Picture of the day.

[Snautzer01]

SS Joseph Holt, "Guinea Pig Squadron" mine sweepers in Japan waters, 1945 WWII | eBay

 

[Wurger]

 

[special ed]

If I might derail the thread a moment, the LST photo brought to mind Hank Turner, a retired US Navy chief who served on an LST in the Pacific. When he found I was interested in WW2 he would tell of many episodes on board. The hatches on the top deck were always supposed to be closed because a fall through to the steel deck 30 feet below was usually fatal. They were delivering supplies to an invasion where troops were already ashore two days and the Captain hailed him on the speaker. He walked backwards so he could see the Captain as he spoke, and went through an open hatch. He was saved because he fell into the bed of a deuce and a half, full of duffle bags of Marines clothes.

 

[SaparotRob]

My kind of war story!

 

[special ed]

Another of Hank"s was at some island just invaded, they landed two Shermans and as his job was over he walked forward on the top deck to watch the following jeeps leave and saw the corner of the ramp on a huge mine. He said it looked as large as a sewer lid. I asked what did you do? He said they stopped all movement and called ashore for Marine disposal. I said what could they do with the ramp on the mine. He said they scooped out the sand below the mine and carried it off.

 

[SaparotRob]

Wow.

 

[michaelmaltby]

hours before

 

[michaelmaltby]

 

[michaelmaltby]

 

[michaelmaltby]

 

[special ed]

One more. The last, I promise. When I met Hank, he was a manager of a floor full of female clerks at USDA in New Orleans. I maintained a piece of Kodak equipment in his department and I would always use some of my employer's time to listen to Hank. This floor had about 150-200 women at old grey G.I. desks sitting on old grey G.I. swivel chairs. Due to age of both the chairs and the women, the central support was beginning to come up through the seat. Hank had tried to order new chairs often. One day as I came in, he yelled, "Hey Ed, I'm getting two thousand chairs for the whole building". I asked how he did it. He said, "The Navy way. I always asked for four thousand and told them I was going to lose production because of injuries." In the Navy, they had always said he didn't need that many and cut the order in half.

 

[SaparotRob]

Keep 'em coming. Maybe a "War Story" thread is called for?

 

[michaelmaltby]

 

[michaelmaltby]

 

[michaelmaltby]

 

[michaelmaltby]

 

[michaelmaltby]

 

[michaelmaltby]

 

[michaelmaltby]

 

[michaelmaltby]