Back in a blog written in November of 2013 I introduced you to Stephen Harding, senior editor of Military History magazine and author of the best-selling book The Last Battle.  One review on Amazon.com says this about Steve and his career writing about military topics:

“As a defense journalist Stephen Harding covered the conflicts in Northern Ireland, the Middle East and, most recently, Iraq. The author of seven (now eight) books and some 300 magazine articles, he specializes in military, aviation and maritime topics.” 

Steve is a war veteran himself.  When he writes, he does so from the perspective of someone who has been there.   In the blog I related that Steve was preparing to write a book about the DD 467 and Hugh Barr Miller, Jr.'s ordeal on Arundel Island.  Before he could begin work on this book, he had another book commitment.  He recently turned in the finished manuscript for the book he wrote telling the story of Anthony Marchione, the last American military man to die after the accords were signed with Japan in August of 1945.  This book will be released in August of 2015, on the 70th anniversary of the death of Tony Marchione.  Now finally, he is busy pulling together the story of STRONG and Miller, set for release some time in 2016.  It seems though, that The Last Battle, released in May of 2013 is enjoying a deserved second wind. 

Within a few short weeks of its release, The Last Battle ended up on the New York Times best-seller list.  Concurrent with Steve writing the book, a screenplay was developed for the story by Bryce Zabel, an accomplished screenwriter from Los Angeles, responsible for many television and movie projects.  For more information about Bryce and his work click here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0007233/

Shortly after the screenplay for The Last Battle was developed, the rights were optioned for a major motion picture.  More than a few “major players” in Hollywood have had the script in hand (I wish I could reveal some of these folks, but until one of them steps up with a commitment, I must stay mum) and there has been an increase in these discussions lately.  Also, as part of the promotion for the book last year, Steve gave a number of interviews with various radio stations and these are available on line.  Recently these interviews are being rerun by these stations and it has caused an uptick in sales of The Last Battle, bringing the story of Jack Lee and the allied forces, the castle Schloss Itter and the French honor prisoners back into the public eye.  I asked Steve about the impact of these types of interviews and got a nice quote to share with you.  According to Steve, "Doing interviews with national media outlets—whether radio, TV or print—does two things for an author. First, of course, it makes people aware of the book. But I think, more importantly, it allows the author to explain why he or she wrote the book in the first place— to explain what drew the author to the story. The author can also tell prospective readers about the researching and writing of the book, which is a part of the process most readers won't hear about except in an interview."

There is no doubt in my mind that the story of The Last Battle will have its day in front of a camera with a major director giving it life.  I've discussed this with Steve many times, and while he's very hopeful and genuinely pleased at the response to his work, he is not worried in the least if it doesn't happen.  He loves telling the stories that no one has heard before, such as the story of STRONG.  Everyone knows about Iwo Jima, Pearl Harbor and the Battle of the Bulge.  Bringing the little known or never told stories to life is a mission he takes very seriously, as there are ordinary heros in our own families that never got the respect and honor they should have after surviving (or not surviving) tragic circumstances. 

These past interviews give the public an idea of what to expect from the books, and they can give us a taste of things to come, and things to hope for when we think of telling the story of the men of STRONG and their various experiences.  There will be the same such interviews when it's time for the release of this book he is writing that tells our story.  Because I want us all to understand and know the caliber of the person we are trusting with this story, I'm posting links to some of these interviews for you to watch and listen to.  Please click and enjoy!  And don’t forget to read The Last Battle!

Clay and Marty Show Segment 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnLk7jl6I-Q

Clay and Marty Show Segment 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsQgJOli_YU

Vimeo Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un2aEXwh720

-Tammi

In honoring STRONG DD 467, I cannot omit the contributions of the men and families of the DD 758.  I can’t help but realize that if the second STRONG had never been commissioned that I may not be doing this at all.  The men of the original STRONG felt strongly enough about the ship, her crew and command that they wanted to all serve together again.  If their efforts had failed, this joint organization would not exist and the men who were later scattered throughout the fleets after being assigned to other ships may have let the memories of their time on the DD 467 scatter to the wind as well.  These folks and the joint organization they manage have kept the memory of the DD 467 alive over the decades, and enough cannot be said about their congeniality, their companionship and willingness to share information and memories.  To this end, it's time to give them a little space in print.

