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Showing Original Post only (View all)My uncle enlisted in the Navy, right after the attack on Pearl Harbor. I found this picture of him [View all]
He served aboard the USS Sagamon Bay (CVE-26) and the USS Santee (CVE-29). Both ships took direct hits (torpedo and Kamakazi) and it is my understanding that he had the misfortune of being on both of those ships during the attacks. And it was during one of those attacks that his best friend was killed, just feet away from where he stood.
I remember him as a quiet man who rarely discussed much of his experiences in the war. There was always an air of sadness around him. But I do also remember how proud he was of me, when I enlisted in the Navy.
When he returned to Flint, he went to work at "The Buick", as everyone around here called the Buick Motors Plant. He later retired to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a life of hunting and drinking with his buddies. He was only 64 when he died. I have no doubt, he suffered from intense PTSD that sent him into a lifetime of self-medicating to numb memories.
I found this picture of him, taken at the Jade Hulu Shack in Oakland, CA. From the date, it looks like it was after his ship had limped back for repairs. Uncle John is the man in the middle. (I still have his 'Cracker Jack' uniform.) Knowing his story, I could be reading too much into the photo, but I am haunted by the look on his face.
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