I think I have said before that Thanksgiving has become my favorite
holiday. I’m glad we celebrate this holiday at this time of year. Given
the rhythm of the seasons it is natural to take this time to reflect on
the blessings of life God so generously provides to us. So, to close out
the month I am going to relate what we have been doing recently by
giving thanks.
Obviously I am most thankful for my family. In the
midst of all the busy hubbub of life we have been able to find time to
be together. Jenna can pop in quite easily and even spent the entire
week of Thanksgiving at home. We’ve been able to go do things together
and enjoy each other’s company.
We took a quick trip to Georgia
the weekend before Thanksgiving, and I am thankful for our family there
too. Cameron was away at school, but we always have fun when “the
Eatin’est Bunch,” as Pauline called us, gets together. This time was no
different. This visit was typical of most. We stayed at their house,
played games, talked, and laughed. We did, however, go out to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Speaking
of family, I am thankful we could gather at Mom’s house for our
Thanksgiving meal. Once again, Vicki and Jenna loaded the table with
good things to eat. This year we invited my cousin, Emaly, to share the
meal with us. Emaly added so much fun to the day as we visited.
I
am thankful my kids have the opportunity to go to the schools they do.
Jenna is winding up a great first semester at Trevecca and has developed
some special friendships. The boys, too, are doing the same. Ben has a
group of friends that celebrate birthdays together or just come up with
fun things to do like ice skating. He is also at the beginning of
another season of basketball which promises to be exciting to watch. And
Nate had a lot of fun spending the night with friends last week. Each
of my children are spreading their wings and living life to the full,
and I am thankful.
I am thankful for the country in which I live
and the people who sacrificed to give us what we have. The last time I
wrote was about Jessie’s service in World War II, but we were
graphically reminded of this when we went to see Hacksaw Ridge last week.
I
am so grateful to enjoy good health. For example, now that I am 50 the
doctor prescribed a colonoscopy just to check things out. The report
that my plumbing is good and to come back in 10 years was music to my
ears.
Most of all, I am so thankful to share life with Vicki. It
takes a special woman to put up with me, and I don’t know that I’m broke
in after 22 years of marriage. I’m glad she’ll have me because the time
I spend with her, whether its here at home doing the mundane things of
life or going out to enjoy a quiet meal together at Los Agaves (our
favorite restaurant), is what makes life sweet and good.
I could
go on and on, but I think I have made my point. Thanksgiving 2016 may
have come and gone, but the special things in life that God has given me
is not lost. I am humbly thankful.
Joe
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Friday, November 11, 2016
Honoring a War Hero
I’d like to take this edition of our newsletter to share the story of my
father-in-law’s service in World War II. Jessie was born in 1917, the
same year as my dad. He passed away in 1988, about three years before I
met Vicki, so I never got the opportunity to meet him or hear his story.
From what Vicki, Will, and Pauline have all said Jessie was like most
World War II veterans in that he kept his war story to himself most of
the time. When Vicki first told me about her father, the basic details
she knew from his service to our country was that he served in the Navy,
was involved in a battle at sea, got burned, and was awarded two Purple
Hearts.
We don’t have any individual service records for Jessie, nor have we met anyone who sailed with him during the war. What I do have is courtesy of my friend Doug whom we met for lunch in San Francisco when we were on vacation. Jessie came up in our conversation and after we parted company Doug took the time to do some online research on sites like www.fold3.com. I am going to compile what he shared with me into a short narrative to honor him this Veteran’s Day.
Jessie served aboard the USS Long from October 4, 1943, until she sank on January 6, 1945. Well, there was a brief stint on the USS Dobbin from March 6 to April 11, 1944, but we don’t know why he was there.
The Long was a Clemson-class destroyer. Her keel was laid just after Jessie’s first birthday (1918) and she was launched by April 1919. She was 314 feet long, almost 32 feet wide, and could make 35 knots. During World War II she was assigned to the Pacific where she had escort duty and then became attached to a minesweeping unit. By October 1944 the Long was in the Leyte Gulf to support the invasion there. Afterwards she joined a convoy to Manus where she received repairs. The ship’s diary that I have skimmed through notes several tense encounters with the enemy at this time.
A couple of days before Christmas, the Long was again part of a minesweeping unit steaming for the Lingayen Gulf at Luzon. They were to clear the gulf of mines ahead of the Luzon Invasion. The force arrived on January 2 and began minesweeping operations. They encountered frequent air raids from the Japanese.
