Flashbacks

Flashbacks

Everyone that served in the military carries with them memories of that time. Some of these memories are good, some not so good. Send your flashbacks to Flashbacks@leeworkman@comcast.net . In sharing those memories, it allows us to reflect back on a time in our own lives when we might have been in a similar situation. Or, it could give us greater awareness of what you went through in the name of FREEDOM.

In Memory

George Cotton sailed on to the other side
March 25, 2002

Hands, Salute............Ready, Two!

AHOY MATES! PULL IN YOUR SCUPPERS AND COME ALONG SIDE. IN RESPONSE TO THE LETTERS FROM OUR MANY FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE PHSA, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE YOU ON A 6 YEAR CHAPTER OF MY LIFE IN THE US NAVY. SO GET OUT YOUR WORLD MAP, AND LETS GET STARTED....

ORDERS: BASIC TRAINING

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DEC.9, l939

AT THE OUR STARTING POINT WILL BE CHEYENNE WY, US NAVAL RECRUITING STATION. FROM THERE WE WILL RIDE A UNION PACIFIC TRAIN FOR DENVER COLORADO WHERE I WILL BE SWORN INTO THE US NAVY AND TAKE THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I WILL NOW BOARD A TRAIN BOUND FOR SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

DEC. 11,1939

MY FELLOW BOOTS AND I HAVE ARRIVED AT THE SAN DIEGO NAVAL TRAINING STATION, WE ARE NOW ISSUED OUR UNIFORMS AND OTHER ITEMS, THEN PLACED IN A BARRACKS WITH OTHER BOOT SAILORS TO FORM RECRUIT COMPANY 39-46. WE WILL UNDERGO 3 MONTHS CF NAVAL TRAINING.

ORDERS: SHIP'S MOVEMENT

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APPROXIMATELY MARCH 1, 1940 WE HAVE COMPLETED OUR BASIC TRAINING AND CAN NOW GO HOME ON LEAVE OR GO: DIRECTLY TO SEA' I CHOOSE TO GO TO SEA DUTY EARLY MARCH, 1940. ORDERS: YOU ARE TO REPORT ABOARD THE U. S.S. DETROIT CL8, A LIGHT CRUISER TIED UP IN SAN DIEGO BAY. SHE IS ARMED WITH A MAIN BATTERY CF 6 INCH GUNS, 3INCH 50 CAL. ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS, 50 CAL. MACHINE GUNS, ALSO TORPEDO TUBES ON PORT AND STARBOARD SIDES, AND A SEA PLANE ON EACH SIDE. OUR SHIP IS 550 FEET, 6 INCHES LONG, AND 55 FOOT WIDE. SHE HAS FOUR FIRE ROOMS WITH 16 BOILERS TO GENERATE STEAM. TO POWER HER, SHE HAS 2 ENGINE ROOMS WITH TWO PROPELLERS ON EACH SIDE OF THE HULL, WHICH CAN GENERATE A SPEED OF 32 KNOTS. (LOOK UP AND SEE HOW MANY MILES PER HOUR A KNOT IS.)

OUR FIRST TRIP TO SEA WILL BE TO SAN CLAMENTE ISLAND WEST OF SAN DIEGO FOR GUNNERY PRACTICE . OUR NEXT TRIP WILL BE TO DELIVER 50 BOOT MARINES TO SAN FRANCISCO CALIF. WITH A STOP OVER AT MARE ISLAND NAVY YARD FOR REPAIRS.

LATE SPRING 1940 -THE-DETROIT HAS ORDERS TO JOIN THE FLEET FOR DUTY IN PEARL HARBOR.

JULY 4,1940

WE ARE BOUND SOUTH IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN FOR THE PHOENIX ISLANDS WITH THE PACIFIC FLEET FOR MANEUVERS. WE HAVE NOW REACHED LATITUDE 00000 AND LONGITUDE 139°34 MINUTES WEST. WE WILL NOW BE CROSSING THE EQUATOR AND ARE TO BE INITIATED INTO THE ROYAL ORDER OF SHELL BACKS, BY ORDER OF DAVY JONES, AND FOR HIS ROYAL MAJESTY NEPTUNE REX RULER CF THE RAGING MAIN. OUR SHELL BACK -CERTIFICATES WILL BE SIGNED BY COMMANDER D.H. KANE USN EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE U.S.S. DETROIT.

