Archive for July 2022
Attending The 2022 USS Franklin Reunion
Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a reunion of crewmembers and their families of the USS Franklin. The three-day reunion was held in Fredericksburg, TX at the Museum of the Pacific War and at the Inn on Barons Creek. There were two of the three surviving crew members present and 30 to…
Read MoreUSS Franklin Timeline
The USS Franklin (CV-13) played a key role in the operations of Task Force 58 during the march across the Central Pacific. If ever there was a gallant ship, she was one. Here is a timeline, courtesy of the book, “USS Franklin (CV-13) Original Documents 1943-1946.” pp. 76-77 (Courtesy of Don Price) 7-Dec-42 Keel laid…
Read MoreNavigator Stephen Jurika
One of the most fascinating people involved in the events onboard the USS Franklin was Stephen Jurika. Born in California, his family moved to the Philippines during his childhood. He grew up speaking several languages including Japanese, and after graduating from the US Naval Academy in 1933, served on board several cruisers before entering the…
Read MoreWho Says Admirals Don’t Have A Sense of Humor?
I’ve been immersing myself in “all things Task Force 58,” which means reading books such as “The Fast Carriers: The Forging of An Air Navy,” and “Task Force 58: The US Navy’s Fast Carrier Strike Force That Won The war in the Pacific.” Both are extremely informative and have been very useful in teaching me…
Read More15 Facebook Groups I Use For Research
When I was in high school, my English teachers taught me to use the library’s card catalog, the Dewey Decimal System, and 3X5 cards as tools in my research. (Pause here to fondly recall the A- I received on my paper about George Armstrong Custer.) Nowadays, I use tools such as Google Scholar, Zotero, and…
Read MoreMy Three Phases of Research
At my Toastmasters meeting yesterday, a fellow member asked me when my book would be ready. I told him it would be a while as I was still early in my research phase. It occurs to me that you might be interested in my research plan. PHASE ONE: SECONDARY SOURCES My research will consist of…
Read MoreDid This City Skip Celebrating The Fourth of July?
Today is July 4th, known as Independence Day in the US. From coast to coast there will be fireworks, family get-togethers, and parades. But it wasn’t always that way. There was one city that some say did not celebrate Independence Day for more than 80 years following the Civil War. During that war, control of…
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