What a powerful reminder of just what it takes to defend a nation and the world from tyranny. Thank you TC for such a riveting account of those days, which deserve to be remembered and taught.
As I've gone about my Monday morning chores, I have been thinking about this two-part documentation of that very important point in American (and world) history. Which has led me to draw an analogy of sorts with the mid-term results.
In both battles, then and now, the results were not immediately crystal clear and what appeared to be an immediate loss by one side could later be considered to an advantage, but overall resulted in maintaining the status quo of an almost stalemate. This bought time. For those troops entrenched and comitted to defense on Quadalcanal 80 years ago, and also for the current administration - for Speaker Pelosi with her senators now and for the next two years.
The young American junior officers stepped up then and acted without hesitation, when their elder and more experienced superiors were felled. The younger American voters of today have ensured that their voices have been heard through your ballot boxes. A vital task ahead will be to ensure that they do not fall off and drift away due to disillusionment "Because nothing changed." (If I understand correctly) you and they only have two years to get ready, until 33 Congress and 435 House seats will be up for selection. If Joe Biden can get a second term with Democrat majority in both chambers, well, then they will see some changes. For the better. You will need those young ones to stay the course for that to happen. I believe. I really do.
this stuff is tremendous, Tom. you're just so INTO it. and I hate to admit it, but knowledge of the Pacific Theatre is a major gap in any WWII knowledge I might have accrued.
I don't recall all the details, but in a comment section elsewhere recently I read - for lack of a better word - a screed from a commenter who identified herself as a Progressive, and she was pretty much railing against what I took to be some earlier criticisms of that wing of the Democratic Party. I didn't see those criticisms, so can't judge what provoked her obvious anger. But contained within her comment was a statement about not only taking down Confederate statuary in public spaces (no objection from me, and I was born in the south) but that it was time to remove such 'Union' monuments as well, since they had, to paraphrase her remarks, outlived their usefulness as reminders of happenings in our country of historical significance. What brought this to mind was your closing lines and photo of the bridge of the USS San Francisco. And I'm sorry, and I intend no pun, but the idea of what this commenter suggested is *beyond* a bridge too far for me to wrap my head around the reasoning behind it, let alone agree with it in any way.
So, at what point does memorializing duty, honor and courage under fire age out? What is the half-life of heroism? Of what value is the memory of all those who served and shed their blood in years gone by so that this American could make a statement such as that and suffer no consequences from either our government of her fellow citizens?? Perhaps beyond being labeled as...well, I'll remain polite and let you fill in the blank if you choose. But as a son of the Greatest Generation with a host of blood relatives who served ably and honorably in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during WWII, one of whom was on the boarding party at the capture of the U-505 off the coast of Africa in '44, and my own father having shed his blood on a ship in the Pacific as a merchant seaman and Commander, USCG, late in '44, I don't think you'd have to have much imagination to understand how I'd fill in that particular blank.
There is no call or reason to glorify war itself. It is a product of all-too-human failings. But it is, and sadly will continue to be for only God knows how long, a fact of human life in this world. And if we fail to honor and remember our countrymen and their sacrifices in wars fought for noble and righteous causes, we will not deserve the grace and liberty their sacrifices purchased, and will likely lose them far sooner than may happen otherwise. And war will remain with us far longer and more frequently as a human failing as a result.
I doubt these words would have changed that commenter's opinion of the importance of honoring the good and righteous people and actions of the past. But no matter. I'll fill in the gap she left here.
Thank you, TC. For both this, and for being the sort of American who recognizes the importance of it.
Your ability to write detail that grips the reader makes your article and your books so interesting. My knowledge of Guadalcanal was limited to The Thin Red Line. Now much broadened. Thank you
I read Hornfischer's account and his take on Gil Hoover was very different. He had commanded the USS Helena through two very hard-fought battles with very little damage and only a few sailors lost while other U.S. Navy ships were heavily damaged or sunk.
When he found himself in command of the task force, he understood his duty was to get the surviving ships to safety. While he incorrectly concluded that no one could have survived her explosion, he did signal a patrolling B-17 her coordinates and requested assistance. With an enemy submarine in the water and only one undamaged destroyer (USS Fletcher) to screen, he made the decision to keep going and not stop to look for survivors. Halsey reacted impetuously to Hoover's decision, but Nimitz and King did not concur and backed up Hoover's decision, Nimitz even stating that Capt. Hoover, after a period of rest, should be given another major command. Nonetheless, the fix was in. Hoover was relieved, and while he made Rear Admiral, he never received another sea command. He retired from the Navy in 1947.
