Swim Call! 75 years ago
“USS Halford (DD-480). Men swimming from the ship, in the South Pacific, 8 May 1944.”
(NHHC: 80-G-256443)
A Fletcher-class destroyer, Halford was built by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and commissioned on 10 April 1943. Sailing straight for Guadalcanal, she was in the thick of the Pacific War and from Dec. 1943 to Sept 1945– just 22 months, she earned an impressive 13 battle stars. Decommissioned 15 May 1946, she went into mothballs at the ripe old age of three and was scrapped in 1970.
Thank you so much for that post! It brought back memories of my father telling me about serving on a Fletcher — USS BELL, DD-587 — in the West Pacific. He mentioned swim call and how a sailor with a rifle stood guard in case of sharks.
He also talked about the ship chasing rain squalls. Everyone who was off duty would race to the weather desks with soap for the luxury of a fresh water shower. They had to hurry, though, or the ship would pass out of the squall before they rinsed off!
Reblogged this on DAVEBOOK.