The Long and her group were fully in the Lingayen Gulf on January 6 when a couple of Zekes (a Japanese fighter plane also known as the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero”) began an attack run. One of the Zekes skimming low over the water at an estimated 300 mph made a kamikaze attack, crashing into the port side of the Long below the bridge and about one foot above the waterline. The plane entered the ship leaving a hole about five feet in diameter. A fire broke out and ammunition began to explode. As a result the ship lost power and the forward section lost the ability to fight the fires. Shipboard communication was also down.
The ship’s commander, inspecting damage in the forecastle, dropped anchor and then gave the men in that compartment permission to leave the ship because he feared an explosion there. This order became misconstrued as a general order to abandon ship. All surviving sailors were picked up by the USS Hovey, another Clemson-class destroyer that was part of the minesweeping operation and standing by to give assistance. The Hovey could not come alongside the Long due to the fires so she spent about an hour picking up the 149 survivors.
This would have been the time Jessie would have first abandoned ship. The report Doug found lists Jessie’s wounds as second degree burns to both hands as well as the left arm and forearm. We do not know if he abandoned ship on the misunderstood order from the commander or if he had to jump to the safety of the water earlier due to the fire. Most likely it was the former case, but either way he was among the wounded who were picked up by the Hovey and treated. Enemy activity was intense the rest of the day.
The Long’s commander attempted to mount a salvage operation as the ship was in good enough condition with one of three boilers still intact to sail away under her own power. However, enemy activity prevented this plan from happening and by 5:30 that afternoon a second Zeke on a kamikaze attack struck the Long in the same spot causing more damage. By morning she had capsized and sank.
The enemy attacks dropped off at night only to return at daybreak the next morning. At 4:50 two planes were spotted. Five minutes later one of those planes was hit by fire from another ship and crashed into the Hovey. At the same instant the Hovey was struck by a torpedo launched from an enemy plane, hitting the engine room. The damage was so severe that she sank within two minutes. Forty-eight sailors perished, half of which were rescued from the Long and another ship. The USS Chandler and USS West Virginia picked up 229 survivors. We don’t know which ship picked up Jessie, but he was transferred to the USS California which took him back here to the States for treatment and recovery.
So, there’s the story of how my father-in-law, Seaman First Class William Jessie Jones, had to abandon ship twice within 24 hours. Had things been a little different that day my family would not consist of the people it does today.
Doug, on behalf of Vicki and I, our kids, as well as Will and his family, thank you for taking an interest and digging into Jessie’s story. You were the catalyst that jumpstarted the process for me.
Joe
We don’t have any individual service records for Jessie, nor have we met anyone who sailed with him during the war. What I do have is courtesy of my friend Doug whom we met for lunch in San Francisco when we were on vacation. Jessie came up in our conversation and after we parted company Doug took the time to do some online research on sites like www.fold3.com. I am going to compile what he shared with me into a short narrative to honor him this Veteran’s Day.
Jessie served aboard the USS Long from October 4, 1943, until she sank on January 6, 1945. Well, there was a brief stint on the USS Dobbin from March 6 to April 11, 1944, but we don’t know why he was there.
The Long was a Clemson-class destroyer. Her keel was laid just after Jessie’s first birthday (1918) and she was launched by April 1919. She was 314 feet long, almost 32 feet wide, and could make 35 knots. During World War II she was assigned to the Pacific where she had escort duty and then became attached to a minesweeping unit. By October 1944 the Long was in the Leyte Gulf to support the invasion there. Afterwards she joined a convoy to Manus where she received repairs. The ship’s diary that I have skimmed through notes several tense encounters with the enemy at this time.
A couple of days before Christmas, the Long was again part of a minesweeping unit steaming for the Lingayen Gulf at Luzon. They were to clear the gulf of mines ahead of the Luzon Invasion. The force arrived on January 2 and began minesweeping operations. They encountered frequent air raids from the Japanese.
The Long and her group were fully in the Lingayen Gulf on January 6 when a couple of Zekes (a Japanese fighter plane also known as the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero”) began an attack run. One of the Zekes skimming low over the water at an estimated 300 mph made a kamikaze attack, crashing into the port side of the Long below the bridge and about one foot above the waterline. The plane entered the ship leaving a hole about five feet in diameter. A fire broke out and ammunition began to explode. As a result the ship lost power and the forward section lost the ability to fight the fires. Shipboard communication was also down.
