91 Years Young

Great Grandpa H's birthday was on the 15th. The whole family gathered at their house to celebrate. Every time we get together, we love to hear Grandpa tell stories of his amazing life. His war experiences are particularly fascinating. His World War II story started when he was working as a telegrapher in the middle of nowhere Nevada. He was working when the telegraph came in from Hawaii saying that Pearl Harbor was under attack. Grandpa was the first person on the mainland to get the message, and it was his job to relay it to Washington D.C. to the President. Later in the war, Grandpa served in the Navy in the Pacific aboard the USS Ancon. One of the guns aboard the ship was broken. The captain asked everyone if they thought it could be repaired. Grandpa was the only one that believed it could be fixed. The Captain told Grandpa to open it up and fix it. When the gun was fixed, they tested it on some decoys, and it appeared that the sight was broken. The captain told Grandpa to open the sight and fix it even though it was illegal to open a sight because it was classified. Grandpa followed orders and was able to fix the sight on the gun. When the officer at the supply depot found out that Grandpa had opened the sight, he had him arrested. Luckily, the Captain went to the officer and demanded that Grandpa be released. Grandpa was released and that gun that he fixed shot down the kamikaze that nearly hit the Ancon. His World War II journey came full-circle when the Ancon was one of the first ships in Tokyo Bay and witnessed the official surrender of the Japanese. These details are from the times that I have heard the story and may not be perfectly accurate, but the official record will be available soon when Grandpa's personal history is published. We are all so excited to read it.

After Grandpa told these stories, Uncle David shared "the rest of the story" of the Ancon and the Battle of Okinawa with us. He found a memoir on the Internet written by Louis J. Barbier that described the last kamikaze that was shot down by the gun that Grandpa fixed. It is pretty incredible to read...

"The Ancon spent three weeks in Pearl, where her crew enjoyed some more rest and relaxation, before her big push into the Pacific. The Ancon now was the flagship of Rear Admiral Jerauld Wright, Commander Fifth Amphibious Group with Major General Watson, Commander of the Second Marine Division. The Ancon continued in Harm’s Way. Her first stop was the Island of Okinawa. On the way the crew’s scuttlebutt was that Tokyo Rose had announced that the Ancon was in the Pacific. And what the Germans had not been able to do the Japanese Imperial Forces would surely do. This was to sink the Ancon. So again the Ancon became a marked ship. The Japanese designated her as the numero uno target ship for all the attacking Japanese aircraft. The crew took the news in stride and made final preparations to go into battle.

Okinawa was a hornets nest! Wave after wave of kamikaze flew down on the Ancon Amphibious Battle Group. At one point during the first night a near miss astern of the Ancon caused a fire to breakout on the Ancon’s fantail. It was a fiery infernal. She was now lighting up the sky. A real target of opportunity for attacking Kamikaze. Her brave Damage Control Teams sprung into action and within minutes had the dangerous fire safely out. Again the Ancon had been lucky. But this was not going to be all that the Japanese Imperial forces would throw at the Ancon and her Amphibious Group. For the next 18 to 20 hours straight the Kamikaze came with their payloads of death that rained down on the group. But the sailors fought hard and were knocking down the kamikaze planes as if in a shooting gallery. Then all of a sudden a Kamikaze broke through. All guns on the Ancon where bam, bam, bam, as the 40’s pumped and the mighty A vibrated. But the Kamikaze kept coming. Suddenly the Kamikaze started to thread its tracer rounds on the water toward the Ancon. All on the Ancon were firing their AA Guns and praying really hard. The Big Battlewagon moored next to the Ancon only a short distance away opened up with some very deadly and accurate firing from its ships guns. But the kamikaze kept on coming. When all on the Ancon were preparing for the worst since the Kamikaze was now dead ahead and bearing down, it suddenly like a miracle broke up in a ball of fire. Again like if by the touch of God’s hand the Ancon had been spared. 

At Okinawa, the Ancon fought off 19 air attacks during its time on station. The crew of the Ancon on one occasion was at General Quarters for over 19 hours straight. After being relieved, the crew of the Ancon reflected that it had been a very tiring, weary, and nerve racking three weeks on station off Okinawa. Finally on August 14th Japan offered to surrender So, on the morning of the 29th the Ancon sailed into Tokyo Bay in company of the fighting ships she had proudly served. The Ancon was the first AGC into Tokyo Bay.

On September 2, 1945, the men of the Ancon witnessed Japan’s formal surrender to the Allied Supreme Commander, General Douglas MacArthur. This surrender took place on the USS Missouri BB-63. It was fitting that the Mighty A, the Ancon, was moored at very short distance to the USS Missouri, nicknamed the Mighty MO. The USS Ancon was in very good company with the USS Iowa anchored between Admiral’s Halsey’s USS Missouri and Admiral Nimitz’s USS South Dakota. Again what a great moment for the Ancon, who again took center stage by serving as the press release ship during the entire surrender ceremonies in Tokyo Bay."
-Louis J. Barbier
http://www.pancanalsociety.org/articles/SSAnconGoesToWar.html

His stories are amazing, but what Grandpa always leaves us with is the fact that he never strayed from what he knew to be true. He always bears his testimony that if you do the right things in the sight of Heavenly Father, you will reap the blessings. What a blessing he is to our family! I hope my three boys will grow up to be like him. There is no better example.