1940-41

WE WILL VISIT THE ISLAND OF MAUI AND ANCHOR OFF OF LAHINA ROADS SO THAT OUR DEEP SEA DIVERS CAN PRACTICE DIVING. WE WILL ALSO DROP ANCHOR OFF OF HILO, HAWAII DURING NIGHT MANEUVERS. ONE OF THE BATTLESHIPS LOST A MAN OVERBOARD. HE WAS NEVER FOUND GOD REST HIS SOUL.

ORDERS: BATTLE STATIONS!

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DEC. 7,1941

I HAD SET MY BREAKFAST TRAY ON THE TABLE AND ON MY WAY TO GET A GLASS OF WATER WHEN GENERAL QUARTERS WAS SOUNDED. I FIRST THOUGHT MAYBE THE CHINA CLIPPER HAD RUN INTO TROUBLE AS SHE TOOK OFF AND LANDED FROM HER BERTH ON OUR PORT SIDE. I SOON LEARNED: THE JAPANESE WERE ATTACKING US!!!

I THEN MANNED MY FORWARD DAMAGE CONTROL STATION WHICH WAS BELOW DECKS. I NEVER BEFORE SEEN THE KIND OF DAMAGE THAT THE JAPS WERE DOING TO US. ALL I COULD DO WAS WAIT AND WONDER WHETHER OR NOT A BOMB WOULD COME THROUGH THE DECK ABOVE ME OR IF A TORPEDO WOULD COME THROUGH THE SIDE OF OUR SHIP. WE GOT UNDERWAY AND MY DAMAGE CONTROL STATION WAS SECURED. I WAS TOLD TO GO DOWN TO CENTRAL STATION AND MAN THE SWITCH BOARD AND PHONES WHICH WERE IN THE KEEL OF THE SHIP. AS WE WENT OUT OF THE HARBOR, OUR DESTROYERS WERE DROPPING DEPTH CHARGES TRYING TO GET A JAP TWO MAN SUBMARINE.

BEING IN THE KEEL WAS A VERY SCARY PLACE TO BE WHEN GETTING UNDERWAY. THE JAPS FIRED TWO TORPEDOES AT US. ONE CROSSED CUR BOW AND ANOTHER CROSSED OUR STERN. NEITHER HIT US. THE JAPS DROPPED A BOMB ON OUR SISTER SHIP, THE U.S.S. RALEIGH, BERTHED NEXT TO US, AND BEHIND HER THE JAPS SANK THE U.S.S. UTAH ,THE UTAH IS STILL LYING WHERE SHE SANK.

DEC.19/20, 1941. WE HAD ORDERS TO GO TO SEA AND RENDEZVOUS WITH TWO TRANSPORTS LOADED WITH WOUNDED AND EVACUEES. WE ESCORTED THEM TO SAN FRANCISCO, CA.

ORDERS: SHIPS MOVEMENT

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DEC 27/1941

BACK OUT TO SEA ALONG WITH OUR DESTROYER ESCORT WE WILL RENDEZVOUS WITH A CONVOY LOADED WITH MUCH NEEDED SUPPLIES FOR PEARL HARBOR AND ESCORT THEM TO PEARL HARBOR.

JAN. 1942- PEARL HARBOR

A SUBMARINE TIES UP ALONG SIDE. SHE IS CARRYING ALL THE GOLD AND SILVER PESOS AND CURRENCY FROM THE PHILIPPINES. WE TAKE ON ONE TON OF GOLD BULLION MOLDED IN 5LB. BARS, MANY BAGS OF SILVER PESOS, BAGS AND FOOT LOCKERS FULL OF CURRENCY, STOCKS, AND BONDS.

I UNDERSTAND THIS SUBMARINE WENT BACK TO SEA AND WAS LOST, GOD REST THEIR SOULS.

