USS Weeden-Pacific Theater

USS WEEDEN WWII HISTORY- PACIFIC THEATER

Atlantic Theater Pacific Theater Part II Post War History Return to Beginning of Weeden History

January 22, 1945
Left Boston.

January 23, 1945
Arrived at Norfolk, Va., and served briefly as a school ship. This is a time of very sad memory for me. Our first son, Terry, was born here on Jan. 27, with a broken leg, due to our carelessness, as we were too far from the hospital, and it was a difficult breech birth. I thought I was going out to the Pacific to end all wars. 25 years later, in 1970, this son was killed in Vietnam, leading his platoon in a defense of one of those forlorn hills in Vietnam

January 31, 1945
Received orders assigning the Weeden to the Pacific Fleet and departed Norfolk.

February 5, 1945
We had a scary, difficult to control fire aboard on the day of our entry into Panama. At 0745 a fire was reported in anchor windlass room in wardroom stores. Fire was fought until under control at 0845. Hoses were used, and submersible pumps to pump out the water. Several men were overcome by smoke while trying to get to the fire. A hole 24" in diameter was cut in the main deck at frame 10 to allow getting at the fire. Damage consisted of damaged wardroom stores (most of the officer's liquor supply), flooded anchor windlass engine and hole cut in deck. Cause of fire unknown, possibly spontaneous combustion. We had to have the motor rewound in Cristobal.

February 5, 1945
Arrived in Cristobal, Canal Zone. Crew enjoyed their last liberty for 6 months. What a town. Don Nelson reports along with Ed Hansen on standing shore patrol duty in a house of ill repute. Everyone who went liberty had a good time, partly because they knew liberties in Western Pacific would be few and far between, and would consistently be limited to warm beer and baseball on a hot and dusty atoll. Apparently even men restricted to the ship managed to get ashore by hook or crook. I'm told, though I don't recall, I was so angry on sighting one or more of these restrictees ashore that I had the shipfitters build a brig with no ventilation out of an empty compartment (the peacoat locker - peacoats were left behind, not needed, in tropical Pacific). The first prisoner I recall using it for was Goins, our perpetual "bad boy," who had apparently gotten in trouble again in Panama. One day, some days out of Panama, in the intense heat of the Tropics, the doctor we had on board for our trip to WestPac insisted to the Captain that Goins be let out, that it was inhumanly hot in that steel box' (I guess the Captain and I were acting like Col. Saito in the"Bridge on the River Kwai.") On the brig, Ed Hansen added; no one was ever deprived in the brig on "bread & water." The crew made sure that they were well fed. Another casualty in Panama was Chief Watertender Frenchie Thibodeaux, whom we had to transfer because he took after Chief Electrician Andrews with a butcher knife. Maybe he was really trying to get transferred to his home in Hawaii, for he supposedly had vowed he would not go back to the Pacific again. Hal Knight recalls that Frenchie Thibodeaux went after Chief Electrician Andrews while we were going through the Canal -- Frenchie had had liberty in Cristobal and brought a bottle or two back aboard. I remember CEM Andrews running up to the bridge to avoid Thibodeaux. He was from Louisiana. I'm not positive, but I believe we transferred him after Panama to a ship to be delivered to a medical center in Hawaii. He had had a rough time in the water after his previous ship, a cruiser, had been sunk. (Our Captain also survived the sinking of his first ship, the Vincennes)

February 10,1945
Passed by the Galapagos Islands and crossed the Equator. All polliwogs were initiated into the mysteries of the deep in keeping with the traditions of the realm of Neptunus Rex and were acclaimed true and loyal sons of Neptune. War Diary shows we stopped and refueled at the Galapagos, so above entry is incorrect. H. Green also confirms in his diary that we refueled in the Galapagos Islands and that we crossed the equator three times and were initiated into King Neptune's Realm.I was quite sore from the beating we took and had the first baldy of my life. I got the polliwog treatment too, since I couldn't locate my shellback card from my Indiana crossing in 1943.

I too become a baldy, for the ragged cuts to my hair and the axle grease rubbed in told the ship's barber it was better for me to "start over." Some great photos were taken of these ceremonies, as someone had managed to get camera and film aboard. don't recall why we crossed the Equator 3 times; maybe this was part of the initiation ritual.

