Project USS STRONG DD 467
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Passing of another DD467 sailor, Junior "Rocky" Britton

8/8/2018

 
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I unfortunately received this news from the daughter of Rocky Britton, Darlene Ott:
"Hello Tammi,
I wanted to let you know that my father, Junior Britton (“Rocky”) died last night, July 27. He was one of the survivors of the USS Strong DDS 467. You may remember him (and my husband Randall Benton and myself Darlene Ott) from the reunion in Gettysburg. My dad turned 97 this year and was in the Navy for 30 years before he retired in 1972. He served on the USS Salisbury Sound, the USS Potter and the USS Hancock in addition to the Strong, and he served during WWII,  the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. One of his last tours of duty (late 60s) was in Naples, Italy where he worked for NATO. He was a good man and tough to the end. Please share this information in any way you see fitting. Thank you.
​
  Darlene"

Another of the old guard gone, a man who accomplished much in his long life and added dimension to the lives of others. So glad we got to meet him and his family in Gettysburg in 2015. Sail on Rocky, and bless you!

​Tammi


Visit with Paul Mayer of the RV PETREL

7/23/2018

 
Last week in Indianapolis, the survivors of the USS INDIANAPOLIS sinking held their annual reunion. The INDY was sunk on July 30th, 1945 after delivering the parts to the bombs that would decimate Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Most everyone is familiar with the immense human tragedy following the sinking, but for those who are not: http://www.ussindianapolis.org/

Those of you who follow my blog (9/10/2017) also know that Paul Allen’s research vessel RV PETREL located the wreck of the INDY last summer on August 19th of 2017. Paul Mayer, a member of the PETREL crew and a wonderful new friend was invited to give a presentation to the group on the methods used to locate the wreck. Greg and I first met Paul in May when we drove to Chattanooga for a face to face chat. He and his beautiful wife Rosie drove up from Tennessee to Indianapolis, and on the way back stopped by our home in Lexington to visit and have lunch. Very convenient being right off I-75 on their way home, and it was great to see them again. Paul showed me the photos Rosie had taken of him on stage and sharing handshakes and photo ops with all the folks who congratulated him on the find and on the amazing presentation. We talked about his visit with the group and of course Greg and I both peppered him with more questions about the PETREL and the work ahead for the rest of 2018. Lunch was at a quaint little place down the road, Windy Corner Market. They had to get back on the road soon after, as Paul had a 6:00 am flight on Monday morning headed to Okinawa to meet up with the ship. They have work in the area over the next few weeks, then hopefully some more time stateside. Winter will be the time for heading back to the South Pacific.

Once Paul gets situated on PETREL, I hope to have him send me a few of the shots from his event with the INDY group to share. He was very touched by the response from the men and their families, and by the sharing of their personal stories. Soon, I hope there will be more Facebook posts from PETREL about their adventures to share with you, and I will keep everyone posted on when they head back toward the Solomons. Their mission is to locate two aircraft carriers lost in WW2, and then hope to fit another sweep of the Kula Gulf in hitting the areas they missed before. It would be nice to lay the nearly completed plaque in the 75th year of the sinking, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. In the meantime, there are plenty of other stories to investigate.

I hope to have the plaque soon and will share photos of the completed project. Very excited!
​
Tammi
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Added 7/27/18 - the link to Paul Mayer's presentation on the wreck of the USS INDIANAPOLIS: ​https://fritzinger.smugmug.com/2018-VIP/Paul/n-TZwS3s/

Final Proofs for Memorial Plaque Dedicated to STRONG

7/14/2018

 

R/V PETREL and finding the USS WARD DD-139

7/10/2018

 
The last part of 2017 and early 2018 were especially productive for the crew aboard the RV PETREL. Paul Allen's folks found an astounding number of shipwrecks in the South Pacific. Among those was the USS WARD DD-139. WARD was a Wickes class destroyer patrolling Pearl Harbor the morning of the attack and the first to fire on a Japanese midget submarine. The article below is Part 1 from the Tin Can Sailor's latest publication. Part 2 of the story will come in the next issue. 

The spelling of PETREL is incorrect and will be changed in the next issue, but the story of how WARD was lost later in the war is compelling. Also included on the last page of the article is the quarterly missive of Executive Director Terry Miller with a plea for new membership in the Tin Can Sailor/DesVets organization. It comes with many perks including the quarterly publication with news and stories from men and women who have served on destroyers and advantageous discounts when you visit ship museums. Please consider supporting this organization.