STRONG the 2nd, or the DD 758 came about because the surviving men of the 467 couldn't stand the thought of losing their ship forever.  Within a few days of the sinking of the 467 they had drawn up a petition requesting a second STRONG be commissioned, in the hopes of being able to serve under Gus Wellings again and with their remaining crew.  Their efforts paid off, and the keel was laid down at Bethlehem Steel in San Francisco (not the original Bath Iron Works in Maine) on July 25th of 1943. A reunion of the original crew was not to be however, as the DD 758 sailed out of dry-dock as an Allen M. Sumner class-destroyer instead of a Fletcher-class on March 8, 1945.  The war effort was winding down as Commander C.M. Howe took charge with none of the original crew aboard, they having been scattered among other ships such as the ST. LOUIS CL-49 and USS STEPHEN POTTER DD-538 over the nearly two year period since the sinking.

After her shakedown cruise near San Diego she ended up at Pearl Harbor, then serving in the Pacific in late May and early June of 1945.  Once Japan surrendered, STRONG served until being mothballed in May of 1947.  Two years later in May 1949 she came back into service, which continued through the Korean War and Viet Nam era.  She was finally decommissioned and struck from the US Navy list on October 31st, 1973.  The government of Brazil purchased the ship and renamed her the RIO GRANDE DE NORTE (D-37).  Brazil decommissioned the ship in December 1995 and sold the ship for scrap.  The men who served on her endeavored to get her back home to the US, but failed.  En route to the European country that intended to break her down for scrap in 1997, she foundered and sank off the coast of South Africa near Durbin – a more fitting end for an iron lady who had served two countries in war and at peace.

For more on the history of the DD 758, check out the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command:   http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s19/STRONG-ii.htm  The Destroyer History web site has a photo and more information as well: http://destroyerhistory.org/sumner-gearingclass/0_allnum/

Since the history has been covered completely by others, as usual I am more interested in the human perspective.  To this end, I talked recently with a couple of men who served on the 758 during her early years.  When you come onto a ship like this, a ship built to honor one lost, do the new men realize the importance of the history?  Is there any awareness of the tragedy that occurred previously or was this just some ship you got assigned to?  Those were the types of questions I had, and this is what these men had to say.

Ron Cohen served in relative peace time for the US just prior to the being drawn into the Viet Nam War.  On the ship from 1955-1958, he served as a radioman during his tenure on board.  “I was a radioman striker”, and I asked what a striker was.  “It means you get to try out for it, but when you get aboard the ship you become a radioman.”  As for seeing action while on the 758, he told me,   “We were aboard when Israel and Egypt were fighting, the Sinai War.  I wasn’t picked to go onto the landing parties, we had it set up for certain people from different departments to go. I got lucky and didn’t have to go ashore.”   When I asked him if he had been aware of the history of the 758 and the ship that came before he said, “We didn’t know anything about it at the time.  When I found out there had been a second Strong, I tried to find out as much as I could about the first one, of course it was very difficult.  We didn’t have the internet like we do now.  I didn’t really get into checking on the 467 until my first reunion which was down in Virginia Beach.”  After this reunion, he became more active.  “I got to be real good friends with Jim Merriman”, he tells me and about the STRONG Association, “It’s a close organization.”  Of those I know, I couldn’t agree more. 

 “I knew nothing (about the 467) fresh out of boot camp,” says Bruce “Scotty” Morrison.  Scotty was on the 758 from 1967-1969.  “I took her to Viet Nam.  My rank was sonar technician.”  He manned a 5 inch mount as a fuse setter/sight setter.  In the heat of battle it was possible for the guns to get a round off every 4 seconds.  “When it got hot and heavy in North Viet Nam, we really had to shoot!”  Scotty finally learned about the association in 1995, and very soon joined up.  It was then that he learned of the 467, met some of her men and became involved in helping to preserve the history along with the brotherhood of men from all the years of the 758 that he met. 

Whether they learned of the history of the first STRONG right away or decades later, these men of the 758 and their dedication are the reason I’m able to make this project work.  I want to make sure they know that I know, and that I thank them from the bottom of my heart.   

-Tammi