It's worth adding also that the CO of the USS Juneau, Capt. Lyman K. Swenson, was a classmate of Captain Hoover at the Naval Academy, and a friend. It had to have been heartbreaking for Capt. Hoover to sail away and not look for him after the Juneau exploded. That the B-17 who recieved the message did not pass on the report, leaving all but 9 Juneau survivors to die of exposure or shark attacks, is not a reflection on Captain Hoover. Halsey later apologized personally to RADM Hoover when they met again.
Thank you, TCinLA, for taking us to The Guadalcanal Campaign. (Special thanks for the map of Iron Bottom Sound and Guadalcanal as well) I struggled to understand the moves, motivations, deceptions, and battles during the Vietnam War. Now, through you, I’m on Iron Bottom Sound, the Juneau, with the Sullivan brothers and Rear Admiral Willis A. ‘Ching Chong’ Lee, on Washington and the destroyer Meade. In the water with the Navy’s men struggling to stay alive, torpedoes firing, floods and fires, ships exploding – my mind jumps as I try to follow the time, along with maneuvers, blood, and sacrifice.
Historian Eric Hammel’s summary of The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal speaks for the coming together of the Navy men in battle. It Is worth repeating your reference,
“On November 12, 1942, the Imperial Navy had the better ships and the better tactics. After November 15, 1942, its leaders lost heart and it lacked the strategic depth to face the burgeoning U.S. Navy and its vastly improving weapons and tactics. The Japanese never got better while, after November 1942, the U.S. Navy never stopped getting better.”
The Guadalcanal Campaign provides a telling analogy for the pro-Democracy soldiers. sailors, air force and citizens today.
Thank you as well, TC, for taking us with you when you honored the sacrifice of the USS San Francisco in 1975 by visiting her once bloodied deck on Lands End.
TC, I've always had an interest in the Pacific war; my Mom had a high school classmate (an enlisted Marine) who died on the 'Canal and another who was in the Seabees who built Henderson Field. I appreciate this detailed documentation of those days in November, 1942.
My next trip to the City, I'll go find the USS San Francisco Memorial.
Unlike Vague Craig, the parallels of then to now escaped me, but frankly, I only just read episode two, so I hadn't much time to ponder. I just hope that we, as a country, are up to the challenges of today as those that were faced by our soldiers, sailors, and Marines on Guadalcanal.
What a powerful reminder of just what it takes to defend a nation and the world from tyranny. Thank you TC for such a riveting account of those days, which deserve to be remembered and taught.
As I've gone about my Monday morning chores, I have been thinking about this two-part documentation of that very important point in American (and world) history. Which has led me to draw an analogy of sorts with the mid-term results.
In both battles, then and now, the results were not immediately crystal clear and what appeared to be an immediate loss by one side could later be considered to an advantage, but overall resulted in maintaining the status quo of an almost stalemate. This bought time. For those troops entrenched and comitted to defense on Quadalcanal 80 years ago, and also for the current administration - for Speaker Pelosi with her senators now and for the next two years.
The young American junior officers stepped up then and acted without hesitation, when their elder and more experienced superiors were felled. The younger American voters of today have ensured that their voices have been heard through your ballot boxes. A vital task ahead will be to ensure that they do not fall off and drift away due to disillusionment "Because nothing changed." (If I understand correctly) you and they only have two years to get ready, until 33 Congress and 435 House seats will be up for selection. If Joe Biden can get a second term with Democrat majority in both chambers, well, then they will see some changes. For the better. You will need those young ones to stay the course for that to happen. I believe. I really do.
What would the world look like if the Axis powers had prevailed? Great storytelling TC.
this stuff is tremendous, Tom. you're just so INTO it. and I hate to admit it, but knowledge of the Pacific Theatre is a major gap in any WWII knowledge I might have accrued.
crazy, right?
It is the detail of these battles that shows the incredible heroism of those guys. TY, TC.
Thank you TC.
Chills down my spine. Oh my, how much we owe.
Thank you TC! I learn so much from your writing. I am humbled by the immense sacrifices these soldiers made to protect our freedom.
I don't recall all the details, but in a comment section elsewhere recently I read - for lack of a better word - a screed from a commenter who identified herself as a Progressive, and she was pretty much railing against what I took to be some earlier criticisms of that wing of the Democratic Party. I didn't see those criticisms, so can't judge what provoked her obvious anger. But contained within her comment was a statement about not only taking down Confederate statuary in public spaces (no objection from me, and I was born in the south) but that it was time to remove such 'Union' monuments as well, since they had, to paraphrase her remarks, outlived their usefulness as reminders of happenings in our country of historical significance. What brought this to mind was your closing lines and photo of the bridge of the USS San Francisco. And I'm sorry, and I intend no pun, but the idea of what this commenter suggested is *beyond* a bridge too far for me to wrap my head around the reasoning behind it, let alone agree with it in any way.
