John M. Gamble, USMC-- Part 3: His Brother Peter Also in War of 1812 Where He Lost His Life

It should be mentioned that John M. Gamble had a brother by the name of Peter Gamble who was an officer in the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812.

Peter Gamble was born on 5 November 1793 in Bordentown, New Jersey.  He was appointed midshipman on 16 January 1809, and served on Thomas Macdonough's flagship USS Saratoga at the Battle of Lake Champlain.

There, he was killed in action while sighting his gun on 11 September 1814.

Macdonough his deplored the loss and commended his bravery in action.

A destroyer was named for both Peter and John M. Gamble, the USS Gamble DD123/DM-15).  This ship was at Pearl Harbor when the attack came.

--Brock-Perry

81st Anniversary of Pearl Harbor: Herbert Jacobson-- Part 5

Continued from my Down Da Road I Go blog.

Bert Jacobson's name was recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of then Pacific in Honolulu along with other military personnel listed as missing in action from World War II.  A rosette later was placed next to his name to indicate that his remains have been identified.

The identification process began in 2015 when the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency exhumed the remains of the unidentified USS Oklahoma crew members for additional analysis.  (They had been buried commingled in several graves in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.)

'It's been a long process," Brad McDonald said.  "My mother, she kind of took up the torch for the whole family to figure out what's going on.  ...I have stacks and stacks of documents of all the agencies she contacted."

Continued in my Cooter's History Thing blog.

Mount Diablo Beacon Relit for Veterans Day-- Part 2

Continued from my Tattooed on Your Soul:  WW II blog.

The original lighting of the beacon dates back to 1928 and Charles Lindbergh.  Lindbergh lit the beacon to assist planes in the early days of commercial flight.  At  the time, the beacon was lit nightly, until December 8, 1941,  the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Following that fateful day, it wasn't relit until 1964, when Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz,  Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces  during World War II, attended the ceremony on Mount Diablo's summit in commemoration of the survivors of Pearl Harbor.

He suggested that the Beacon be lit every December 7th to honor those who served and  sacrificed.

--Brock-Perry

USS Gamble (DD-123) (DM-15): Named for Two Brothers

The ship was named after two brothers.  One, Peter, was in the U.S. Navy, and the other, John M. Gamble was in the USMC.  Both fought in the War of 1812 with one being killed.  This ship was at Pearl Harbor when the British attacked along with another destroyer named the Perry, after Oliver Hazard Perry.

From Wikipedia.

Peter Gamble was born  on 5 November 1793 in Bordentown , New Jersey.  He was appointed  midshipman on 16 January 1809 and served on Thomas Macdonough's flagship USS Saratoga at the Battle of Lake Champlain.

He was killed  in action while sighting  his gin on  11 September 1814.

Macdonough deplored Peter's loss and commended his gallantry in action.

John M. Gamble was the brother of Peter Gamble and achieved the rank of brevet lieutenant colonel  in the United States Marine Corps.

--Brock-Perry

Two Destroyers at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Named After People from the War of 1812

In my Tattooed On Your Soul:  WW II blog, I have been writing about the USS Montgomery (DD-121) (DM--17) which was at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked.  It did not receive any damage, but it and other destroyers anchored in Middle Loch, across from Fort Island, may have shot down as many as six Japanese planes.

Two of those ships with the Montgomery that day were named after War of 1812 naval heroes.  

They were the USS Perry (DD-320) (DMS-17), named for Oliver Hazard Perry and the USS Gamble (DD-123) (DM-15) named after Peter Gamble, killed at the Battle of Lake Champlain.  And, it was also named after Peter's brother, John M. Gamble who was an officer in the USMC.

--Brock-Perry

USS Constitution Commemorates the 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

From the December 7, 2021, WVCB Channel 5 ABC Boston.

The USS Constitution commemorated the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor Tuesday at the Charlestown Navy Yard.

The commemoration included the laying of a wreath aboard the USS Cassin Young (DD-793), a World War II destroyer named after Captain Cassin Young who received a Medal of Honor at Pearl Harbor and was later killed at Guadalcanal.

The Cassin Young is a museum ship today and tied up across from the USS Constitution.

There was a gun salute from the USS Constitution.

The USS Constitution is the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat and  played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812 and actively defended sea lanes from 1797 to 1855.

--Brock-Perry

101-Year-Old Pearl Harbor Survivors on the USS Oklahoma Returns for the 80th

This is continued from my Saw the Elephant, Running the Blockade and Cooter's History Thing blogs.  I am writing about Pearl Harbor today in most of my blogs as it is the 80th anniversary of the attack.

In 2015, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) exhumed 388 sets of remains from the "Unknown Oklahoma" graves in the National Cemetery of the Pacific.  Using DNA and dental records, they were able to identify 361 of them.

David Russell's brother-in-law was among them.  Fireman 1st Class Walter "Boone"  Rogers was in the Oklahoma's fireroom when the torpedoes hit.  That would be deep in the ship's bowels. His remains were identified in 2017.  He has since been buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

David Russell  remained in the Navy until retiring in 1960.  He worked at Air Force bases for the next two decades before retiring for good in 1980.