WE WILL DELIVER THE GOLD, SILVER, ETC.. TO SAN FRANCISCO.

WE WILL ESCORT CONVOYS BACK AND FORTH FROM PEARL HARBOR TO SAN FRANCISCO.

ORDERS: SHIPS TRANSFER

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APRIL 1942

WE SAY GOODBYE TO THE DETROIT AS I PUT IN FOR A TRANSFER TO THE U.S.S. FULTON, WHICH IS BEING BUILT ON THE EAST COAST OF THE US MAINLAND.

WE ARE NOW ON BOARD THE U.S.S. DIXIE DESTROYER REPAIR SHIP IN PEARL. WHILE WAITING FOR THE FULTON TO BE LAUNCHED, WE WILL WORK ON THE DAMAGE TO THE BATTLESHIPS, THE U.S.S. TENNESSEE AND THE U.S.S. MARYLAND.

ATTENTION ON DECK! OUR ORDERS HAVE BEEN CHANGED. WE ARE TO REPORT ABOARD THE U.S.S. WHITNEY DESTROYER TENDER FOR DUTY.

THE WHITNEY'S DUTIES ARE TO SUPPLY AND REPAIR BATTLE DAMAGED SHIPS OF ALL KINDS. SHE HAS MANY DIFFERENT SHOPS SUCH AS SHIP FITTERS SHOP TO REPAIR DAMAGE TO HULLS AND SUPER SUPERSTRUCTURE OR DECK HOUSES; CARPENTER SHOP; COPPER SHOP; BLACK SMITH SHOP; MACHINE SHOP; OPTICAL SHOP; MAGAZINES; BLACK OIL STORAGE; AND MANY OTHERS INCLUDING A TORPEDO STORAGE HOLD WITH 100 TORPEDOES IN IT.

MAY 23/1942

WE WILL GET UNDERWAY FOR THE TONGAN ISLANDS WE ARRIVE MAY 29, 1942. WE WILL REPAIR BATTLE DAMAGE FROM THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY A SUPPLY THE DESTROYERS

FOR THE INVASION OF GUADALCANAL AND TULAGI IN THE SOLOMAN ISLANDS.

AUGUST 16, 1942

UNDERWAY FOR NEOUMEA , NEW CALEDONIA WHERE WE WILL REPAIR MANY DIFFERENT TYPE SHIPS AND KEEP THEM OPERATIONAL.

APRIL 1943

DEPART NEOUMEA FOR SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA FOR TWO WEEKS R&R (REST AND RECREATION), AND REPAIRS FOR WHITNEY.

MAY 8, 1943

BACK IN NOUMEA REPAIRING AND SERVICING SHIPS AGAIN.

LATE OCT,1943 THROUGH MAY1944 WE SERVICED MANY SHIPS AND CRAFTS AT PURVIS BAY, TULAGI IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.

JUNE 23, 1944

WE RETURNED SYDNEY VIA NEOUMEA.

EARLY JULY WE ARE IN MANUS IN THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS.

AUGUST 10, 1944

WE ARE IN ESPIRITU SANTO BETWEEN

AUG/ 10, 1944 AND AUGUST 19, 1944

WE TOUCHED MCQUITTE BAY, RUSSELL ISLANDS, GUADALCANAL, AND THEN RETURNING TO MANUS ISLAND. WHILE IN MANUS HARBOR, AN AMMUNITION SHIP BLEW UP KILLING AND WOUNDING

1200 MEN. ONLY THREE MEN SURVIVED FROM THE AMMO SHIP BECAUSE THEY WENT ASHORE AFTER MAIL.

ORDERS: SHIPS REPAIR

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SOME OF THE SHIPS WE HAVE WORKED ON INCLUDE:

U.S.S. FOOT, DESTROYER. THE WHOLE STERN BLOWN OFF

U. S. S. BIRMGHAM LIGHT CRUISER .WE WILL PUT A PATCH ON HER PORT BOW ABOUT 30 FEET LONG ABOVE THE WATER LINE AND REPAIR DAMAGE FROM A SKIP BOMB. THE HOLE IN HER BOW WAS FROM A TORPEDO.

