1924 Battle Fleet Championship Boxer - Silver Lifesaving Medal Awardee 1923

[Salvage Sailor]

Aloha Everyone,

 

Another historic memento from my collection that tells a tale of a career sailor with the fleet.

 

Pedro Leopoldo Thode was born in San Juan Puerto Rico on October 22nd, 1901 shortly after the Spanish American War.  His father was a sailor in the USN and in 1918 young Pedro stowed away on the S.S. FAIRBANKS bound for New York City hoping to see his father who he believed was at the Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island.  We don't know if he was reunited with his father or not, but Pedro did end up in the United States Navy assigned to the Battleship USS IDAHO (BB-42) which was commissioned in 1919.

 

The pride of the US Navy: Idaho (BB-42), 5 April 1919

 

The IDAHO, a a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Camden, New Jersey. Commissioned in March 1919, she steamed to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July and then transited the Panama Canal to the Pacific, where she was based for the next dozen years. During that time, Idaho took part in the Battle Fleet's routine of drills and exercises, which extended from the Caribbean to Hawaii and as far south as Chile. She also cruised to Alaskan waters in 1920 and to New Zealand and Australia in 1925.

 

 

The Pacific Battle Fleet, Panama Bay, March 1923

 

U.S. Navy Battle fleet steaming into Panama Bay to join scouting fleet for combined fleet maneuvers, probably 1923.
The irony of this photo is that the ship with the least certain ID is the one closest to the camera! The probability is that she is the California (BB-44) based on the fact that the 3 Colorado class (BB-45 / 48) operated for such a short time without catapults and the ship in the photo has a bare quarterdeck). The photo is not clear enough to show twin or triple turrets. However, the ships in the background show enough unique characteristics to give more certainty about an ID. The nearest column are, left to right, Mississippi (BB-41) (uneven lookout station heights on the cagemasts), Tennessee (BB-43), (unique searchlight towers on after stack), and Idaho (BB-42) (lower bridge than New Mexico (BB-40)). The two ships in the second column are New York (BB-34) (bridge does not extend out far enough to be Texas (BB-35)) and Nevada (BB-36) (no enclosed lookout stations on the cagemasts and she has a catapult on her quarterdeck). The farthest column has (again left to right) Arizona (BB-39) (lower bridge), Pennsylvania (BB-38) (higher bridge) and New Mexico (again, the higher bridge). It is interesting that the only apparent catapult is the one on the Nevada.

 

Idaho(BB-42) departs Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, as a Douglas DT-2 torpedo plane from NAS Pearl Harbor bids "aloha" to passengers Cmdr. John Rogers and his crew, 17 September 1925. Cmdr. Rogers and his crew attempted to fly from San Francisco to Honolulu but ran out of fuel and landed at sea. Lost at sea for 10 days, they rigged a sail on their PN-9 seaplane and covered 450 miles before their rescue.

 

Silver Lifesaving Medal

By 1923, Pedro was a Quartermaster 3rd class and while the Idaho was in port at Seattle Washington, a fellow sailor fell overboard into the waters of Puget Sound and was struggling for his life.  Another sailor, Coxswain Thomas Schaefer, dove off of the boat deck and attempted to rescue his shipmate.  Pedro, watching this, saw the drowning sailor pulling his erstwhile rescuer down, and he jumped in to save his shipmates.  I'll let the documents and news articles tell the tale.

 

 

Commended the the Secretary of the Navy

 

Award of Silver Lifesaving Medals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish we knew where Schaefer & Thode's Silver Lifesaving Medals are now, and perhaps someone reading this tale will know the answer or have them in their collection.

 

EXAMPLE - Chester Nimitz

EXAMPLE Title: Silver Lifesaving Medal of Chester Nimitz
Accession #: NHHC 1966-50-K
Circa: 1912
Size: 4.25
Medium: Silver, Silk
Location: Headquarters Artifact Collection, Naval History and Heritage Command

 

After this incident, the Battle Fleet set sail for Australia & New Zealand in 1924-1925 visiting Hawaii and the Pacific Ports of the Far East.  Newly commended Quartermaster 3rd Class Pedro L. Thode was with the Battle Fleet aboard the USS IDAHO and was also now a member of the competitive Boxing Team staging exhibitions for their hosts.  In 1924 he was the holder of the Welter Weight championship and was defending his belt in 1925.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BATTLE FLEET CHAMPIONSHIP AWARD 1924-1925

Sydney, Australia

 

 

 

Quartermaster Third Class Pedro Leopoldo Thode, USS IDAHO (BB-42)

The stowaway had come a long way in six years

 

 

 

Welter Weight Championship Award

5"h x 3 1/2" w

 

Pedro Thode continued to serve in the US Navy, primarily aboard the USS IDAHO throughout the interwar years.  In 1926 he married a girl at his homeport of Seattle, but divorced in 1934.  In 1935 Quartermaster First Class Thode married again and had a son and daughter.  He continued his service into the late 1930's again serving on the IDAHO from 1934 to 1939 and retired to the Fleet Reserve, but the sea was his life and he again lost his wife.

