C. Charles Collie, Jr. was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1922 and grew up there. He left in 1940 to enroll in the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. His father had researched business schools and found that Wharton was rated number one and Harvard was number two. The positions were exactly reversed for the best graduate schools. He sent his son off to Wharton as a result. Collie had one sister younger than him. She died several years ago. His father was in the property and casualty insurance business and kept working through the Great Depression. Collie was young during those years and recollects them as being lean times but the family never wanted for anything. Collie was a Boy Scout and received his Eagle award at the age of 13. He graduated from high school in May 1940 then left home at 17 in September 1940 to enter Wharton in Philadelphia and begin his ROTC [Annotator's Note: Reserve Officer Training Corps] program. While at college, he heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. He was in his fraternity house when the announcement was made. He knew with his Naval ROTC background that he would be involved in the upcoming events. He went on active duty but continued his class work. Collie completed his four year education program in three years under accelerated conditions. His ROTC instruction covered most aspects of naval education. Many of his naval officer instructors during his senior year were called away to active sea duty. Collie would teach freshmen classes in communication and navigation during that year. The Bureau of Personnel, BUPERS, placed him as a destroyer communications officer in consideration of his past background. Collie received his bachelors degree in economics from Wharton in mid 1943.

C. Charles Collie received a commission as an ensign in the Navy and assignment to a ship [Annotator's Note: the destroyer USS Blue (DD-744)] on the same day that he graduated college. [Annotator's Note: Collie graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in mid 1943.] Since the ship was still being constructed at Staten Island, Collie was sent to four different East Coast radar schools in the interim. After the ship deployed to the Pacific, Collie was dropped off at Pearl Harbor so he could attend two additional weeks of radar training. Upon completion, he began his trip to rendezvous with his ship. He first reached the Admiralty Islands after flying there in a large four engine seaplane. The plane had seating for no one except the pilot and copilot. Collie made the ten or 12 hour trip while sitting directly on the steel open storage deck of the aircraft. After several weeks in the first destination, he sailed on a tanker to reach his ship serving with the fleet. He enjoyed that voyage because he had no specified duty and was bunked in an officers' stateroom. He had only to show up for the three meals a day. When he caught up with his ship, he was transferred to it in a breeches buoy. With lines strung tautly between transferring ships, there were occasions of lines snapping and men being lost. Once a man fell in the sea, it was nearly impossible to find him. Collie's ship lost two men to those circumstances. Returning from its shakedown cruise, the Blue accompanied an aircraft carrier, the Ranger [Annotator's Note: USS Ranger (CV-4)]. Collie observed several enlisted men hanging off the flight flight deck as the carrier sailed along. One sailor fell off the deck and the Blue attempted to locate him in the water but failed. The destroyer did rescue 18 airmen during the war. Their yellow float vests or rubber rafts helped in spotting them. Collie's ship also picked up one very badly burned Japanese pilot. The admiral ordered immediate transfer of the enemy pilot to another ship for interrogation while the burned man was physically capable of communicating. Following her launch, the Blue was taken from Staten Island shipyard to the Navy yard for commissioning. Collie thought the ship was awesome when he first saw her. He was impressed with the fighting machine which was to be his new home. She was of the Fletcher class and had twin mounts five inch, 38 caliber guns. When the crew came aboard at the Navy yard, the men had to climb through a small scuttle welded into the main hatches. One torpedo man could not get through the scuttle and was immediately discharged off the ship. [Annotator's Note: Collie laughs.] There were 18 officers on the ship with Collie being nearly the junior of them all. His accommodations were back aft. The passageway was through the signal room for the executive officer. The captain and his senior officers had their quarters up forward. In his room, Collie drew the short straw and had the top bunk of the three bunks. There was no room for him to do anything but roll in and roll out of the bunk. It was closest to the steel overhead. The overhead was the exterior deck above. The heat from the Pacific sun bearing on the deck would intensely radiate from that overhead. Collie had a makeshift fan fabricated for his use to aid in cooling his sleeping spot. At commissioning, the ship's captain was Lot Ensey, a Naval Academy graduate. He was a super guy. He was relieved in about May 1944. The next commander of the ship was not as respected. At the commissioning of the Blue, the widow and daughter of Lieutenant Commander Blue [Annotator's Note: John S. Blue] who was lost off Guadalcanal participated in the ceremony. They broke the bottle of champagne to christen the ship. There was another destroyer named Blue sunk off Savo Island. [Annotator's Note: USS Blue (DD-387), named in honor of Rear Admiral Victor Blue.] Reporting aboard the Blue, Collie was radar, navigation and CIC [Annotator's Note: Combat Information Center] officer. He was only 18 and had about 35 men reporting to him. Most were young men, but he had a few seasoned sailors including one chief. He rotated his duties and conned the ship once a day. He looked at his assignment as a serious job, especially while escorting carriers. The CIC was a large room containing one radar for tracking airplanes and another that tracked surface vessels. There was a marker board for visual indication of all the various tracks. Information would be forwarded to the captain to advise him of incoming raids or formations of ships. A circular formation of two miles in diameter might contain 25 to 30 friendly ships. Radio and radar information was receiving in CIC. Information would be passed to the gunnery officer. All communications centered in CIC. CIC was a deck below the bridge. It was Collie's designated combat station. If he was at the con during battle stations, he would be relieved by the officer assigned there for combat and immediately move over to the CIC.