U.S.S, ST. LOUIS, CRUISER. A 500 LB. BOMB WENT THROUGH HER MAIN DECK AND EXPLODED ON THE SECOND DECK KILLING 27 MEN IN THE COMPARTMENT WHERE IT EXPLODED.

MANY OTHER SHIPS SUCH AS ONE WITH A KAMIKAZE HIT ON THE BRIDGE.

ORDERS: PROMOTION

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WELL MATES, I HAVE NOW BEEN PROMOTED TO CHIEF SHIP FITTER AND HAVE MY ORDERS TO RETURN TO THE STATES FOR REASSIGNMENT AND LEAVE TIME. WE ARE NOW ON BOARD A TROOP TRANSPORT, ALONG WITH SOME WOUNDED, BOUND FOR NEOUMA.

WE WILL TAKE ABOARD MANY WOUNDED MEN WHO ARE ABLE TO RETURN TO THE MAINLAND HOSPITALS. OF THOSE WOUNDED, THREE FELLAS COME TO MIND. ONE WAS A CHIEF GUNNERS MATE WHO WAS NIGHT BLIND FROM GUN FIRE. ANOTHER WAS TOTALLY BLIND FROM A JAP KAMIKAZE PLANE THAT HIT THE BRIDGE OF THE SHIP HE WAS ON. ONE MORE FELLA WAS BLIND IN ONE EYE. AT NIGHT, WHEN THEY NEEDED TO GO SOMEWHERE, THE FELLA WITH ONE GOOD EYE WOULD LEAD THE OTHER TWO, WITH THE TOTALLY BLIND ONE IN THE MIDDLE AND THE CHIEF IN THE REAR, THEIR HANDS ON EACH OTHERS SHOULDERS.

CHRISTMAS DAY, 1944

WE ARE NOW AT SEA, HEADED FOR SAN FRANCISCO. WE ARE TREATED TO CHRISTMAS DINNER AND WILL BE CROSSING THE INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE SOON. WE HAVE CROSSED THE DATE LINE AND IT IS CHRISTMAS DAY ONCE AGAIN BUT THIS TIME, NO DINNER. WE ARE NOW ELIGIBLE TO BELONG TO THE ROYAL ORDER OF GOLDEN DRAGONS.

ORDERS: STATESIDE

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WE ARE NOW BACK IN THE STATES AND HAVE BEEN SENT TO TREASURE ISLAND NAVAL STATION NEAR OAKLAND CALIFORNIA. WE ARE NOW ON 30 DAYS LEAVE HOME TO CHEYENNE, WYOMING

TO VISIT; THEN TO FARWELL, TEXAS TO VISIT MY FATHER. NEXT, BACK TO TREASURER ISLAND.

WE NOW HAVE ORDERS TO ESCORT AND BE IN CHARGE OF A 25 MAN DRAFT TO THE GREAT LAKES NAVAL TRAINING STATION FOR REASSIGNMENT TO SHORE DUTY.

MARCH 4,1944

WE NOW HAVE ORDERS TO REPORT TO NAVAL AMMUNITION DEPOT, CRANE, INDIANA. ONCE THERE, OUR ASSIGNMENT WILL BE TO SHIP AND STORE ALL TYPES OF AMMUNITION.

ORDERS: HONORABLE DISCHARGE

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DECEMBER 8, 1944

WE WILL BE ORDERED TO EAST ST LOUIS, MO. FOR DISCHARGE AS MY 6 YEAR ENLISTMENT IS OVER.

GEORGE COTTON, CHIEF SHIP FITTER, U.S.N. - HONORABLE DISCHARGE DEC 10, 1944.

ORDERS: .....................................March 25, 2002

Pearl Harbor Survivors Association (PHSA Inc.) http://www.pearlharborsurvivorsonline.org

Directory of Veterans Service Organizations
http://www.va.gov/vso/phsa.htm

USS Arizona Memorial
http://www.nps.gov/usar

Remembering Peal Harbor-The USS Arizona
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/18arizona/18arizona.htm

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