Marvin Calvin Westcott was born 15 July 1923 in San Francisco, California and grew up there. He had two older brothers. They fought constantly. His father was in the Rainbow Division in World War One. His mother was a registered nurse. His father worked as a hospital orderly, a painter, and as a furniture refinisher with the railroad company during the Depression. Times were tough and there was no food at times. His mother went to the city mayor to request food on one occasion when her husband was unemployed. A big truck delivered food the next day [Annotator’s Note: Westcott laughs]. People looked down on citizens who were on relief so the boys ran away when the truck made its delivery. Westcott’s father acquired a job. The boys helped with paper routes and other jobs to aid with the finances. The family of five lived in a three room rental. Westcott attended public school near his home until his mother placed her sons in a Lutheran school. They could not attend the church because their clothes were not in keeping with others in the congregation. His mother managed to pay what she could for their early education [Annotator’s Note: Westcott is emotional at the memory.]. Westcott attended public high school until December 1940 when he joined the Navy. High school had not interested him. He entered the service on 2 January 1941 when he was just over 17 years of age. He was part of the “kiddies crew” as the younger recruits were tabbed.

Marvin Westcott chose the Navy because San Francisco was a Navy town. Additionally, his father had taken his boys to visit a battleship and an aircraft carrier on a Navy Day. The experience interested Westcott. His father preferred for his boys to enter the Navy rather than the Army. His father gave his permission for Westcott to join the Navy since he was only 17 years of age. Boot camp was 16 weeks in San Diego. Afterward, he had 16 weeks of radio school. He planned to use the radio operator training in the Merchant Marine in later years. Westcott loved the Navy experience. He had an income and his own clothes. After boot camp, he had a 30 day leave to return home. He felt on top of the world with his military education and uniform. Westcott had departed Pearl Harbor aboard the USS Balch (DD-363) the last week of November 1941 on a secret mission. Balch was the flagship of the commander Destroyer Squadron 6. The ship was 200 miles from Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attack occurred on 7 December 1941. The squadron’s secret mission had involved landing airplanes on Midway. There was disbelief about the attack aboard the Balch until detailed damage reports from the harbor came into them. Balch arrived in Pearl Harbor the next morning.

Marvin Westcott describes his experiences and observations of the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He arrived in the harbor on the day after the attack [Annotator’s Note: 8 December 1941] following the completion of a secret mission to deliver aircraft to Midway. He only learned of the Midway mission details after the war. Balch left Pearl Harbor quickly after replenishment. Westcott was aboard the USS Balch (DD-363). He had been assigned to her in San Pedro, California after his training. He loved being on the ocean particularly when seas were rough. Prior to the attack, the ship’s complement was about 200 but during the war that would increase to 300 assigned. Westcott could smell the Hawaiian flowers at sea when he was a day and a half out from the islands. He was not the radioman onboard but opted to take a signalman post on the bridge. He was next to the Captain and his officers and therefore in the know with all that happened. He saw the sunken ships when he entered Pearl Harbor. Fires were everywhere. Balch pulled in to 1010 Dock behind a sunken minelayer. After refueling and taking on supplies, the destroyer left on reconnaissance around the Hawaiian Islands. She was attached to the USS Enterprise (CV-6) task force as the lead sonar destroyer in search of submarines. Balch’s new sonar equipment had just been installed at Mare Island. Westcott was 18 years old. The Chief Signalman onboard the ship was one of the best in the Navy. The Chief later became director of the Port of San Diego. He taught Westcott how to lead men. The ship’s officers left the men under him alone. The efficient speed of the signal crew on Balch made Admiral Halsey [Annotator’s Note: Admiral William F. Halsey] on the Enterprise mad. Balch communicated course and speed changes before Enterprise could fully deploy their signal flags up their large mast. Balch was attached to the Enterprise task force for a year and a half. Her inability to elevate her 5”/38 caliber guns vertically to fire on attacking Japanese aircraft resulted in her being excluded from escort duty.