C. Charles Collie rejoined his ship [Annotator's Note: USS Blue (DD-744)] after it had become part of the screening vessels for the aircraft carriers in the task force probably near Palau. The circle of ships had the destroyers on the outer edges with cruisers closer to the carriers and battleships next to them. That provided significant protection from enemy air attacks to the multiple aircraft carriers in the center of the circle. There were some indications of potential submarine intrusion within the task force and Blue made some runs but never actually realized any sinking of underwater enemy vessels. There were many enemy aircraft raids. Kamikazes were first seen in October 1944 off the Philippines. The last of the kamikazes were ten months later in August 1945. They attacked day and night. That produced constant tension and fatigue. Invariably, after standing his watch, Collie would go to his bunk and then general quarters would be sounded. With a swarm of ten or 12 incoming Japanese, he had to rush to his battle station [Annotator's Note: Collie was in charge of the CIC, or Combat Information Center, when the USS Blue (DD-744) was at General Quarters]. With the difficulty of getting any rest, fatigue was tough on the crew. Some of the more intense events that Collie witnessed were when the ship withstood three typhoons. The worst was the first one that occurred 18 and 19 December 1944. Three destroyers were lost in the group. They were the Hull, the Spence and the Monaghan [Annotator's Note: typhoon Cobra struck Task Force 38 resulting in significant damage to many ships and the loss of USS Hull (DD-350), USS Spence (DD-512), and USS Monaghan (DD-354)]. Over 900 men were lost and only about 92 were rescued. The Tabberer [Annotator's Note: USS Tabberer (DE-418)], also known as the Tabby, provided very effective rescue efforts. The Blue and another destroyer were detached from the task force to attempt to find other survivors. None were found. It was hard to find anyone adrift in the sea. The Blue recorded on its clinometers 75 to 80 percent. The ship was very near to rolling over. Blue had completed its refueling prior to the typhoon so it had sufficient ballast. The Hull, Spence and Monaghan had not completed their refueling when they had to break off due to the storm. They were not only top heavy but had no time to pump in seawater for added ballast. That was the reason the Blue survived the storm while the other three destroyers were sunk. The second typhoon was in the South China Seas in January 1945. Though it was bad, it was not as bad as the storm in the previous December. All the storms occurred while Admiral Bull Halsey [Annotator's Note: William F. Halsey, also known as "Bull"] was in command of the task force. The typhoons were referred to as "Halsey's typhoons." In July 1945 another typhoon struck while the fleet was off the Philippines. The bow of the Pittsburgh [Annotator's Note: USS Pittsburgh (CA–72)] broke off during the storm. The ship was made tight prior to the storm so it resulted in being able to float and survive the damage. The Blue had the assignment of recovery of the bow and tow back to Guam. During the tow, Blue was only able to make three knots. [Annotator's Note: Collie laughs.] It was taking days so a tug relieved Blue of the tow after two or three days. Blue had been given the tow assignment initially because it had lost its steering gear room and was relegated to steering by hand. It was a slow and difficult process. The missing bow section was referred to as "the suburb of Pittsburg." [Annotator's Note: Collie laughs.] The bow was rejoined to the ship in Guam. Amazingly, there were no typhoon related fatalities on the Pittsburgh. Collie observed several carriers that had their flight decks bent down as a consequence of being buffeted by high waves. Experiencing a typhoon is a frightening thing. There is no control over the events except to head the ship into the waves. If it is caught in a trough, it could roll over. During the first typhoon, Collie had to report to his battle station. While outside, he felt the severe wind and rain. The feeling was similar to needles hitting his face. It was unforgettable. Even the aircraft carriers were experiencing major problems with waves in excess of 100 feet. One carrier had more than 100 planes washed off its deck. With a destroyer being small in size, it would be tossed about by the rough seas and winds. The bow would cut through the high waves and at times the stern would be above the water exposing its propellers. With water rushing over the deck, two Blue crewmen were lost. Collie had the con when he observed one of the men going by on top of a wave. He was never found. Missing pilots were easier to locate because of their yellow life vests or rafts. The carriers, with their higher elevation off the sea, could also help in rescues by revealing the location of downed airmen. During Japanese air or kamikaze attacks, Collie was in CIC tracking the incoming aircraft. They could be obtained on the air search radar while still 60 to 80 miles out from the fleet.