February 11, 1945
In this vast and empty area of the Pacific we had another excitement -unexplained to this day - a strong sonar contact that took us to General Quarters & Battle Stations. It became a mystery to rank alongside our sailing vessel encounter off Bermuda, for we couldn't figure what it was. No Japanese sub would have been in this inactive area, and the water was too deep for it to be a reef. We expended lots of depth charges on it, with no result, before we continued on our way, frustrated and wondering. Here is the War Diary coverage. At about 1600 ship went to battle stations after making sonar contact. Between 1600 and 1810 made repeated attacks with hedgehogs and depth charges on contact. Expended 72 rounds of hedgehogs in 3 firings and 29 MK 8 depth charges. Target was classified non-sub finally, but target unidentified. Charted depth of water was 1700 fathoms (almost 2 miles), yet on several crossings over target, fathometer registered depths of about 55 fathoms. Several streaks of black scum were seen on the water after several attacks on target. Target gave fair to good echoes on sonar gear. But there was no noticeable movement of target during entire period of attacks, and no doppler was noted. Also target appeared to be too wide for a sub. No explosions were observed from the three hedgehog attacks but there were 4 early explosions of magnetically-set depth charges on one attack and two on another. Approximate position of contacts 1-07'S, 96-41'W. After final 12-charge pattern was dropped at 1810, sonar contact lost and could not be regained. At 1845 commenced operation Observant from FTP 223A. Completed Observant at 1850 without renewing contact. Commenced retiring search plan #1 from FTP 223A. At 2115 abandoned search and resumed previous course and speed. Target identity remains a mystery. And my most enduring and provocative mystery of the War remains, heightened again from reading this War Diary entry. Were it a Japanese sub, surely this would have been revealed after the war from Japanese records. The Captain recalls this event less vividly, and in our recent meeting evaluated it as whale. I have a thought: If one of you has an adventuresome son or daughter with the sailing vessel and other resources to pursue this mystery, you have the location here and the challenges. Go find out what it was. Sonar Smith will probably be happy to leave his medical practice in Kentucky to sail the ocean blue again to help you!

February 22, 1945
Stopped at Bora Bora in the Society Islands overnight for refueling. Many grass skirts were purchased from scantily-clad Polynesian maidens. H. Green reports that we arrived in Bora Bora. They are really quite picturesque and the native women very pretty. The Pacific is extremely calm and just the opposite from the Atlantic. The crew wasn't allowed ashore, on this fabled, totally escapist, peaceful, antithesis-of-war paradise, an eye-opening wonder, to avoid "Mutiny on the Bounty" type desertion, I'm sure. It seemed so lovely and unspoiled, one of the Society group of French islands. And we were going out where Iwo and Okinawa and kamikaze-type hell awaited us! I've read recently in DESA News that a DE about a month ahead of us left behind 6 crew members who deserted, taking their ship's whaleboat with them. One or two of them drowned in a landing accident on the island. I recall the Captain came back shaking his head after his duty call on the station commanding officer, who seemed to have 5 or 6 lovely Polynesian maidens as part of the furnishings in his office. Even the usually dryly official War Diary, which I wrote and the Captain signed, had this to say, "0800 Feb. 23. The Weeden bid a reluctant farewell to a 'Little Paradise.'" Hal Knight reports that in Bora Bora we took a party of the crew to a movie on the beach. He had to count and recount them to satisfy the local staff that we didn't leave any ashore. We actually formed them up in a squad - marched them from the dock to the movie and back again. I remember seeing a canoe full of native men paddling in beautiful rhythm across the harbor in a rain shower. Provincetown and Bora Bora are my memories of escape-from-war Weeden happiness. "GREAT IDEA" If anyone is rich enough, how about chartering a plane for all of us to fly to Bora Bora for the next reunion, Wow:

February 23, 1945
Howard Green reports that we departed from Bora Bora to head for Manus Is, Admiralty Group. The crew on board are really swell fellows. We have been together for over a year and I wouldn't trade some of my buddies for anything. Al Copeland and Ed Biga especially are two friends I think very much of. However, there are many others I think as much of.