So, at what point does memorializing duty, honor and courage under fire age out? What is the half-life of heroism? Of what value is the memory of all those who served and shed their blood in years gone by so that this American could make a statement such as that and suffer no consequences from either our government of her fellow citizens?? Perhaps beyond being labeled as...well, I'll remain polite and let you fill in the blank if you choose. But as a son of the Greatest Generation with a host of blood relatives who served ably and honorably in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during WWII, one of whom was on the boarding party at the capture of the U-505 off the coast of Africa in '44, and my own father having shed his blood on a ship in the Pacific as a merchant seaman and Commander, USCG, late in '44, I don't think you'd have to have much imagination to understand how I'd fill in that particular blank.
There is no call or reason to glorify war itself. It is a product of all-too-human failings. But it is, and sadly will continue to be for only God knows how long, a fact of human life in this world. And if we fail to honor and remember our countrymen and their sacrifices in wars fought for noble and righteous causes, we will not deserve the grace and liberty their sacrifices purchased, and will likely lose them far sooner than may happen otherwise. And war will remain with us far longer and more frequently as a human failing as a result.
I doubt these words would have changed that commenter's opinion of the importance of honoring the good and righteous people and actions of the past. But no matter. I'll fill in the gap she left here.
Thank you, TC. For both this, and for being the sort of American who recognizes the importance of it.
Your ability to write detail that grips the reader makes your article and your books so interesting. My knowledge of Guadalcanal was limited to The Thin Red Line. Now much broadened. Thank you
I read Hornfischer's account and his take on Gil Hoover was very different. He had commanded the USS Helena through two very hard-fought battles with very little damage and only a few sailors lost while other U.S. Navy ships were heavily damaged or sunk.
When he found himself in command of the task force, he understood his duty was to get the surviving ships to safety. While he incorrectly concluded that no one could have survived her explosion, he did signal a patrolling B-17 her coordinates and requested assistance. With an enemy submarine in the water and only one undamaged destroyer (USS Fletcher) to screen, he made the decision to keep going and not stop to look for survivors. Halsey reacted impetuously to Hoover's decision, but Nimitz and King did not concur and backed up Hoover's decision, Nimitz even stating that Capt. Hoover, after a period of rest, should be given another major command. Nonetheless, the fix was in. Hoover was relieved, and while he made Rear Admiral, he never received another sea command. He retired from the Navy in 1947.
It's worth adding also that the CO of the USS Juneau, Capt. Lyman K. Swenson, was a classmate of Captain Hoover at the Naval Academy, and a friend. It had to have been heartbreaking for Capt. Hoover to sail away and not look for him after the Juneau exploded. That the B-17 who recieved the message did not pass on the report, leaving all but 9 Juneau survivors to die of exposure or shark attacks, is not a reflection on Captain Hoover. Halsey later apologized personally to RADM Hoover when they met again.
Thank you, TCinLA, for taking us to The Guadalcanal Campaign. (Special thanks for the map of Iron Bottom Sound and Guadalcanal as well) I struggled to understand the moves, motivations, deceptions, and battles during the Vietnam War. Now, through you, I’m on Iron Bottom Sound, the Juneau, with the Sullivan brothers and Rear Admiral Willis A. ‘Ching Chong’ Lee, on Washington and the destroyer Meade. In the water with the Navy’s men struggling to stay alive, torpedoes firing, floods and fires, ships exploding – my mind jumps as I try to follow the time, along with maneuvers, blood, and sacrifice.
Historian Eric Hammel’s summary of The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal speaks for the coming together of the Navy men in battle. It Is worth repeating your reference,
“On November 12, 1942, the Imperial Navy had the better ships and the better tactics. After November 15, 1942, its leaders lost heart and it lacked the strategic depth to face the burgeoning U.S. Navy and its vastly improving weapons and tactics. The Japanese never got better while, after November 1942, the U.S. Navy never stopped getting better.”
The Guadalcanal Campaign provides a telling analogy for the pro-Democracy soldiers. sailors, air force and citizens today.
Thank you as well, TC, for taking us with you when you honored the sacrifice of the USS San Francisco in 1975 by visiting her once bloodied deck on Lands End.
Amazing. Such a thin line between victory and defeat. God bless those sailors.
TC, I've always had an interest in the Pacific war; my Mom had a high school classmate (an enlisted Marine) who died on the 'Canal and another who was in the Seabees who built Henderson Field. I appreciate this detailed documentation of those days in November, 1942.
My next trip to the City, I'll go find the USS San Francisco Memorial.
Unlike Vague Craig, the parallels of then to now escaped me, but frankly, I only just read episode two, so I hadn't much time to ponder. I just hope that we, as a country, are up to the challenges of today as those that were faced by our soldiers, sailors, and Marines on Guadalcanal.
Thanks.
Thank you, Tom.