​Tammi

An additional article from Paul Allen on the find: ​www.paulallen.com/rv-petrel-explores-wreck-of-uss-ward/

75th Anniversary of Sinking USS STRONG DD467 Today

7/4/2018

 
At a little after 9:00 am this morning EST, it will be after midnight of July 5th (GMT + 11) in the Solomon Islands. 75 years ago at this time, the STRONG was hit by a Japanese long lance torpedo and lost to history. We are still working on finding her and giving her men, those lost and those saved, their place in history. Have a happy, safe and memorable 4th of July!

​Tammi

Identifying Lost Men and Women Through DNA Samples with the DPAA

6/11/2018

 
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My friend Andy Hoder (thanks Andy!) recently sent me an article about the locating and repatriating of an American from southern California who was lost during the Korean War. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) located the family through DNA samples submitted by close relatives and were able to return the remains to the family for a proper burial. This article stuck with me, and because we have men missing from the loss of the STRONG, I thought it would be wise to share this information with the families, as submission of your DNA is free. I emailed my contact at the National World War II Museum Jason Dawsey, who works with the DPAA through the museum. Jason provided more information and below is his response to my questions about how many men remain missing and those in possession of the DPAA that are unidentified to date from the WW2 and other war eras:

“Some answers/links with information for your questions. There are just under 73,000 Americans still unrecovered from WWII. 48,000 in Asia-Pacific and 21,000 in Europe-Mediterranean (the other 4000 or so are scattered including those killed in submarine attacks in American waters).  DPAA, formed in early 2015, was part of a merger of JPAC with the Defense Prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) and the Life Sciences Equipment Laboratory (LSEL). It is assigned by Congress to identify the remains of 200 service members a year. Including those from WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, there are about 83,000 unrecovered American service members.
I’m going to provide you two links. One is to a piece by my colleague, Clarise Soper, and I wrote about our participation in Family Member Updates (FMU).  I should note that, since we wrote this, DPAA has added another FMU—to be held on Nov. 17 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
 The other link is a post from April of this year from DPAA’s website concerning their operations. If you scroll down, it says quite a bit about what they have in mind for the Pacific.  They will have another update next month dealing with their operations in the second quarter, and, hopefully, more information about upcoming operations. If I hear anymore about what they are planning for the South Pacific, I will let you know. DPAA does work with the VA and with the American Battle Monuments Commission to examine unidentified remains that were buried in American cemeteries, either in the States or abroad.” 

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/accounting-unrecovered-service-members-2018-dpaa-and-families-gather
 http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1498195/dpaa-2nd-quarter-2018-update/

 I’m attaching a JPEG from the article with information on submitting your DNA. I know many of you have a man missing from the loss of the STRONG, and on the chance that they actually get to search for them in the central Solomons some day (or have been found but are unidentified) it would be good to have your DNA on record. Some of you may also have a man or woman missing from the Korean War, Viet Nam or other conflict overseas. If your DNA is on record the identification process is easier. Not fast mind you, but easier. It’s easy to contact the personnel at the DPAA from this page. There are also some frequently asked questions with answers here at this link: http://www.dpaa.mil/Contact/Contact-Us/

If any of you have submitted your DNA and have not been contacted, it wouldn’t hurt to send an email and bring this to their attention. Their caseload is vast, but never hurts to try. Let me know if any of you have some success with this.  

​Tammi


Release of David Mearns' The Shipwreck Hunter!

6/7/2018

 
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The US version of The Shipwreck Hunter by David Mearns is out! The book was released June 4th and can be bought on any of the major book selling websites such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Borders. Check your local stores to see if they are carrying the book, and that includes any naval or maritime museum stores. Let me know what you find and once you read the book I'd love to have feedback to share with David. David's life and work have truly been extraordinary and challenging. He's a true pro at what he does and has an astounding 89% success rate in his finds. There's mystery, intrigue and real triumph in these stories, not to mention real connections to the people - the men, women and families of the lost are close to his heart. 

​Enjoy the read!

Ordering the Memorial Plaque for STRONG Site

5/24/2018

 
Due to the conversations had with Paul Mayer, crew member of the RV PETREL, I felt the need to get a memorial plaque in the works. Earlier this week, thanks to the early donations by Bill Gustavson and David Hermsen I had the down payment for the plaque. Hallmark Trophys in Lexington is handling the order, and it should take 6-8 weeks. Others have come forward to contribute and I am so very grateful for their support! Once all the donations are in I will list the donors here on the blog page. In addition if I should get anything over the amount to purchase the plaque I plan to donate that money to the scholarship fund of the USS STRONG DD467/758 Association. 

Now, having the plaque made does not guarantee that the ship being found this year is a given. It just means I will be prepared should I get that call. It might be several weeks, or several months and that's if they are allowed to go looking for it again. My hope is they will, and we'll be ready to follow through with laying the plaque. 

