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USS Arizona Survivor Grouping


Steindaddie
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Steindaddie

These items came from Andrew Guna. a bosun's mate aboard USS Arizona in 1941, and here is his story.

 

BM1c Guna and a dozen other Arizona shipmates had decided to take leave in early December 1941 and were aboard the navy transport USS Henderson headed for the mainland when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Details of the attack were not learned due to immediate strict radio silence aboard Henderson - too strict in fact; they shut down all communications and were totally in the dark. But these Arizona men assumed the best and figured the US had probably whipped the Japanese pretty good.

 

When they arrived in San Francisco on Dec. 11th, they learned otherwise. How bad it was or whether their ship was hit, no one could or would say. Again, assuming the best, BM1c Guna and his Arizona shipmates went out on the town that night to celebrate their arrival. They drank and toasted to getting back to Hawaii and joining their ship in this new war.

 

That spirit and optimism ended the next day. That next day, Dec 12th, the men were taken aside and told the news: their ship and everyone they knew in it were dead.

 

The decision to take leave spared their lives. And literally so: Guna and several of his pals on leave were men from Nos 1 & 2 turrets, from which there were no survivors. The explosion that destroyed Arizona was in that area and, it was the berthing location for these men as well.

 

Most of these items seen here had been mailed to his wife, or, they would still be in the ship today. Andrew Guna died a few years ago, but these are some of the things he had with him when the USS Arizona was his home.

 

The Bosun's pipes and lanyard were brought home on that Dec 1941 leave to show his wife.

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Steindaddie

Guna's service record. Now this was made for him after Pearl Harbor due to the fact his was lost with the Arizona.

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Steindaddie

This is pretty neat: his gun pointers insignia. It is was very interesting to handle this knowing it came from a uniform worn aboard USS Arizona just days before the attack. A nice photo album too.

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Steindaddie

"Subpoena" for the crossing the line ceremony in July 1940. The signer of the document, Walter C. Ebel, CTC, died aboard ship, Dec 7th

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Steindaddie

The discharge document was signed by Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh, last skipper of USS Arizona. When this was signed in mid-October 1941, both he and his ship had only weeks to live.

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Steindaddie

Here BM1c Guna and Arizona shipmates in San Francisco partying on the night they arrived from Hawaii. The next day they heard the news: their ship was gone, and they were some of the luckiest men alive. Guna is front of photo.

 

All for now, more later. I hope these are appreciated and enjoyed.

 

Will

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Steindaddie
WoW, what a story to live to tell about.

What duty was he assigned to after his return to Hawaii?

He was "between jobs" upon returning to Hawaii. One thing he did though was become a Master at Arms of a recreation area, Camp Andrews. Later in the war he was commisioned and skippered an LST. More on that when I piece it together. Here is his MAA badge from Camp Andrews.

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Steindaddie

The LST he skippered was LST 755. It saw action in the pacific during WW2, but what I find most interesting is that it was still in use until just last year! After the war, LST 755 was transfered to the Republic of China and was in service with Taiwan until they retired it in Feb. 2010. It will be a memorial there. One of the last LST's in service I would have to guess.

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WOW is right !!! These were very lucky sailors although I bet that they some really rough moments dealing with this "luck" !!

 

An amazing story and grouping...thanks for showing !!

 

Vic

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That is a Fantastic U.S.N Grouping you have got there Well Done :thumbsup:

 

With an Amazing Story also And Thank You for sharing the Story & Grouping with us

its an Honour to Own a Great Grouping and piece of History like this great to have in a Collection.!

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  • 2 months later...
Steindaddie

More from the same grouping. (Items keep trickling in) This booklet is approx. 6x9 and contains several pages of phots in addition to the ones seen here. Just a nice little keepsake for the men in A Division back in '37.

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Steindaddie

And here is the Crossing the Line program. This was Arizona's last crossing of the Equator. This book contains lots of photos and hundreds of names. A quick check reveals a large percentage died the next year. I'll show the contents of this program later.

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