C. Charles Collie was at Okinawa which was the last big campaign of the war. It lasted longer than any of the other campaigns except Guadalcanal. There were 15 destroyers surrounding the island. They served as radar picket ships. They were numbered clockwise one through 15. The number one was the picket station closest to Japan. The pickets were 50 miles out from the fleet. Their main task was to apprise the fleet of incoming kamikaze attacks. The young and inexperienced kamikaze pilots did not fly by the picket ships in search of carriers. Instead, they flew into the smaller defense ships. The Laffey [Annotator's Note: USS Laffey (DD-724)] had 12 hits out of 22 kamikazes that attacked her. Her superstructure was nearly wiped out. She survived and was repaired and is now docked in Charleston, South Carolina. Collie has visited the Laffey which is the last surviving Sumner class destroyer. After being on station one for six days, Laffey was retired for repair and Blue [Annotator's Note: Collie's ship, the USS Blue (DD-744)] took the position for two days and nights. She suffered no hits during that time. The Okinawa campaign lasted from 1 April to 22 June [Annotator's Note: 1945] or about 82 days. Of the Blue's 22 assigned picket locations, nine of them were on station number one. She never suffered a kamikaze hit but saw plenty of them overhead. She fired away at them. While he was in CIC [Annotator's Note: Combat Information Center] during a battle, he could see what was happening on the radar but not outside. The room had no portholes and was dimly lit so the radar screens were most visible. The twin mount 5 inch guns were just forward of CIC. When they were fired, it sounded like someone was hitting the compartment bulkhead with a sledge hammer. The guns provided a tremendous jolt and noise when they went off. The ten Japanese kamikazes that did not get through to the Laffey were knocked down by a combination of the destroyer's guns and American aircraft. A book entitled "Hell from Above" is about the experiences of the Laffey. Collie owns 22 books dealing with destroyers in World War 2. Another book that Collie has is "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" by Hornfischer [Annotator's Note: James Hornfischer]. Calhoun is another author [Annotator's Note: Charles Calhoun wrote "Tin Can Sailor: Life Aboard the USS Sterett, 1939-1945"].

C. Charles Collie found that he was right where he wanted to be while on his destroyer [Annotator's Note: he was the Combat Information Center, or CIC, officer on the USS Blue (DD-744)]. He thought it was great. Life on the ship was far less formal than on a large fighting ship. The ship was always bouncing around but he was comfortable being there. It was good duty and he was happy with the assignment. A typical day was four on and four or six off. When he was not on the con on the bridge, he would be in Combat [Annotator's Note: Combat Information Center] with his men training them. He did quite a bit of training in the beginning but with more and more combat situations, his men really responded to their tasks. His chief and two or three radar men stood out. They each had a specific job and did it well. When they were in action, they did as they were trained. When there was down time, the crew tried to get some sleep. The work was constant on a destroyer. The longest cruise was 60 days. They would refuel from tankers and receive supplies from cargo ships while at sea. They would go into Ulithi which was a huge atoll. It was an enormous anchorage capable of holding vast numbers of ships. While at Ulithi, they would be shuttled in Higgins landing boats [Annotator's Note: Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel, or LCVP] to Maug Maug Island for recreation. It included beer and softball. The officers played the chiefs and the chiefs were victorious. [Annotator's Note: Collie laughs.] The loss did not matter because the beer was flowing. They may have had that recreation twice during the whole time he was in the war. After the battle of the Philippine Sea, the Blue went into Leyte Gulf and tied up there for about two days. The only other time the ship was not at sea was an anchorage off Saipan.