His wife Violet passed away 22 years ago and David now lives alone in Albany, Oregon. He drives himself to the local grocery store and the local American Legion in a black Ford Explorer while listening to polka at top volume.

The 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

Tomorrow marks the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor which launched the United States into World War II, which had been going on since 1939.

I will be putting up my U.S. flags to mark it.

Growing up, most everyone of my friends' dads had been in the service during the war. And, to me, World War II veterans were just there.  So sad now that time has gone by and we are losing them at the current rate.

But, hope they always will know that they are held in high esteem.

Thanks.

The Last Time U.S. Capitol Was Breached Was Over 200 Years Ago

From the January 6, 2021, Guardian "U.S. Capitol's last breach was more than 200 years ago" by Amanda Holpuch.

That horrible scene of idiots running amuck in the Capitol last weekend is still in my mind and it will join the Twin Towers burning on 9/11 and the pictures of the burning and sunken USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor.

And the fact that their intent was to disrupt a government function.  Well, just too much.

Not since 1814 has the building been breached like it was Wednesday.

Then, it was by British troops  who set fire to it and other public buildings in Washington, D.C., during the War of 1812.  City residents were aware of the British approach and most had fled by the arrival of those troops.

The Capitol was under construction at the time and while a considerable portion was destroyed by the fire, use of many fireproof materials allowed for the preservation of the exterior and many of the interior rooms.  Still the fire was bad enough that many documents were destroyed, glass lights melted and statues destroyed.

I've written a lot of posts about the burning of Washington, D,C..  Click on the Burning of Washington DC label.

--Brock-Perry

Lexington Sailor Ray Pentico Still Among USS Oklahoma's Unknowns at Pearl Harbor-- Part 2

Ray Pentico had reached the rank of seaman 2nd class by the time he got to the Oklahoma where he joined a crew of a thousand men.  He was just 16 when the ship left the mainland for Pearl Harbor  on October 1, 1941.

His captain, Howard Bode, was unpopular with the crew, but survived the attack at Pearl Harbor, but later killed himself after the Battle of Savo Island.

On December 7, the Oklahoma, in the space of 11 minutes, had  12 torpedoes launched at her by dive bombers, of which 5 struck home.   The Oklahoma began to list and capsize within 15 minutes.

It is not known where Ray Pentico was on the ship at the time, but he was one of 429 men killed or missing in the attack.

Ray Pentico had just been aboard the USS Oklahoma for nine weeks.

Pentico and the  394 sailors and Marines on the Oklahoma  could not be identified  when they fin ally were able to get at the bodies two years later and were buried in communal graves in Hawaii.

--Pearl Harbor

Lexington Sailor Still Among the Unidentified of the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor, Ray Pentico-- Part 1

This being the 79th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, I will write about it in all eight of my blogs.

From the December 5, 2020, Lexington Clipper-Herald "Lexington sailor still among  the unidentified who perished  on USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor" by Brian Neban.

It has been four years since the decision was made to disinter the USS Oklahoma Unknowns for identification purposes.  So far, 242 have been identified, but that is not the case for Ray Pentico.  he is still among the Missing In Action sailors from that stricken ship.

He was born March 31, 1923, in Overton.  After attending Lexington public schools, he enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) on April 3, 1941.  After serving in it for three months, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy on July 7, 1941, just five months before the Japanese attack.

He received seven weeks of training in San Diego and upon completion, he was assigned to the USS Oklahoma (BB-37).

--USS Oklahoma

Three Montana Sailors on Battleship Row During Attack-- Part 3: Gary Holm on the USS California, Ed Bowers on the USS Ramapo

Lincoln's Gary Holm was on board the USS California when the planes attacked.  It sank after taking two bomb hits and one torpedo and had 100 killed and 62 wounded.  Holm survived by jumping 35 feet into the water and was rescued by a life boat.  He died in 2007.

The late Ed Bowers  of Helena, was on board the oil tanker Ramapo which was anchored near Ford Island.  He remembers the torpedoes hitting the Oklahoma, Arizona, California and West Virginia.

"A bomb went right down the Arizona's stack and into her magazine, and she blew up and the ship broke in half,"  Bowers, wrote.  "It put her down in a hurry."

Three Montana Sailors at Battleship Row on Dec. 7, 1941-- Part 2: Bill Ernst Was on the USS West Virginia

Gunner's Mate 1st class Bill Ernst was wounded by shrapnel on board the USS West Virginia and managed to jump overboard and swim through burning water to safety as the ship sank after being hit by seven torpedoes and two bombs.

Seventy men perished.

He had trained throughout 1941 as an anti-aircraft gunner.  Prior to his Navy enlistment at age 17 in 1940, he had been the Helena Daily Independent head paperboy.  there was a picture of him in the Dec. 8, 1941, on the front page with a caption reading:  "Bill Ernst, 18,  was a member of the crew of the battleship West Virginia which was reported sunk yesterday."

Ernst carried a scar on his forehead for the rest of his life.  He went through the rest of the war on the cruiser USS Salt Lake City and took part in the battles of Midway and Guadalcanal.