February 27, 1945
Howard Green reports that we crossed the 180th Meridian and became a dragonback. As a result of losing a day, the Weeden crew never lived this the last day in Feb.

March 1, 1945
Crossed the International Date Line and crew was initiated into the oriental mysteries of the Honorable Ancestors of the Golden Dragon.

March 3, 1945
The War Diary records a memorable event in our history. Between 2015 and 2245 the Division doctor successfully conducted the first major operation on the USS Weeden, an appendectomy. The infection was acute and treatment could not wait, and fortunately, we had the Division doctor aboard. Unfortunately, happily unknown to the sick man, Charlie Lee Wexler, of Jonesboro, Tenn., we were not equipped for surgery, and our doctor had never performed such an operation. But he was eager to test his skill, and Bill Warner recounts with relish holding the book up for the doctor to refer to as he operated. Fortunately, the seas were very calm, and we steered a heading to windward to reduce any roll. Those who assisted at this surgery, our corpsman Gene Radford, our future doctor, Sonar Smith, and others, recall this as one of the highlights of their war experiences. Gene Radford's memories, recounted at past reunions, includes that he and 1st Class Pharmacist’s mate Pollier assisted, Lt. John Smith handled the anesthesia, of which only 2 bottles of Ether were left at the end. Bill Warner handled the ice. Galley food strainers with gauze were used for the ether. Boatswain's mates Sanders and Webber also assisted. Amazingly, the patient was up and around in a day or two. Wexler is now deceased; died from cancer, but Ed Hansen visited him while he was still alive, and found he survived Weeden's first, last and only surgery with no ill effects.

March 5, 1945
Howard Green reports that we passed Guadalcanal. Impressive and sobering because of the terrible struggles there where we first began to push the Japs back in 1942. This was also the location of the sinking of the Captain's cruiser, in which the Captain lost partial hearing from the concussions.

March 6, 1945
Passed Russell Is., and received word that Manus Is., our destination was bombed last night.

March 8, 1945
Arrived at Manus in the Admiralty Islands where we underwent repairs and received orders attaching us to the Philippine Sea Frontier.: Left Boston.
January 23, 1945: Arrived at Norfolk, Va., and served briefly as a school ship. This is a time of very sad memory for me. Our first son, Terry, was born here on Jan. 27, with a broken leg, due to our carelessness, as we were too far from the hospital, and it was a difficult breech birth. I thought I was going out to the Pacific to end all wars. 25 years later, in 1970, this son was killed in Vietnam, leading his platoon in a defense of one of those forlorn hills in Vietnam
January 31, 1945: Received orders assigning the Weeden to the Pacific Fleet and departed Norfolk.
February 5, 1945: We had a scary, difficult to control fire aboard on the day of our entry into Panama. At 0745 a fire was reported in anchor windlass room in wardroom stores. Fire was fought until under control at 0845. Hoses were used, and submersible pumps to pump out the water. Several men were overcome by smoke while trying to get to the fire. A hole 24" in diameter was cut in the main deck at frame 10 to allow getting at the fire. Damage consisted of damaged wardroom stores (most of the officer's liquor supply), flooded anchor windlass engine and hole cut in deck. Cause of fire unknown, possibly spontaneous combustion. We had to have the motor rewound in Cristobal.
February 5, 1945: Arrived in Cristobal, Canal Zone. Crew enjoyed their last liberty for 6 months. What a town. Don Nelson reports along with Ed Hansen on standing shore patrol duty in a house of ill repute. Everyone who went liberty had a good time, partly because they knew liberties in Western Pacific would be few and far between, and would consistently be limited to warm beer and baseball on a hot and dusty atoll. Apparently even men restricted to the ship managed to get ashore by hook or crook. I'm told, though I don't recall, I was so angry on sighting one or more of these restrictees ashore that I had the shipfitters build a brig with no ventilation out of an empty compartment (the peacoat locker - peacoats were left behind, not needed, in tropical Pacific). The first prisoner I recall using it for was Goins, our perpetual "bad boy," who had apparently gotten in trouble again in Panama. One day, some days out of Panama, in the intense heat of the Tropics, the doctor we had on board for our trip to WestPac insisted to the Captain that Goins be let out, that it was inhumanly hot in that steel box' (I guess the Captain and I were acting like Col. Saito in the"Bridge on the River Kwai.") On the brig, Ed Hansen added; no one was ever deprived in the brig on "bread & water." The crew made sure that they were well fed. Another casualty in Panama was Chief Watertender Frenchie Thibodeaux, whom we had to transfer because he took after Chief Electrician Andrews with a butcher knife. Maybe he was really trying to get transferred to his home in Hawaii, for he supposedly had vowed he would not go back to the Pacific again. Hal Knight recalls that Frenchie Thibodeaux went after Chief Electrician Andrews while we were going through the Canal -- Frenchie had had liberty in Cristobal and brought a bottle or two back aboard. I remember CEM Andrews running up to the bridge to avoid Thibodeaux. He was from Louisiana. I'm not positive, but I believe we transferred him after Panama to a ship to be delivered to a medical center in Hawaii. He had had a rough time in the water after his previous ship, a cruiser, had been sunk. (Our Captain also survived the sinking of his first ship, the Vincennes)
February 10,1945: Passed by the Galapagos Islands and crossed the Equator. All polliwogs were initiated into the mysteries of the deep in keeping with the traditions of the realm of Neptunus Rex and were acclaimed true and loyal sons of Neptune. War Diary shows we stopped and refueled at the Galapagos, so above entry is incorrect. H. Green also confirms in his diary that we refueled in the Galapagos Islands and that we crossed the equator three times and were initiated into King Neptune's Realm.I was quite sore from the beating we took and had the first baldy of my life. I got the polliwog treatment too, since I couldn't locate my shellback card from my Indiana crossing in 1943.