C. Charles Collie and his ship [Annotator's Note: USS Blue (DD-744)] were detached and made part of Destroyer Squadron 61 near the end of the war. It was 22 and 23 July [Annotator's Note: 1945]. The nine ship squadron was sent into Sagami Wan which is the entrance to Tokyo Bay. Their task was to take on any shipping they discovered there. An announcement was made beforehand that each crewman was to write out a last will and give it to the chief yeoman. The run was dramatically to start at midnight. [Annotator's Note: Collie laughs.] The ships entered in single file with the commodore in front aboard the USS De Haven (DD-727). Blue led the second group. They almost reached Tokyo Bay before making their turn. They fired weapons and torpedoes at ships they saw. They were credited with sinking two or three cargo ships on the raid. They were the only Allied surface ships in those waters during World War 2. Submarines were in those waters also. The nine destroyers were making full speed during the operation. It was exciting. The ships began firing and the Japanese fired back. Blue's six main guns were all firing away. It seemed the ship ran into a concrete wall with the firing. The ships were in Sagami Wan for a matter of minutes and got out quickly. To complicate matters, the action occurred right after a storm had passed through.

C. Charles Collie heard on 6 August [Annotator's Note: 1945] that the atomic bomb had been used on Hiroshima. He knew nothing about it other than it was a new and very powerful bomb. He thought it was the greatest thing that could have happened. He credits the bombs for saving his life considering the projected casualties to be incurred with an invasion of Japan. His ship [Annotator's Note: USS Blue (DD-744)] already had its assigned spot and battle plan for the invasion. The second bomb was dropped then on 15 August, word was received that the Japs [Annotator's Note: a derogatory term for Japanese] had surrendered. Aircraft that had been vectored toward Japan for an attack were called back to the carriers. Meanwhile, later in the day, a flight of kamikaze aircraft was detected heading toward the fleet. When the inquiry was made concerning proper response to the threat, the admiral replied that any "hostile aircraft" should be shot down in "a friendly manner." That gave the crew a kick. Six enemy airplanes were shot down by Blue that day. After the surrender, Blue was involved in the capture of a Japanese submarine, the I-400. American aircraft had spotted it on the surface recharging its batteries. They circled the sub to prevent it from submerging. A book was written on the incident. The Blue took several hours at top speed to reach the location. They relieved the aircraft which then returned to their carrier. The Blue sent the captain's gig with 13 enlisted men and three officers to board the I-400. When Collie was aboard the sub, he noticed what appeared to be railroad tracks on the foc'sle. It was tracks for use in launching aircraft. There was a huge hanger on the deck that could house three seaplanes. The planes were missing. They had been scuttled because they were painted with US markings instead of the Japanese rising sun. The enemy was concerned that they would be found to be in violation of International Law due to mismarking their planes. The seaplanes were to be fitted with torpedoes. It was discovered that the assignment for the sub with its planes, along with two other similarly fitted submarines, was to be an attack on the Panama Canal. Eventually, that plan for a bombing attack and return of the planes to the sub was altered to be a kamikaze attack on the Canal. Nine aircraft were to attack the locks. The war ended before the plan could be executed. Even though Collie did not like the Japanese at the time, he had no problem with them while on the submarine. He has a photograph of himself on the conning tower of the enemy vessel. He is the only American in the picture. He is surrounded by six Japanese seamen. When the Americans boarded the submarine, the Japanese skipper gave his sword to the commander of the boarding party. The Japanese made a big thing of it. Two Americans at a time were sent to various compartments on the submarine to check things out. It was thought that the fanatical nature of the enemy might result in them blowing up their submarine while the Americans were aboard. Everything worked out okay. [Annotator's Note: After the interview tape is changed, a conversation ensues about the size and stability of the USS Blue (DD-744).] After the Japanese submarine surrendered to the crew of the Blue, the admiral sent over a submarine officer and crew to take custody of the vessel. It was then transferred to Yokosuka Naval Base. Until the transfer of custody, a portion of the destroyer's crew stayed aboard I-400 and even ate with the Japanese sailors. Collie did not. He returned to his ship. Early morning on 2 September [Annotator's Note: 2 September 1945], Blue steamed into Tokyo Bay through Sagami Wan to witness the surrender. They had previously sailed through that location [Annotator's Note: Blue was one of nine ships in Destroyer Squadron 61 that raided Sagami Wan in July 1945]. The battleship Missouri [Annotator's Note: USS Missouri (BB-63)] was already in the Bay. Blue anchored about 1,000 feet astern of her. The surrender was broadcast to the fleet. Collie used his binoculars and could see the event. After the proceedings, 600 B-29s [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombers] and about 1,000 other Army, Marine and Navy carrier based aircraft flew over the Bay. It was a memorable black cloud of aircraft. The planes were armed because of the concern of the fanatical nature of the enemy and potential threat to the fleet. Collie was proud to be part of the end of the war. Not all the 16,000,000 military personnel were in combat, but Collie was. He, like his ship, was awarded seven battle stars. Six of the stars were for the Asiatic-Pacific campaigns and one for the Philippine Liberation.

