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Submarine Warrant officer grouping


Jeffthebutcher
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Jeffthebutcher

Hi Everyone,

I was called last week by the niece of a warrant officer who served 34 years in the Navy, asking if I was interested in his items. Well I am now the caretaker of CWO Anthony Karetnuk’s WWII items. The family did hold on to his framed medal set and said if they ever part with it I’ll get the call. Hope you enjoy! 
CWO Karetnuk served on the SSN 579 (Swordfish) for 9 War patrols and the SS 408 (Sennet) for 3 war patrols.

 

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manayunkman

Incredible really!!

 

That patch is awesome.

 

Can you post a better picture of it please?

 

So they kept the miniature medals?

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Jeffthebutcher
10 minutes ago, manayunkman said:

Incredible really!!

 

That patch is awesome.

 

Can you post a better picture of it please?

 

So they kept the miniature medals?

I will take a better pic of the patch tomorrow and post it. I have the miniature medals, they kept the full size medals the he had framed. 

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 Very nice grouping.


Note, SSN 579 Swordfish is a nuclear powered submarine and was not commissioned until 15 September 1958 and is the second submarine by that name.
Your Warrant Officer served aboard the original Swordfish, SS 193, from 10 October 1941 to 20 December 1943.  SS 193 was lost on her thirteenth warpatrol in early 1945.

 

Larry

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Jeffthebutcher
1 hour ago, US82Bravo said:

 Very nice grouping.


Note, SSN 579 Swordfish is a nuclear powered submarine and was not commissioned until 15 September 1958 and is the second submarine by that name.
Your Warrant Officer served aboard the original Swordfish, SS 193, from 10 October 1941 to 20 December 1943.  SS 193 was lost on her thirteenth warpatrol in early 1945.

 

Larry

Larry,

I stand corrected. I messed that up lol

Thank you!

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Jeffthebutcher
19 hours ago, manayunkman said:

Incredible really!!

 

That patch is awesome.

 

Can you post a better picture of it please?

 

So they kept the miniature medals?

Here ya go

 

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The Army Presidential Unit Citation bar on his ribbons is interesting. Any idea what he received that for? My guess is for the role of the Swordfish in the defense of the Philippines and area in 1941 and 1942, but the award is not listed on the wiki entry for the Swordfish, nor did I find any note of it while surfing around the web looking for Army Presidential Unit Citation award info. 

 

It appears the Sennet also never received the Army PUC either. 

 

Was there at some point a blanket award of the PUC to all the Philippine defenders?  

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Jeffthebutcher
5 hours ago, MWalsh said:

The Army Presidential Unit Citation bar on his ribbons is interesting. Any idea what he received that for? My guess is for the role of the Swordfish in the defense of the Philippines and area in 1941 and 1942, but the award is not listed on the wiki entry for the Swordfish, nor did I find any note of it while surfing around the web looking for Army Presidential Unit Citation award info. 

 

It appears the Sennet also never received the Army PUC either. 

 

Was there at some point a blanket award of the PUC to all the Philippine defenders?  

I could not find any records for the Presidential   Unit Citation or his BS with V. The family did not know as well. It is sewn on both uniforms that are his. 

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Quick note. In the US Navy, with the Service Blue uniform, the sword belt is worn UNDER the coat. The brass sword hanger hook, fits through an opening in the left side seam, with the sword straps coming out from under the coat.   The only uniform  USN officers had, that the sword belt was worn over, was the frock coat. 

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Jeffthebutcher
19 hours ago, sigsaye said:

Quick note. In the US Navy, with the Service Blue uniform, the sword belt is worn UNDER the coat. The brass sword hanger hook, fits through an opening in the left side seam, with the sword straps coming out from under the coat.   The only uniform  USN officers had, that the sword belt was worn over, was the frock coat. 

Thank you ! I was wondering what the slit in the uniform was for, I ended up fixing this on the display.

 

also thank you to all who gave input, I got some good info from you all!

thanks

jeff

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Jeffthebutcher
On 8/11/2020 at 2:58 PM, PaulR said:

What a spectacular group.  Did they have copies of the award citation?  I bet his NARA record has some amazing things in it!

Unfortunately they did not have any records other then his retirement paper. I was thinking about trying to get his NARA records.

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