riflegreen297 Posted May 21, 2015 Share #1 Posted May 21, 2015 While out and about on a Thursday, I stumble across this lonely mailing tube. Removing and unrolling the document, it seems very crisp and tight as if it has been in there since the day it was mailed. At first I only looked at the individual's name and then the date on the document. I was confused for a moment since it was before DEC 1941, until seeing the name of the ship between the two. Then I realized that Seaman Cecil D. Po//rter was one of the 115 Men lost at daybreak on 31OCT41 when U-552 struck the Reuben James with torpedoes while she was conducting escort duties. The Reuben James was the first U.S. Navy ship sunk by hostile action in the European theater. Fair winds and following seas Sailor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarbridge Posted May 21, 2015 Share #2 Posted May 21, 2015 RIP. ..Sailor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted May 21, 2015 Share #3 Posted May 21, 2015 It's good that you could find that and be able to remember him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted May 21, 2015 Share #4 Posted May 21, 2015 Here is the story of the ship, but in a different way, compliments of Woody Guthrie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted May 21, 2015 Share #5 Posted May 21, 2015 Sometimes, it's sad. The small bits and pieces that remain to mark the passage of a young man. Just a Sailor, from Ohio no less. Remembered by accident. Fair winds and following Seas Ship Mate. Some of us remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riflegreen297 Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share #6 Posted May 22, 2015 Did the War Department awarded the KIA Sailors Purple Hearts immediately after the sinking or retroactively after Germany declared war on the U.S.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted June 14, 2016 Share #7 Posted June 14, 2016 Bringing this back up to the top as I'm researching the very question riflegreen297 asked last year. I have yet to come across a PH from the Reuben James, so this is something I need to get answered. Does anyone have anything else from casualties of the ship? I'd be willing to chip in to get one of the sailor's service records so that question about the PH could be answered... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted June 14, 2016 Share #8 Posted June 14, 2016 Just corresponded with the nephew of a guy who was killed on the ship. No PH that he is aware of...he called his surviving uncles and they didn't know of any PH either. Not saying that it wasn't lost at some place in time, but the family didn't know about it. Looks like it might be time to pull one of the casualty records and see what it says about a PH! (As an interesting side note, this fellow's cousin, and other nephew of the Reuben James casualty, is country singer Collin Raye!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted July 22, 2018 Share #9 Posted July 22, 2018 Bringing this back up to the top as I'm researching the very question riflegreen297 asked last year. I have yet to come across a PH from the Reuben James, so this is something I need to get answered. Does anyone have anything else from casualties of the ship? I'd be willing to chip in to get one of the sailor's service records so that question about the PH could be answered... Dave, They were authorized in 1943 and awarded in 1945 https://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/FFG57/Pages/History.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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