Two days after the surrender [Annotator's Note: the formal Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945], C. Charles Collie and his ship [Annotator's Note: USS Blue (DD-744)] were ordered alongside the Missouri [Annotator's Note: USS Missouri (BB-63), the site of the surrender] to pick up a passenger. The destroyer had done a lot in the war. It provided antiaircraft fire, depth charge and torpedo attacks and even rescued 18 downed airmen. It also picked up one Jap [Annotator's Note: derogatory term for Japanese] pilot. The Blue also provided taxi service. Its passenger was a Marine lieutenant general. His name was Sutherland and he was MacArthur's chief of staff. [Annotator's Note: US Army Lieutenant General Richard K. Sutherland served under US Army General Douglas MacArthur.] He was brought to either Yokosuka or Yokohama. While at anchor for a few days, crewmen from Blue were granted liberty ashore. When the ship was tied up dockside, a few men at a time were allowed ashore. They took train trips up to Tokyo where there was considerable destruction. Nevertheless, the trains were all running. While ashore, Collie went into a warehouse and picked up two Japanese rifles and a helmet. He took those items home in his sea bag, along with his personal battle station helmet. He took note of the greater protection provided by the American helmet than that of the enemy. When he went ashore, it seemed normal to him. It was like being in any big city. The people went about their business with no interaction with the Americans. After being tied up for about a week, they departed. They could see the Japanese battleship Nagato and several other ships in the harbor. Before departing, the Blue loaded 80 passengers destined for Pearl Harbor. It was a big day. They were headed home. It was a bit crowded for the destroyer with its total complement of 336 and the 80 added passengers. They had to hot bunk [Annotator's Note: when one individual gets out of the bunk another gets in] to make everyone fit. Blue came back to the United States in mid September [Annotator's Note: September 1945]. The ship was brought to Bremerton shipyard for overhaul. Collie's radar was being upgraded so he had nothing to do. The shipyard took over the ship and officers were given accommodations ashore. Additionally, the crew was given a 30 day leave. Collie was sent to Seattle to have the ship's diary printed for officers and crew. It was a complete log of the history of Blue. He was also granted a 30 day leave to return home. After the overhaul, the ship steamed to San Diego and docked downtown at Broadway Pier. The ship next went to Pearl Harbor. It was due to go to the China station, but Collie lucked out and received his discharge while in route to Pearl. He avoided returning to China. He stayed in Pearl Harbor briefly and returned to the United States where he was discharged in May 1946 at Millington Airbase in Tennessee. He had started in the ROTC [Annotator's Note: Reserve Officer Training Corps] in September 1940 and was discharged in May 1946. He was separated as a lieutenant (j.g.) but reached the rank of lieutenant while in the reserves. He was in the reserves until 1952 by which time he had his own business, gotten married and had an infant son. That was after he had received orders to return to active duty on the Missouri in the Atlantic even though he had been a destroyer sailor in the Pacific. He went before a review board of high ranking officers in Washington to plead his case for not accepting the assignment. They agreed to cancel the orders provided he left the reserves. Collie opted to leave the reserves. [Annotator's Note: he chuckles.] Collie learned as a reserve officer that the Navy was operated by Academy men. The second commanding officer on the Blue was one of those Academy men who referred to the reserve officers as "passengers." [Annotator's Note: Collie previously mentioned his dislike for that officer.] Unlike the 90 day wonders who came out as ensigns after a brief training period, Collie had four years of ROTC courses prior to his commission. He had as much time in training as the Naval Academy men from Annapolis. Since Collie already had his college degree, he used his G.I. Bill benefits to take private flying lessons. Over the years, he owned four single engine and two twin engine airplanes. He did a lot of private flying accumulating over 2,000 hours in the air. None of those hours were commercial. He started his eldest son in an airplane when he was just a small boy. The son became a private pilot with his own airplane. He flies commercially and is an instructor with multiple certifications. The G.I. Bill was great. It allowed many veterans to attend college who otherwise would not have been able to afford it. Although he was under tremendous stress in combat, he adjusted readily to civilian life when he took off his uniform. He went back to work and did not think further about his wartime stresses.