I too become a baldy, for the ragged cuts to my hair and the axle grease rubbed in told the ship's barber it was better for me to "start over." Some great photos were taken of these ceremonies, as someone had managed to get camera and film aboard. don't recall why we crossed the Equator 3 times; maybe this was part of the initiation ritual.
February 11, 1945: In this vast and empty area of the Pacific we had another excitement -unexplained to this day - a strong sonar contact that took us to General Quarters & Battle Stations. It became a mystery to rank alongside our sailing vessel encounter off Bermuda, for we couldn't figure what it was. No Japanese sub would have been in this inactive area, and the water was too deep for it to be a reef. We expended lots of depth charges on it, with no result, before we continued on our way, frustrated and wondering. Here is the War Diary coverage. At about 1600 ship went to battle stations after making sonar contact. Between 1600 and 1810 made repeated attacks with hedgehogs and depth charges on contact. Expended 72 rounds of hedgehogs in 3 firings and 29 MK 8 depth charges. Target was classified non-sub finally, but target unidentified. Charted depth of water was 1700 fathoms (almost 2 miles), yet on several crossings over target, fathometer registered depths of about 55 fathoms. Several streaks of black scum were seen on the water after several attacks on target. Target gave fair to good echoes on sonar gear. But there was no noticeable movement of target during entire period of attacks, and no doppler was noted. Also target appeared to be too wide for a sub. No explosions were observed from the three hedgehog attacks but there were 4 early explosions of magnetically-set depth charges on one attack and two on another. Approximate position of contacts 1-07'S, 96-41'W. After final 12-charge pattern was dropped at 1810, sonar contact lost and could not be regained. At 1845 commenced operation Observant from FTP 223A. Completed Observant at 1850 without renewing contact. Commenced retiring search plan #1 from FTP 223A. At 2115 abandoned search and resumed previous course and speed. Target identity remains a mystery. And my most enduring and provocative mystery of the War remains, heightened again from reading this War Diary entry. Were it a Japanese sub, surely this would have been revealed after the war from Japanese records. The Captain recalls this event less vividly, and in our recent meeting evaluated it as whale. I have a thought: If one of you has an adventuresome son or daughter with the sailing vessel and other resources to pursue this mystery, you have the location here and the challenges. Go find out what it was. Sonar Smith will probably be happy to leave his medical practice in Kentucky to sail the ocean blue again to help you!
February 22, 1945: Stopped at Bora Bora in the Society Islands overnight for refueling. Many grass skirts were purchased from scantily-clad Polynesian maidens. H. Green reports that we arrived in Bora Bora. They are really quite picturesque and the native women very pretty. The Pacific is extremely calm and just the opposite from the Atlantic. The crew wasn't allowed ashore, on this fabled, totally escapist, peaceful, antithesis-of-war paradise, an eye-opening wonder, to avoid "Mutiny on the Bounty" type desertion, I'm sure. It seemed so lovely and unspoiled, one of the Society group of French islands. And we were going out where Iwo and Okinawa and kamikaze-type hell awaited us! I've read recently in DESA News that a DE about a month ahead of us left behind 6 crew members who deserted, taking their ship's whaleboat with them. One or two of them drowned in a landing accident on the island. I recall the Captain came back shaking his