Put a lil Spycè in your life!
Put a lil Spycè in your life!
Welcome.
We have a variety of Navy resources and information here. This page is dedicated to my dad. (For other branches of the military, Click here.)
I plan to keep adding more resources for all military veterans and those interested in such.
Note: All external links will open in a separate browser window.
I have a tribute page at Military.com. They have a lot of resources and information there!
Here's a new place to connect with other veterans - VetServer. It's free to register!
I'd appreciate it if you would use my referrer ID# 5454393746. Thanks!
My dad was a veteran of WWII in the Navy (from Nov 1942 to January 1946). He served on the USS Forrest DD461/DMS-24.
Returning to Boston for brief overhaul 3 December 1943, Forrest spent the months of January and February 1944 training pre
commissioning crews for new destroyers, and escorting the new Hornet (CV-12) during her shakedown training off Bermuda.
Between 7 March and 2 April, she patrolled the Atlantic with the hunter-killer group headed by Guadalcanal (CVE-60).
Forrest sailed from Norfolk 20 April for Northern Ireland, and took up escort duties around the British Isles as men and ships
were concentrated for the Normandy invasion. When bad weather postponed the landings, originally intended for 5 June,
Forrest was sent out on 4 June to recall convoys which had already sailed, bound for Utah Beach. During the actual invasion of
6 June, she screened transports Iying in the Baie de la Seine, and on 12, 16, and 17 June, she bombarded shore targets to aid
the troops advancing ashore. After escorting battleships to Plymouth, England, 18 June, Forrest returned to the assault area 21
June to cover sweeping operations off the Cotentin Peninsula. She engaged shore batteries on 22 and 24 June, returning to
Portland, England, the next day.
Four days later Forrest got underway for Belfast, Oran, and Taranto, from which she sailed 11 August 1944 for the invasion of
southern France, arriving in the inner fire support area off St. Tropez 15 August. For the next 2 months, she escorted convoys
from Palermo, Naples, Ajaccio, and Oran to the southern coast of France, guarding the men and supplies which made the push
northward possible. She returned to Norfolk 8 November for conversion to a highspeed minesweeper.
Forrest trained in Chesapeake Bay for Pacific duty, for which she sailed 17 January 1945, calling at San Diego and Pearl
Harbor for further training and arriving Ulithi 9 March 1945.
Ten days later she sortied for minesweeping operations to clear Okinawa waters for the assault on 1 April, after which she served in patrol,
screened smaller minesweepers, performed local escort missions, and carried out the usual multiplicity of destroyer assignments in the usual seamanlike way of the versatile
destroyer. Several times she assisted ships stricken by kamikaze attacks, and on 27 May her own turn came.
Three enemy aircraft were sighted, two of which she downed. The third, however, crashed her starboard side at the waterline, killing 5 and
wounding 13 of her men. As damage control and fire fighting measures were being taken she headed for Kerama Retto and
repairs.
Forrest sailed from Okinawa 25 June 1945 for the east coast, reaching Boston 6 August 1945. There she was decommissioned
30 November 1945, and sold 20 November 1946.
Forrest received six battle stars for World War service.
After training in Casco Bay, Maine, she joined the Ranger group for patrol duty out of Argentia, Newfoundland, between 17 May and 24 July 1943,
then replenished at Boston for the crossing to Scapa Flow Orkney Islands. From this base of the British Home Fleet, the Ranger group patrolled in
search of German naval forces, and on 4 October struck with great success at the shipping and shore installations at Bodo,
Norway. In October she sailed south to join the escort for a British carrier returning from the Mediterranean to Scapa Flow,
and in November sortied in a combined task force to patrol the northwest coast of Norway covering the passage of a convoy
to Russia.
For more details about the Forrest, Click Here!
Before his death on August 25, 1997 - he wanted us to try to find a ship's book for him. We tried but did not locate one. I'm still looking in case any of you has any suggestions!!
Please email me if you do (or if you just want to write! *smile*)
Well, how nice! This site has received an award!
My dad was NOT a Navy Seal - but I like the gif! *grin*
Calm Waters to you!
My dad was an electrician - loyal UNION member of IBEW local #10 - so I'm gonna try to find some of those sites too.