Marvin Westcott was aboard the USS Balch (DD-363) while she earned nine battle stars supporting the USS Enterprise (CV-6). The destroyer performed escort duty for the aircraft carrier for a year and a half. The crew of the Enterprise loved the Balch. The destroyer operated against enemy submarines to protect the carrier. During the Battle of Midway, Enterprise detached Balch to assist the USS Yorktown (CV-5) which was hit by bombs and torpedoes and lay dead in the water. Balch volunteered to assist Yorktown with temporary power but another destroyer, USS Hammann (DD-412), was given the assignment to layup along the side of the disabled carrier. Four or five destroyers were ordered to screen 2000 yards out from Yorktown to protect against submarine attack while Hammann provided power and a tug from Pearl Harbor attempted a tow for the big ship. A Japanese submarine, I-168, fired a spread of four torpedoes which Westcott observed headed to the injured capital ship. Two hit the carrier and one sunk the Hammann. One torpedo came close to Balch but missed. The Balch thereupon obtained contact with the enemy submarine and a series of depth charge runs ensued. The submarine evaded the destroyers and surfaced some miles away. The American destroyers pursued their enemy and fired upon the sub. The commander of I-168 later said that a leak developed in a torpedo tube. Westcott feels that was the result of the destroyers dropping depth charges near the enemy boat. The Yorktown sunk the next morning. Balch retrieved survivors including the Captain of Hammann. The skipper of the Yorktown was also onboard Balch. Hammann had been hit so quickly that she was all open [Annotator’s Note: she was not in watertight configuration] and her depth charges which had not been put on safe exploded as she sunk.

Marvin Westcott was aboard the USS Balch (DD-363) while she performed escort duty for the aircraft USS Enterprise (CV-6). They participated in the bombing raid on Tokyo in April 1942 with the Enterprise and the USS Hornet (CV-8). The sailors were happy to be striking back at the Japanese. The destroyers lacked fuel capacity to reach the launch point for the bombers. They escorted the carriers a portion of the way to and from that location. They returned to Pearl Harbor afterward and conditions there were still sickening. A few months later, they hit Guadalcanal. The destroyer had also participated in the first series of offenses against the Japanese when they raided the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. Enemy surface vessels fired on the Americans during that time. A ship commander countered a superior’s order when he was fired upon and immediately fired back prior to the superior opening fire first as he had dictated. Reports no doubt went to Nimitz [Annotator’s Note: Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz] because that superior officer never got another ship afterward.

Marvin Westcott was aboard the USS Balch (DD-363) while she performed escort duty for the aircraft USS Enterprise (CV-6). They participated in the Battle of Guadalcanal. The Enterprise provided initial air support during the battle. Shortly thereafter, Balch was detached from Enterprise and assigned to the surface fleet because of Balch’s inability to sufficiently elevate her main guns to provide anti-aircraft support for the carrier. Balch patrolled the Slot with a group of destroyers. They were up against larger enemy vessels but Westcott’s faith gave him peace that he would fare well. That enabled him to sleep below while others less comfortable slept on deck. The Japanese fleet withdrew. It was a miracle. After Guadalcanal, Balch went to Alaska.

Marvin Westcott spent time aboard the USS Balch (DD-363) fighting the Japanese invasion of Alaska. There was no fleet action against the enemy because they had withdrawn. After Alaska, the destroyer returned to Pearl Harbor for the first time in over two years [Annotators’ Note: the Balch had been in Pearl Harbor the day after the surprise Japanese attack on 7 December 1941.]. That ended Westcott’s combat experience. Westcott realized when he reentered Pearl Harbor that the fleet was fortunate to have not lost the harbor oil supplies and reserves during the attack. If they had been destroyed, the fleet would have been forced to return to the West Coast to get fuel. The Japanese did not bomb the oil tanks because to resultant heavy, black smoke would have shielded the battleships from their attacks. Westcott heard about the two atomic bombs while he was assigned to a beach battalion that was going to land as the third wave at Sasebo in southern Japan. The atomic bombs precluded the Allied armed invasion and resulted in the end of the war. Westcott went to Sasebo to be part of the occupation forces. Westcott decided to remain in the Navy. He had a 26 year career before his retirement. The Navy had been a good life for him. It freed him from being a child of the Depression. The Navy in the interwar years had not been alert enough to strategically plan for the next war. It would become a carrier war but the American sea admirals planned surface combat with battleships. While remaining with the Navy, Westcott went from Signalman to Quartermaster in navigation. He missed the camaraderie of the wartime Navy. He did participate in the Korean War. He would serve in multiple bases and theaters and eventually retire in 1969 as a Senior Chief Quartermaster.

Marvin Westcott loved his time in the United States Navy. It taught him a lot. He eventually married. The history of World War Two is being forgotten today. The school system does not do a good job today because of the union influences. Charter schools are better. World War Two made Westcott more considerate of those around him.