One Mom’s contribution to the War Effort.
Jeff discovered this great story online and wanted to share if with everyone…
“In the night and early morning of August 8 and 9, the Japanese column slipped into the channel between Savo and Guadalcanal undetected. By 1:31 a.m., Mikawa had signaled “Every ship attack.””In the night and early morning of August 8 and 9, the Japanese column slipped into the channel between Savo and Guadalcanal undetected. By 1:31 a.m., Mikawa had signaled “Every ship attack.”
Among those battered awake by 5- and 8-inch shells was 19-year-old Navy Signalman 3rd Class Elgin Staples of Akron, Ohio, aboard the New Orleans-class cruiser the USS Astoria.
“Peppered along her length by 25mm machine-gun fire…One heavy projective struck the barbette of turret No. 1, knocking the weapon out of action and killing all personnel in the area. Another slammed home in the No. 1 fireroom, and a third stuck a kerosene tank on the starboard side amidships, spilling blazing fuel across the well deck,” writes Toll.
Swept into the air and out to sea from the concussive blasts, Staples found himself dazed, wounded by shrapnel to his legs, but alive — thanks to his M1926 inflatable rubber life belt strapped around his waist.”