The ship’s commander, inspecting damage in the forecastle, dropped anchor and then gave the men in that compartment permission to leave the ship because he feared an explosion there. This order became misconstrued as a general order to abandon ship. All surviving sailors were picked up by the USS Hovey, another Clemson-class destroyer that was part of the minesweeping operation and standing by to give assistance. The Hovey could not come alongside the Long due to the fires so she spent about an hour picking up the 149 survivors.
This would have been the time Jessie would have first abandoned ship. The report Doug found lists Jessie’s wounds as second degree burns to both hands as well as the left arm and forearm. We do not know if he abandoned ship on the misunderstood order from the commander or if he had to jump to the safety of the water earlier due to the fire. Most likely it was the former case, but either way he was among the wounded who were picked up by the Hovey and treated. Enemy activity was intense the rest of the day.
The Long’s commander attempted to mount a salvage operation as the ship was in good enough condition with one of three boilers still intact to sail away under her own power. However, enemy activity prevented this plan from happening and by 5:30 that afternoon a second Zeke on a kamikaze attack struck the Long in the same spot causing more damage. By morning she had capsized and sank.
The enemy attacks dropped off at night only to return at daybreak the next morning. At 4:50 two planes were spotted. Five minutes later one of those planes was hit by fire from another ship and crashed into the Hovey. At the same instant the Hovey was struck by a torpedo launched from an enemy plane, hitting the engine room. The damage was so severe that she sank within two minutes. Forty-eight sailors perished, half of which were rescued from the Long and another ship. The USS Chandler and USS West Virginia picked up 229 survivors. We don’t know which ship picked up Jessie, but he was transferred to the USS California which took him back here to the States for treatment and recovery.
So, there’s the story of how my father-in-law, Seaman First Class William Jessie Jones, had to abandon ship twice within 24 hours. Had things been a little different that day my family would not consist of the people it does today.
Doug, on behalf of Vicki and I, our kids, as well as Will and his family, thank you for taking an interest and digging into Jessie’s story. You were the catalyst that jumpstarted the process for me.
Joe
Monday, November 7, 2016
After the Harvest
I have thoroughly enjoyed driving around the last couple of weeks. Not
only because the leaves are turning, but also because the fields are
squared away for the winter and all the farms have that “cleaned off”
look in preparation for a winter’s rest. The corn stubble has been mowed
down and wheat sown, and the soybean fields are bare and smooth and
waiting for corn to be planted next spring. Even though I have no crops
of my own, this time of year always gives me a sense of completion.
ODE TO THE SWING SET
It was a bit of a sad moment to watch our old swing set leave the back yard week before last. We gave it to a neighbor for their kids to play on. It was time. Our kids stopped playing on it years ago and it was beginning to fall into disrepair, and there was no reason for me to keep it up until grandkids come along. It served us well, and our kids have a lot of happy memories playing on it.
That swing set was the first construction project I had tackled since high school. We purchased the Swing-n-Slide kit from 84 Lumber and they delivered all the lumber and hardware to the house. I worked really hard to have it ready for either Jenna’s second or third birthday party. I was able to get the tower and slide done in time, but not the swings. I remember having to bore a lot of large holes—something like four or five dozen—in the 4x4 posts and 2x8 rails for all the bolts that held it together. As I recall, I burned up the motor in my corded drill and the cordless drill I had at the time was so puny I could only drill 3-4 holes on a single charge of the battery. I think I finally borrowed a drill from Mr. Jimmie to finish up.
There’s no telling where the kids’ imaginations took them while sitting in the elevated “tree house” part of the swing set. I can only tell what I have observed in the last year or so as our cat, Fluffy, has been the only one to sit up there. Sometimes I would catch her using the slide to come down when I came out to get on the bus. One morning I looked over and caught her sliding down the canvas roof. She must have been enjoying the view from the ridge beam when I came out. I watched her as she slid down to the swing beam, jumped into the “tree house,” and then took the slide the rest of the way down. Fluffy had a look of disbelief as the swing set was being loaded on the trailer. At least all of us (except Fluffy) can appreciate the pictures our neighbors shared with us of kids playing on it once again.
COMING OF AGE
The back yard may be empty, but life is still full with the kids’ activities. Jenna sent us several pictures of her and her friends all dressed up for Trevecca’s homecoming parade. The theme for their parade was story book characters. Jenna dressed as Waldo. She was a bit easier to find than the original.
