Helping my grandfather clean out one of his drawers, we came across almost 2 dozen pictures he personally took during WW2. He was in the Pacific, Okinawa to be exact. He was one of the first crews into Hiroshima after the bomb fell.
Long story short we took the photos to get cleaned up (At Costco nonetheless), and are busy getting digital copies.
The only one I have so far is this one. My grandfather is the photographer. This is one of the first crews to go into Hiroshima after the bomb fell.
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3940/14925248853_8cba119b35_o.jpg)
Will throw up the rest in the coming weeks. Taking awhile to get the pictures fixed. Amazed they lasted this long. Great condition!
Now THAT is cool. Pravo sir.
Very interesting! What ship was he assigned to?
Quote from: BridgeTroll on October 16, 2014, 06:55:49 AM
Very interesting! What ship was he assigned to?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Gainard_(DD-706)
Interesting indeed.
On another note, and even as interesting: Costco's ability to restore 1940's original photos!
Nice work Ben! Tahnks for sharing these with us!
Quote from: ben says on October 16, 2014, 09:30:58 AM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on October 16, 2014, 06:55:49 AM
Very interesting! What ship was he assigned to?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Gainard_(DD-706)
Interesting indeed.
On another note, and even as interesting: Costco's ability to restore 1940's original photos!
Wow... USS Gainard served until 1971. A very decorated ship...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Gainard_(DD-706) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Gainard_(DD-706))
Awesome find, thanks for sharing Ben.
Can't wait to see the rest.
Thanks +10000 for sharing Ben, I'm looking forward to seeing more. Here's one of mine.
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5607/15550827065_a7a0de40a8_z.jpg)
USS Pasadena CL-65 protecting and aiding the USS Bunker Hill after it was hit by kamikaze's.
I wonder how many of us actually know where our fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers were in WWII? The ships? The Units? The locations? As a baby boomer I was born a bit closer to the events. My dad was on BB-31 USS-Utah until just a day before Pearl Harbor, then the CL-65 USS Pasadena for the duration. Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, Okinawa... Who knows Ben, maybe they knew each other?
During her first month and a half with the fleet the Pasadena supported the carriers during a series of raids on Luzon and Formosa.
In mid-January the Pasadena took part in a raid into the South China Sea, protecting the carriers during a series of attacks on targets on the Indo-China coast and on Formosa.
By February the fleet had swapped from its Third Fleet identity to its Fifth Fleet one, and TF 38 became TF 58. The Pasadena was with this force for attacks on the Japanese home islands. During the invasion of Iwo Jima she acted as part of the support group and also took part in the shore bombardment.
In mid-March the Pasadena set sail at the start of her longest continuous period at sea - a total of 80 days covering the invasion of Okinawa. During this period she was the flagship of CruDiv 17. The fleet sailed in mid-March and hit the northern Ryukyus and the southern Home Islands. She helped protect the carriers and also took part in night gun bombardments of Minami Daito (28 March and again on 10 May), as well as supporting the troops on Okinawa.
Her last war sortie began in early July. The fleet attacked targets in northern Honshu, Hokkaido and around Tokyo, in preparation for the planned invasion of the Home Island. The Japanese surrendered on 15 August, ending the need for that campaign.
On 23 August the Pasadena became the flagship of TG 35.1. Four days later she reached Sagami Bay, outside Tokyo Bay and on 1 September she moved into Tokyo Bay. On 2 September she was thus part of the fleet that witnessed the official Japanese surrender. She then joined the occupation forces, and was based in Tokyo Bay until mid-January 1946.
Thanks for sharing the pic. I can only imagine the others.
My dad was on the Pasadena during WW2. He told me about this many times, the way it burned and burned.
Quote from: Ocklawaha on October 16, 2014, 02:11:17 PM
Thanks +10000 for sharing Ben, I'm looking forward to seeing more. Here's one of mine.
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5607/15550827065_a7a0de40a8_z.jpg)
USS Pasadena CL-65 protecting and aiding the USS Bunker Hill after it was hit by kamikaze's.
I wonder how many of us actually know where our fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers were in WWII? The ships? The Units? The locations? As a baby boomer I was born a bit closer to the events. My dad was on BB-31 USS-Utah until just a day before Pearl Harbor, then the CL-65 USS Pasadena for the duration. Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, Okinawa... Who knows Ben, maybe they knew each other?
During her first month and a half with the fleet the Pasadena supported the carriers during a series of raids on Luzon and Formosa.
In mid-January the Pasadena took part in a raid into the South China Sea, protecting the carriers during a series of attacks on targets on the Indo-China coast and on Formosa.
By February the fleet had swapped from its Third Fleet identity to its Fifth Fleet one, and TF 38 became TF 58. The Pasadena was with this force for attacks on the Japanese home islands. During the invasion of Iwo Jima she acted as part of the support group and also took part in the shore bombardment.
In mid-March the Pasadena set sail at the start of her longest continuous period at sea - a total of 80 days covering the invasion of Okinawa. During this period she was the flagship of CruDiv 17. The fleet sailed in mid-March and hit the northern Ryukyus and the southern Home Islands. She helped protect the carriers and also took part in night gun bombardments of Minami Daito (28 March and again on 10 May), as well as supporting the troops on Okinawa.
Her last war sortie began in early July. The fleet attacked targets in northern Honshu, Hokkaido and around Tokyo, in preparation for the planned invasion of the Home Island. The Japanese surrendered on 15 August, ending the need for that campaign.
On 23 August the Pasadena became the flagship of TG 35.1. Four days later she reached Sagami Bay, outside Tokyo Bay and on 1 September she moved into Tokyo Bay. On 2 September she was thus part of the fleet that witnessed the official Japanese surrender. She then joined the occupation forces, and was based in Tokyo Bay until mid-January 1946.