head after his duty call on the station commanding officer, who seemed to have 5 or 6 lovely Polynesian maidens as part of the furnishings in his office. Even the usually dryly official War Diary, which I wrote and the Captain signed, had this to say, "0800 Feb. 23. The Weeden bid a reluctant farewell to a 'Little Paradise.'" Hal Knight reports that in Bora Bora we took a party of the crew to a movie on the beach. He had to count and recount them to satisfy the local staff that we didn't leave any ashore. We actually formed them up in a squad - marched them from the dock to the movie and back again. I remember seeing a canoe full of native men paddling in beautiful rhythm across the harbor in a rain shower. Provincetown and Bora Bora are my memories of escape-from-war Weeden happiness. "GREAT IDEA" If anyone is rich enough, how about chartering a plane for all of us to fly to Bora Bora for the next reunion, Wow:
February 23, 1945: Howard Green reports that we departed from Bora Bora to head for Manus Is, Admiralty Group. The crew on board are really swell fellows. We have been together for over a year and I wouldn't trade some of my buddies for anything. Al Copeland and Ed Biga especially are two friends I think very much of. However, there are many others I think as much of.
February 27, 1945: Howard Green reports that we crossed the 180th Meridian and became a dragonback. As a result of losing a day, the Weeden crew never lived this the last day in Feb.
March 1, 1945: Crossed the International Date Line and crew was initiated into the oriental mysteries of the Honorable Ancestors of the Golden Dragon.
March 3, 1945: The War Diary records a memorable event in our history. Between 2015 and 2245 the Division doctor successfully conducted the first major operation on the USS Weeden, an appendectomy. The infection was acute and treatment could not wait, and fortunately, we had the Division doctor aboard. Unfortunately, happily unknown to the sick man, Charlie Lee Wexler, of Jonesboro, Tenn., we were not equipped for surgery, and our doctor had never performed such an operation. But he was eager to test his skill, and Bill Warner recounts with relish holding the book up for the doctor to refer to as he operated. Fortunately, the seas were very calm, and we steered a heading to windward to reduce any roll. Those who assisted at this surgery, our corpsman Gene Radford, our future doctor, Sonar Smith, and others, recall this as one of the highlights of their war experiences. Gene Radford's memories, recounted at past reunions, includes that he and 1st Class Pharmacist’s mate Pollier assisted, Lt. John Smith handled the anesthesia, of which only 2 bottles of Ether were left at the end. Bill Warner handled the ice. Galley food strainers with gauze were used for the ether. Boatswain's mates Sanders and Webber also assisted. Amazingly, the patient was up and around in a day or two. Wexler is now deceased; died from cancer, but Ed Hansen visited him while he was still alive, and found he survived Weeden's first, last and only surgery with no ill effects.
March 5, 1945: Howard Green reports that we passed Guadalcanal. Impressive and sobering because of the terrible struggles there where we first began to push the Japs back in 1942. This was also the location of the sinking of the Captain's cruiser, in which the Captain lost partial hearing from the concussions.
March 6, 1945: Passed Russell Is., and received word that Manus Is., our destination was bombed last night.
March 8, 1945: Arrived at Manus in the Admiralty Islands where we underwent repairs and received orders attaching us to the Philippine Sea Frontier.

Atlantic Theater Return to top Pacific Theater Part II Post War History Return to Beginning of Weeden History