Vicki, Nate, and I took Jenna and her friends out for supper at Baja Burrito Saturday night. Then we headed back to campus to see their excellent production of The Little Mermaid. It was a fun evening. Ben did not go with us because he went to Davidson Academy’s Fall Ball.
Sometimes it’s hard to get a read on Ben, but I think he was pretty excited about going. An interesting personality quirk to see was that Ben chose to wear an old Daffy Duck tie that I have. Before the dance he and a big group of his friends (and a few parents) went out to eat at the Spaghetti Factory. He came home saying he’d had a really good time this year, and even danced to a slow song (after a girl asked him to).
Nate has not had quite as many social opportunities yet but is still enjoying his middle school days. Vicki and I worked the concession stand at Friday’s football game and he enjoyed hanging out with his friends.
THE BLUE HAIR CHOIR
Vicki has joined a gospel choir. They practice for an hour every Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 in Springfield. Mrs. Glenda, Lori’s mom, asked Vicki if she’d be interested in joining. When Mrs. Glenda was giving Vicki the details she told her that several folks of all ages from all across the county were part of it. Then she admitted that she might be the youngest one in it. Vicki has now claimed that title by at least 25 years now that she’s taking part. They are practicing Christmas music and will perform at all of the nursing homes between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m glad to see her doing something fun like this.
Joe
ODE TO THE SWING SET
It was a bit of a sad moment to watch our old swing set leave the back yard week before last. We gave it to a neighbor for their kids to play on. It was time. Our kids stopped playing on it years ago and it was beginning to fall into disrepair, and there was no reason for me to keep it up until grandkids come along. It served us well, and our kids have a lot of happy memories playing on it.
That swing set was the first construction project I had tackled since high school. We purchased the Swing-n-Slide kit from 84 Lumber and they delivered all the lumber and hardware to the house. I worked really hard to have it ready for either Jenna’s second or third birthday party. I was able to get the tower and slide done in time, but not the swings. I remember having to bore a lot of large holes—something like four or five dozen—in the 4x4 posts and 2x8 rails for all the bolts that held it together. As I recall, I burned up the motor in my corded drill and the cordless drill I had at the time was so puny I could only drill 3-4 holes on a single charge of the battery. I think I finally borrowed a drill from Mr. Jimmie to finish up.
There’s no telling where the kids’ imaginations took them while sitting in the elevated “tree house” part of the swing set. I can only tell what I have observed in the last year or so as our cat, Fluffy, has been the only one to sit up there. Sometimes I would catch her using the slide to come down when I came out to get on the bus. One morning I looked over and caught her sliding down the canvas roof. She must have been enjoying the view from the ridge beam when I came out. I watched her as she slid down to the swing beam, jumped into the “tree house,” and then took the slide the rest of the way down. Fluffy had a look of disbelief as the swing set was being loaded on the trailer. At least all of us (except Fluffy) can appreciate the pictures our neighbors shared with us of kids playing on it once again.
COMING OF AGE
The back yard may be empty, but life is still full with the kids’ activities. Jenna sent us several pictures of her and her friends all dressed up for Trevecca’s homecoming parade. The theme for their parade was story book characters. Jenna dressed as Waldo. She was a bit easier to find than the original.
Vicki, Nate, and I took Jenna and her friends out for supper at Baja Burrito Saturday night. Then we headed back to campus to see their excellent production of The Little Mermaid. It was a fun evening. Ben did not go with us because he went to Davidson Academy’s Fall Ball.
Sometimes it’s hard to get a read on Ben, but I think he was pretty excited about going. An interesting personality quirk to see was that Ben chose to wear an old Daffy Duck tie that I have. Before the dance he and a big group of his friends (and a few parents) went out to eat at the Spaghetti Factory. He came home saying he’d had a really good time this year, and even danced to a slow song (after a girl asked him to).
Nate has not had quite as many social opportunities yet but is still enjoying his middle school days. Vicki and I worked the concession stand at Friday’s football game and he enjoyed hanging out with his friends.
THE BLUE HAIR CHOIR
Vicki has joined a gospel choir. They practice for an hour every Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 in Springfield. Mrs. Glenda, Lori’s mom, asked Vicki if she’d be interested in joining. When Mrs. Glenda was giving Vicki the details she told her that several folks of all ages from all across the county were part of it. Then she admitted that she might be the youngest one in it. Vicki has now claimed that title by at least 25 years now that she’s taking part. They are practicing Christmas music and will perform at all of the nursing homes between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m glad to see her doing something fun like this.
Joe
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