The Astoria Maritime Museum...

[Captain O]

is going to accept my father's Boatswain's Whistle (manufactured ca. 1930) as a pre-WW2 US Naval artifact. His Underwater Demolition Team (Frogman)/Navy Rifle Team history will not die with me. He was also with Admiral Byrd during "Operation Highjump" in Antarctica (1946-1947). As well as his WW2 and Korean War service.

I have tears of pride welling up in my eyes as I write this. Navy pride runs deep in my family.

Anchors Aweigh!

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[Ramjet12]

Wow! That's fantastic news. I remember when they built that museum in the 70's but I've never been inside. I must go.

 

[notazombie]

Proud news. Thanks for sharing it with the museum.

 

[Hop Sing]

Excellent - thanks for sharing the news. A wonderful museum!

 

[ZigZagZeke]

is going to accept my father's Boatswain's Whistle (manufactured c. 1930) as a pre-WW2 US Naval artifact. His Underwater Demolition Team (Frogman)/Navy Rifle Team history will not die with me. He was also with Admiral Byrd during "Operation Highjump" in Antarctica (1946-1947). As well as his WW2 and Korean War service.

I have tears of pride welling up in my eyes as I write this. Navy pride runs deep in my family.

Anchors Aweigh!

I have US Navy veteran's plates on all my vehicles.

 

[Kruel J]

Very nice, Captain!

 

[EPS]

Awsom in the old day's they called them frogmen now they call them seals but even to this day seals still get tattoos that say frogman

 

[AirResq]

Very cool, Captain!

 

[Captain O]

Awsom in the old day's they called them frogmen now they call them seals but even to this day seals still get tattoos that say frogman

Father never did tattoo his body. His reasons for this were,

1. During WW2 (especially today) tattoos can be traced to their point of origin by enemy intelligence, and
2. Dad didn't want to mark up his body.

These reasons made perfect sense to me.

Once upon a time, his buddies asked him to go into downtown San Diego and they would all get tattooed. Dad refused. They taunted him saying that he was "afraid of the pain". To this, dad told them that he wasn't afraid of the pain, but he simply didn't want to mark up his body. To prove his point, he sat in the tattoo artist's chair and had him run the empty needle up and down his arm and watched the blood run. Dad then turned to his buddies and said, "see, I'm not afraid of the needle, I just don't want to mark up my body."

It worked for me.

 

[Mikej]

Navy Dad here too Captain O. He was on the Destroyer USS Terry near the end of WWII.

 

[GOG]

It's a wonderful tribute.

 

[Captain O]

It's a wonderful tribute.

When you're the sole surviving relative of a WW2/Korean War hero and an Antarctic explorer, It seems to me to be the only thing I can do.

His memory doesn't belong to me alone but to every red-blooded American.

 

[JO JO]

fair winds and following seas !

 

[Oregonhunter5]

When you're the sole surviving relative of a WW2/Korean War hero and an Antarctic explorer, It seems to me to be the only thing I can do.

His memory doesn't belong to me alone but to every red-blooded American.

And so we should stand for the flag....

 

[cigars]

I love that museum. That's a wonderful contribution you are making!

 

[TeacherSmurf]

I love that museum. That's a wonderful contribution you are making!

I'm so glad he is being honored and that you will be able to be there.

If you have a chance, take some time to wonder through the museum. Years ago, when I volunteered there, I was told that it was one of the top five maritime museums in the US and one of the top ten in the world. I have very fond memories of reading the gallery research binders of the artifacts in each gallery. Also the local Amateur Radio Club has the ability to "work the radios" of the Lightship Columbia.

 

[cigars]

I'm so glad he is being honored and that you will be able to be there.

If you have a chance, take some time to wonder through the museum. Years ago, when I volunteered there, I was told that it was one of the top five maritime museums in the US and one of the top ten in the world. I have very fond memories of reading the gallery research binders of the artifacts in each gallery. Also the local Amateur Radio Club has the ability to "work the radios" of the Lightship Columbia.

I'm a ham operator. It would be cool to operate some of that equipment. My neighbor who is a Coastie helped on the search and rescue display a while back. My brother is also an old Coastie.
Great museum.

 

[TeacherSmurf]

I'm a ham operator. It would be cool to operate some of that equipment. My neighbor who is a Coastie helped on the search and rescue display a while back. My brother is also an old Coastie.
Great museum.

Contact the local club. It has a web page with <broken link removed> for getting to work the ship.

 

[Captain O]

fair winds and following seas!

Thank you. That old saying brings back memories from my days at USNAS Whidbey Island, (Ault Field).

 

[pdempsey1097]

I've been looking for a good reason to visit that museum as well.
Your Dad's legacy seems to be a pretty awesome one.
Thanks for sharing.