 

In 1939 he was an able seaman serving aboard the S.S. MONTEBELLO, making trips from San Pedro, California via Balboa in the Canal Zone, and up to Boston, Mass.  War clouds were on the horizon and QM1cl Thode presented himself at the quarterdeck of his old love, the USS IDAHO, and transferred from the Fleet Reserve back into active duty in the Navy.

 

By now the 'needs of the Navy' dictated that they placed their old salts at the head of commissioning and recommissioning crews to train up the new sailors in 1940 and Thode was official moved from the Fleet Reserve to CQM(PA), USN.  (Chief Quartermaster, Permanent Appointment, United States Navy).

 

USS PALMER Shortly after refitting as DMS-5 from DD-161
National Archives Photo

 

He was assigned to the Recommissioning crews at Naval Station San Diego, and placed the old destroyer USS PALMER (DD-161) back in commission in August 1940.  (Palmer was later blown apart and sunk in Lingayen Gulf, January 1945).  In November 1940 the PALMER was under conversion to (DMS-5) and Thode moved on to the Net Tender USS YN-48 KATLIAN at New Orleans. 

 

USS White Plains (CVE-66) in San Diego harbor, California, circa April 1944. She is being assisted by the harbor tug Wenonah (YT-148). White Plains is painted in Camouflage Measure 33, Design 10A

 

After she was shipshape, he went into Aviation and rode the USS ENTERPRISE & USS RANGER on the East Coast before being assigned to the new escort carrier USS WHITE PLAINS (CVE-66) heading into 'dangerous waters' in the Central Pacific battles May-August 1944.  He missed the 'Taffy 3' scrap in Lingayen Gulf aboard the WHITE PLAINS but remained with the fleet in the Philippines as he was transferred to HEDRON FLEET AIR WING ONE in August 1944. 

 

Small Aircraft Tender USS SAN PABLO (AVP-30)

 

He then served on two Seaplane Tenders in 1944-1945, finishing his naval career aboard the USS SAN PABLO (AVP-30) and the USS ORCA (AVP-49) battling Kamikaze's in the Philippines Campaign.

 

Small Seaplane Tender USS ORCA (AVP-49)

 

Chief Quartermaster Pedro Leopoldo Thode again retired to the Fleet reserve, now an old seadog of 45 having served in the Navy since 1919.

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

...and now the sad part of the tale.

 

Pedro & his second wife had a son, Lawrence Gregory Thode, born in 1938.  Larry's father and grandfather were Sailors in the US Navy, so it seemed natural that he would also enlist in the Navy.  He served on the aircraft carrier USS ESSEX (CVA-9), homeport San Diego, in OI Division as a lookout on the 1956-1957 WESTPAC cruise visiting the usual ports.  He stayed in the Navy until 1966

 

L.G. Thode, right end of second row, USS ESSEX (CVA-9) cruise book

 

After his hitch in the Navy, he joined the US Army advancing through the ranks as a NCO and then achieving a commission as a First Lieutenant

 

 

General Westmoreland pinning a Medal to Lt Gregory L. Thode

 

By 1970, he was Recon Platoon Leader, Company E, 2/35th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam until his life heroically ended.

 

1st LT Lawrence Gregory Thode

 

1970 APRIL 8TH BINH DINH, VIETNAM
1st LT LAWRENCE GREGORY THODE - 1LT 01. KIA. Recon 2/35th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, U.S. Army. Awarded the Silver Star. General Orders 2606,

 

Award of the Silver Star; 4th Infantry Division, 26 April 1970 "For gallantry in action while engaged in military operations against an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, First Lieutenant Thode distinguished himself while serving as a Platoon Leader with 3, 2/35th Infantry. On April 8 1970,

 

posted by Jim Reece

 

Company E ambushed an enemy force, inflicting several casualties. As the hostile element tried to flee, First Lieutenant Thode courageously led his men in pursuit, forcing the enemy to halt and make a stand. With complete disregard for his personal safety, First Lieutenant Thode remained in the heart of the battle area to effectively deploy his men and provide professional leadership. While assisting in the calling in of artillery and gunship support, he was mortally wounded by an enemy mortar round. First Lieutenant Thode's personal bravery, outstanding leadership, and exemplary devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect greatly upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. 1LT Thode is honored on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall @ Panel 12W, Line 109.

By his own request, Lawrence Gregory Thode was buried at sea by the US Navy.

 

 

[NxNW Surf Retired]

Good stuff. Pedro was my grandpa, and Larry was my uncle.