Three Local Sailors at Battleship Row on Dec. 7, 1941-- Part 1: Jerry Dullum Was On the USS Arizona

From the December 7, 2019, Helena (Montana) Independent Record  "Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day:  Three local sailors were stationed at Battleship Row" by Curt Synness.

Jerry Dullum, Bill Ernst,  and Gary Holm were there.

Another Helenian, Ed Bowers, was aboard a ship by Ford Island.

Jerry Dullum was aboard the USS Arizona and became the first local man killed in WW II.  He was an electrician's mate 3rd class.  After graduating from Helena High in 1939, he worked at a smelter in East Helena before enlisting in the Navy in 1940.

His family first learned of the attack while getting ready for church.  His death was not verified until two weeks later by a telegram message.

East Helena's Cory-Dullum Post 1000 VFW is co-named for him.

Five Places to Visit for Veterans Day-- Part 1: National Veterans Art Museum and Pearl Harbor

From the Nov. 8, 2019 Your Sun.

GOGROUP LLC,  has put together a list of five places to visit  in the next several days to honor our veterans:

1.  THE NATIONAL VETERANS ART MUSEUM,  Chicago.    (I'd never heard of this one.)    Over 2,500 works of art by veterans, including the Gulf War and War on Terror.

Paintings, sculpture and poetry.

2.  PEARL HARBOR NAVAL BASE,  Oahu, Hawaii.     A memorial to the 2,400 Americans killed that day and the thousands more killed in Pacific action.

Includes the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, USS Arizona Memorial and USS Missouri Memorial.

--Brock-Perry

The USS Constitution's Last Visits to Washington, D.C.

The Constitution's final visits to Washington Navy Yard and D.C.  were during her National Cruise following a four-year restoration that was completed in 1931.   The "Old Ironsides" arrived at the Yard on November 7, 1931, and stayed for eleven days.  During that time thousands of visitors walked its decks, including President Herbert Hoover on November 11.

On November 18, the minesweeper USS Grebe towed the ship back down the Potomac River to warmer climes for the rest of its tour.  The Grebe, a World War I ship, remained the Constitution's tender and towing ship for the whole tour.  The Grebe was also at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

The Constitution returned on April 16, 1932, where it remained until December 8.

By the time of the ship's last visit, Washington Navy yard was no longer a shipbuilding facility.  Now it was better known as a Naval Gun Factory.  However, the Yard still had  people with the needed skills to  to repair wear and tear on the ship's wooden decks caused by the trampling of feet from over two million visitors during its National Cruise.

--Brock-Perry

Battery Hobart-- Part 2: Gun Sent to Pearl Harbor

Battery Hobart was no longer needed after the construction of Battery Keyes in 1905  which mounted more modern American-made guns.

When the U.S. Army afterwards determined that the defenses in the Pacific Ocean needed more guns, Battery Hobart's gun was removed in the summer of 1913 and sent to  protect the Navy and Army facilities at Pearl Harbor during World War I.

The battery's magazine continued to be used for the storage of ordnance supplies for Fort Williams until 1929.

--Brock-Perry

December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor

Every year I write about Pearl Harbor on December 7.

From the November 29, 2018, Harrison Daily "Museum Musings:  Pearl Harbor survivor recalls the Day of Infamy" by Dave Holsted.

Unfortunately, the article never referred to him as anything other than Wade so I am not sure if that was his first or last name.  I also do not know if he is still alive.

Wade was on the USS Nevada that day and was tossed out of his bunk.  When he looked out the porthole he saw a plane with the Rising Sun on the underside of its wing and then he knew what was going on.

He had been a student at Bergen High School.  In August 1940 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy for six years and earned $21 a month.

Continued in today's Tattooed On Your Soul: World War II blog.

--Brock-Perry

Pearl Harbor Warning Signs-- Part 2: Yamamoto Takes Over Japanese Navy

This being the 76th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor today, all of my blogs will commemorate this event.

1939

February 10:  Japan occupies Hainan Island on the South China coast.

August:  Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto takes command of Japan's navy.

September:  Germany invades Poland.  World War II begins.December:  U.S. halts exports of aviation fuel technology to Japan.

1940

May:  U.S. shifts Pacific Fleet base to Pearl Harbor from San Diego.  This move is not official until February 1941.


1941

January:  Yamamoto consults his officers about the feasibility of an attack on pearl Harbor.

November 26:  Unknown to the U.S., Japan's naval fleet heads for Pearl Harbor.

--Brock-Perry

Pearl Harbor Warning Signs-- Part 1: Japan Attacks China

These are continued from my Cooter's History Thing blog.  Every one of my seven blogs today will be about Pearl Harbor.

1937:

July 7:  Japan invades China, launching the attack across Manchuria.

December 13:  The Rape of Nanking--  mass killings and other atrocities by Japanese soldiers -- begins in China.

1938

June 11:  U.S. condemns Japan's bombing of China.  Later, a U.S. "moral embargo" opposes sale of aircraft to nations attacking civilians.

--Brock-Perry