65 Years Ago Today in History: USS FRANKLIN (CV-13) is attacked

50 miles off the coast of Japan on 19 March, 1945, the crew of the USS FRANKLIN (CV-13) got a close up look of hell.  A Japanese bomber made it through the defenses and sent two bombs into the flight deck full of armed and fueled aircraft.  The resulting death and devastation, and heroism were beyond belief.

I have written on the subject before, in more detail.  SteelJaw Scribe did an excellent job with his post in 2008:  “The Crucible.”

Today, in Branson, MO, the crew members and family and friends are gathered for a reunion and holding a memorial ceremony.

I also had the privilege of posting a memorial to Omer Dee Simms, thanks to the trust of his son, Richard.  Omer died saving his shipmates on this day 65 years ago.

Posted by xformed on March 19, 2010.

Tags: Bomb, Branson, Branson Missouri, bravery, Death, heroism, Japan, Military, military conflict, United States, USS FRANKLIN, WWII, wwii veterans

Categories: Military

3 Responses

1. The links are bad, but http://www.chaoticsynapticactivity.com/2008/03/24/monday-maritime-matters-38/

   and

   http://steeljawscribe.com/2008/03/19/the-crucible-uss-franklin-19-march-1945

   by mcsey on Mar 23, 2010 at 9:18 am

2. Fixed! Thanks for the catch!

   by xformed on Mar 23, 2010 at 12:00 pm

3. thanks for sharing this and God bless them all~!

   by Angel on Mar 24, 2010 at 3:41 pm

About Chaotic Synaptic Activity

I’ve traveled extensively, both as a child and in my professional career. I have a global view of the world and the situations we currently face as a nation. Between some practical experiences, lots of reading and some time sitting in classrooms/lecture halls, I have opinions that I will share here.more →