C
Lucas, George (Red) LTJG
Malikowski, Theodore S. AOM 1/C
Malone, Robert D. ARM 2/C
Martin, W.L. ARM 1/C
Marvil Jr., Frederick L.
Matthews, Robert T. AMM 1/C
Menard, Louis CDR USN Ret
Meredith, Phillip AMM 1/C
Miller, Stuart J.
Moore, Albert S. ARM 3/C
Quigley, Bertram ENS
Romagnolo, Frank (Romo)
Rossi, Charles B. ARM 1/C
Scherer, James P. LT.
Shelley, James W. LT.
Smith, A.J. CDR USN RET
Spencer, John "Link"
Stetson, Thomas H. LT
Taylor, James J. LT.
Tilghman, Lloyd E.
Wadelton, Frances B. LTJG
Weldon, Harry V.
Whelan, John
White, Donald M. LCDR (RADM USN RET)
Williams, Clark R. LTJG
Wogan, Richard ADM
Zentmeyer, Richard B. LTJG


------------------------------------------------------------ ----
Hello everyone...



I just wanted to announce that my dad, Walter J Deptula (Drew)
who served on Essex 1943-1944 passed away Saturday, Feb 28, 2009
from complications of Alzheimer's.
Some of you may remember him as a "regular" at many Essex
Reunions.


I have attached a roster of the men in his squadron...you might
recognize some of the names. Please let me know if you see any
errors or omissions.


Also ~ You can read about my dad's air strikes at
http://www.ussessexcv9.org/Bravepages/8strikes.html


These were written by him and posted on the website by the late
Bob Sourisseau some years ago.




Services for Wally will be held Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at:



Sunset Hills Memorial Park

1575 145th Place SE

Bellevue, WA 98007

Phone: (425) 746-1400



Chapel service at 1:30 PM

Internment at 2:30



Open to everyone.



If you wish, you may email me your thoughts or memories of Wally
you might have. They will be read at the service and included in
the memory book.


Thank you!



Debbie Shaw
_________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe: http://www.quicktopic.com/19/X/D38QfUjYwZe
Start your own topic in 20 seconds: http://www.quicktopic.com |QT

Edited by author 03-08-2009 09:00 PM
Debbie, I have posted your father, Walter J. Duptila (Drew) on the USS ESSEX Memorial Page as a Life USS Essex Association Member.

Are there any Essex veterans from WWII with any recollections of Lt. John Hugh Spotts, a Texas pilot in VF-83, who joined your ship's company March 10, 1945, best I can tell, and was killed March 19. He was an instructor with my father at Pensacola until around 1944, when he was assigned to an operational squadron. Here is the account of his death, written on the back of Hugh's photograph that his brother sent me:

"While returning from a raid on Kyushu, Japan Hugh ran out of fuel trying to help a sub rescue his very dear friend and room mate. He was also his college room mate. Hugh was forced to land on the U.S.S. Wasp. Later that day a Jap dive bomber made an attack on the Wasp killing John Hugh."

Thank you for any details you might know about this man, who seemed to impress everyone who knew him.

Robert Brewer Jr
Fort Worth, Texas