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The war crashed down
on us while we were at church. It was in Napa, California. As we had found no church at
Vallejo, we had to go to Napa and we had just gotten back and closed the door.
Lorene had gone out to the kitchen when someone knocked (It was
Jean Morgan, the wife of one of my shipmates.) I opened the door and she asked if I had
heard the news? I said "No." Then she said, "The Japs are bombing
Honolulu."
It was just like unloading a ton of bricks on me. She did not talk loud enough, so I went
back toward the kitchen to tell Lorene. Jean was saying something about the dirty so and
so. She said that Orval had already gone back to the ship.
It took my appetite, also I was brought face to face with the stark reality that I was in
the Navy and my country was at war and I had sworn to defend against all enemies
whom-so-ever.
It wasn't but a few minutes until I was on my way to war. It all seemed so silly when I
was walking down to the boat. There the sun was shining and it was such a nice day. But
the news said the Japs were bombing Honolulu. I thought that people should be thankful
that God gave them sunshine to help them enjoy life. But, instead they wanted to fight and
kill.
I walked out of the house just like I had a lot of times before, knowing I would be back
the next time I rated liberty. But not this time. I didn't know when I would be back.
Although I did get liberty every other day for some time as the boat was in the Navy yard
for major overhaul and did not leave for the war zone until about the middle of April. The
idea of going to war took all the kick out of life.
I remember around Christmas day as we sat down to a good dinner, the radio was on and the
announcer was describing some goings on at Washington, about all the prayers that had been
offered, etc. It crossed my mind that if more prayers had of been prayed by more people
and in spirit and in truth there would not have been all this confusion in the world. Here
I was sitting down to a good meal but where would I be a year from this date.
With all the thought of war on my mind, I let my emotions get the upper hand. I broke down
and wept bitterly, my mind was so made up that once I left it would be the last. I had no
idea of ever seeing my wife and child again on this earth.
It was after 13 months at sea that we were back in Mare Island for another overhaul, I
began to see it was possible to live thru the war. I began to have hopes. These thirteen
months in which we made 5 patrols. Some of the were pretty rugged.
This takes up the story when we left the Navy yard the first time.
We took on a new skipper prior to sailing. We did not know why as we had only had the
other one a few months. We were on pins and needles when we put to sea.
As the Argonaut had arrived for overhaul and was giving us all the dope, how some Jap
cruiser had kept her down 36 hours. In a way I think all hands half expected us to be sunk
when we got outside of the Golden Gate.
We had made a trial run or two outside but had an escort with us. Our diving officer gave
us about as much fright as the Japs did, by taking the boat down at too steep an angle.
Before the war the average time for a dive was 90 seconds. We were
tipped off by boats on station that you must get under in less time than that or else get
bombed. The diving officer was seeing how fast he could dive it. It was almost our last.
We made quite a few steep dives during the war. I never got used to them it seems. Each
time it is the same thing all over. Half scared to death and the other half mad. You had
to hold on to something and brace your foot or else you would go to the forward end of the
compartment with a crash.
We had only one scare on our trip to Honolulu. The sound man reported screws not far away
and as it was dark the diving officer of the deck did not take any chance so he took the
boat down. It was after midnight and most everyone was asleep except the watch.
As the diving alarm will just about wake up the dead, all hands
were up in no time flat. I know it didn't take me long. As all I had off was my coat, hat
and shoes and you would find me that way every night on that trip. No one never knew what
the screws were from. Probably nothing at all, just some fish playing around.
We left a trail of oil behind us from the Golden Gate to Pearl
Harbor. The fuel oil tanks leaked. So we had to go in dry dock again. |
We were in dry dock when word was
received about the two Jap Fleets were headed our way. One was headed toward Alaska and
one towards Midway. That cut our stay in the dry dock short. In no time
flat we were headed to war. It was after we were at sea that the skipper called "All
Hands" in to the Aft. Battery Compartment and cut us in on the dope. Up until now we
did not know the Japs were out on a raid. He did not say who but that the Japs had been
seen by some of our _______. Probably one of the submarines off the coast of Japan.
We arrived on our assigned station about 2 days ahead of the Japs. Later I learned we had
about 14 subs on stations west and north of Midway.
Early on the morning of June 4, 1942, I got my taste of what submarine warfare was like.
The main body of the Jap task force passed thru our area. We were at battle stations and
the skipper was making a run on one of the battleships.
Somehow or other our presence was made know to the Japs. Maybe a plane spotted us. The
ships started to ziz-zag and the ship nearest to us started to fire all their guns at our
periscope and the cans and cruisers was throwing out depth charges. It sounded like all
hell had broken loose.
After the ships started to zig-zag and the skipper had fired 2 or 3 fish at a battleship
and a cruiser he decided it was no use. So he just turned around and around on the
periscope and looked. That was where we got the dope about the firing on us.
During this time the diving officer was giving us a pep talk in the control
room. When the fleet was sighted we were making an approach, he was telling us "This
is it. This is what we have been waiting for. This is what Uncle (Sam)* has been training
you for. This is what Uncle (Sam)* has been paying you for," and all kind of stuff
like that. I think he was the one that was most excited.
This noise lasted about 10 minutes, I guess, and it was all over.
Around 1000 that morning, smoke was sighted over the horizon (out of our zone). Our
Captain was curious about the smoke, so we increased speed a few turns and headed for it
even if it wasn't in our zone.
About 1400 we were making a run on it. It was a Jap carrier making about 5 knots toward
home. It had been worked over by the Army. There were 2 cruisers with it but they were on
the opposite side from us.
The skipper sneaked up and had 3 hits before they could do anything. They made several
passes at us with depth charges before they went about picking up survivors that had
jumped over the side from the carrier.
Although the carrier did not sink until later that night, the boat got credit of sinking
it. It was the first carrier that a sub had gotten credit of sinking.
All together I think there was over a hundred depth charges meant for us that
day (by the count). None was near enough to do any damage. It just made us realize that
the Japs were out for keeps.
If we could of had a little more can (battery) left, maybe we could of gotten a cruiser or
two. And too, the Captain said he had had enough depth charging for one day. So we made
our way toward our station.
That night we received orders to close in toward Midway (All Subs). The next day we were
up and down all day.
We were supposed to travel on the surface to our new station. But the planes
would not let us. In the afternoon we just stayed down as we had used up most of the ships
air and battery by this up and down business. This was the day that the Japs bombed
Midway.
The next day (the 6th.) we pulled in to Midway and the Captain held a beer party on the
fan-tail for all hands. We took on fuel and supplies and headed out about the 8th on our
first patrol run.
Submarines run on the surface to and from their patrol area. These areas are assigned by
Submarine Command of the Pacific. We usually do not make but one dive a day unless we
sight something. This dive we make is early in the morning just before break of day. We
stay down until daylight.
* Word added by Ann Glasgow.
Foy Benton Hester, was the son of Walter Alexander Hester and Jessie Florence
Hooper. He was born August 16, 1906 in Belgreen, Franklin County, Alabama and died
February 3, 1984. He married Vivian Lorene Ezzell, daughter of Robert Terrell Ezzell and
Ruth Victoria Hester. She was born October 19, 1909, in Belgreen, Franklin County,
Alabama, and died February 3, 1996 in Dallas, Texas. Both are buried in Greenhill-Ezzell
Cemetery, Franklin County, Alabama. |
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