If you would like to donate toward the final cost, a total of $1200.00 ($900.00 remains), message me through the contact form on the website. Below is the front design of the plaque, and a list of the 46 lost which will be engraved on the back.

​Tammi

Trip to Chattanooga to meet Paul Mayer, RV PETREL

5/15/2018

 
A few weeks ago I told you all about conversations and emails I’ve been sharing with Paul Mayer, a member of the crew of the RV PETREL, one of the ships in Vulcan Inc.’s fleet of research vessels owned by Paul Allen. Allen is a co-founder of Microsoft with Bill Gates, and owner of the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trailblazers. He’s also a very philanthropic soul, his Vulcan Inc. group is involved in the arts, education, conservation and much more. I welcome you to check out their website to see just how busy this organization has become: www.vulcan.com

So, in order to better educate myself and be able to ask questions that emails just can’t begin to handle, I asked Paul if it would be possible to meet when he was back stateside. As it happens, he lives just 4 short hours from me outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. We made plans for that to happen on May 7th. I got reservations at a hotel and we were on our way.
​
First of all, I had planned on this being a more business-like meeting. We had a couple of very informal and very friendly Skype conversations and I had a very good feeling about this person and that we would get along just fine. Turns out Paul must have felt the same, as we were graciously invited to his home. After dropping our stuff off at the hotel and freshening up a bit, I programmed my phone in Google Maps with their address and we hit the road again. About 25 minutes later, we pulled up to his home and were greeted not only by Paul, but his two pet goats, Bert and Ernie. Shortly after we met the dogs: Walter, an elderly blind Dachsund, Roger a very sweet and much younger Dachsund and my new best friend, and the lovely white mixed breed Bella. Paul took us on a tour of his home, lovingly redone with his handiwork. A little background here. Paul is a man of many talents. He’s a diver, submarine and ROV pilot, a master carpenter, a professional photographer, saws and mills his own wood, he rebuilt much of their home – A Renaissance man, you get the picture. So his personal touch with woodcraft is all through the house. Next, we got a tour of his property including the mobile sawmill and his large and enviable wood shop. After that, we sat down and got to the business of ship talk.

I had many questions about the attempt to locate STRONG and why they were not successful. On his wide screen TV, Paul displayed the data they collected and we discussed scenarios and what could have been missed. Greg and I peppered him with questions about the equipment used, the methodology of deploying the free swimming AUV verses sonar with a tow cable, the types of ROV used and it’s speed and capabilities – anything we could think of. He also pulled up and shared information on their finding of the USS INDIANAPOLIS in 2017 and explained how that ship was located. To say I was in awe of the accomplishments of this team of very technical people would be an understatement. Just in the past year they have located the INDY, LEXINGTON, HELENA, JUNEAU, the WARD and others. To see all that they’ve accomplished check out: www.paulallen.com or visit the Facebook page for RV PETREL. Sitting in his kitchen/living room and having access to someone in his position to me is phenomenal. He was very laid back and easy going, eager to answer questions and to ask a few of his own. I couldn’t have been happier.

Until his wife Rosie came home, and we were all happier. Rosie is just like Paul, welcoming, sweet and was very engaged in the conversation. We had agreed to meet for supper and followed them to a lovely restaurant on the Tennessee River called the Boathouse. Over about the next 3 hours we continued to talk, share information and just get to know one another. I can say that Greg and I have a couple of new friends in Tennessee, and am so proud to have met them both. So what came out of this meeting? A lot, I think. I found Paul to be very open and engaging. From this I also anticipate that the crew of PETREL does not like loose ends – that if they get the opportunity to head back to the Kula Gulf this year, that they will scan the areas they missed before and sniff out the location of STRONG. The interest is there, the capability of the ship and the technical crew is certainly bona fide. it’s a matter of people a bit higher up the chain agreeing that the loose end needs to be tied up.
​
In the meantime I’ll be working on ordering the plaque, just in case. It could be within the next few weeks, or few months. I want to be prepared.

Paul will return to the ship in a few weeks and they will continue to work in the South Pacific. There are a couple of other vessels they intend to focus on, and if they get the opportunity they will make STRONG a priority and not a side job. The visit with him solidified his commitment, and by extension the commitment of the PETREL crew. Patience is certainly a virtue, and I’m not giving up on the success of this venture.

Tammi

​

Sussex Life, article featuring David Mearns

4/17/2018

 
Click on the images to read the article. Another great one!
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    Tammi Johnson

    Welcome to the blog!  I'm a life long Kentuckian with a degree in Anthropology, thus a nice background in research, thanks to some great profs at the University of Kentucky.  Family and historical research are what float my boat, and this project has been the heart of it for a very long time now.  I welcome input and ideas for blog entries, so if you have something to contribute I'll happily post it. 

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