C. Charles Collie remembers the typhoon of 18 and 19 December 1944 as being his most memorable experience in World War 2. Three destroyers were lost and many ships were severely damaged. The force was unimaginable. [Annotator's Note: Typhoon Cobra struck Task Force 38 resulting in significant damage to many ships and the loss of USS Hull (DD-350), USS Spence (DD-512) and USS Monaghan (DD-354). Collie's ship, the USS Blue (DD-744), had just taken fuel when they entered the storm. The full load of ballast and sea keeping aided in her survival.] Collie was in the pilothouse and saw the huge waves rolling over the top of the ship. A person had to hold on. Collie fought in World War 2 because the country was at war. He wanted a dry bed and good meals. He could get those on a ship as long as it stayed afloat. That was unlike being in the Army or Marines. He would be more comfortable on a ship. That was his reasoning for going into the Navy. World War 2 was the biggest thing to happen to him in his life. The realization that the enemy was trying to kill him was big for him. Hitler [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler] invaded Poland in 1939 while Collie was still in high school. Collie knew he would eventually be a participant in a war so when he entered college, he enrolled in Navy ROTC [Annotator's Note: Reserve Officer Training Corps] so he would end up in the Navy. Everything worked out well. His assignment was good, his ship was not sunk and he safely returned home. His service gave him a sense of pride. He has attended several ship reunions. Veterans included crewmen from World War 2, Korea and Vietnam. After Vietnam, the ship was sunk for target practice off California. There were no more survivors of the Blue at the last reunion Collie attended. He reckons that he is the last of the 18 plank owner commissioned officers from the Blue. The last two of the surviving officers besides Collie was a nice supply officer and an Academy man that Collie had trained in the CIC [Annotator's Note: Combat Information Center]. Now, they both have died. Collie finds that the legacy of World War 2 revolves around the "we're all in this together" philosophy. It was not only the military but civilians supporting them on the home front. The events are a big part of United States history. We won. It would be difficult to return home as a defeated soldier. People thank Collie for his service when they see his hat. [Annotator's Note: Collie becomes emotional.] The period was a great era in our country. He was proud to be a part of it. [Annotator's Note: Collie reviews his list of topics that includes a note about Blue's shakedown cruise in the Caribbean for a month and then transit through the Panama Canal. They joined the fast carrier task force in August 1944. They remained with the carriers throughout the remainder of the war except when briefly detached.] On 19 February [Annotator's Note: 1945], Blue performed shore bombardment on Iwo Jima. It bombarded shorelines in several instances. Blue operated with carriers at Palau, Guam, Tinian, Philippines, Formosa, South China Seas, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and Japan. Blue also rescued downed friendly and even a Japanese pilot. The lieutenant in charge of the boarding party for the Japanese submarine was named Rowan [Annotator's Note: no given name provided]. He had been aboard a cruiser that was sunk at Guadalcanal. He was in the hospital for eight months afterward. He walked to a limp. After recovering, he was assigned to a destroyer and it was sunk. Next, the officer was assigned to Blue and luckily she was not sunk.