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navy

Stories of a WWII Navy Veteran on the Edison Destroyer, a Story Rarely Told

November 10, 2015 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Stories of WWII Navy Veterans

Every year around Memorial Day and Veterans Day I add a little bit more to my Dad’s military story I never heard when he was alive.  

WWII Naval Veteran who served on two destroyers

Like many World War II veterans, they rarely talked about their wartime years and service. My Dad’s seabag was lost in New York City at Times Square when he returned home. All of his papers, records, uniforms, and medals were lost.

My Dad was one of those veterans. The terms shell shock, war fatigue, and PTSD were just not discussed, yet emotional withdrawal, depression, and disconnection of life is now something I can see when I look back on my childhood.

PFC Leo T. Tyrrell 1952

After both of my parents died I found a single photo of my Father from the World War II era. From this photo, I started searching records, learned the names of the Navy Destroyers on what he served. This is just the beginning.

These were military photos I had NO IDEA existed!

I had an AMAZING phone conversation with not only a WWII veteran who wrote the book Joining the War at Sea, and served on the same ship as my Dad.  He was my Dad’s Gunnery Officer, Captain Dailey on the USS Edison destroyer.

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You can read the story of how it came to be here, but I want to chronological list my Dad’s service records in hopes there are others who served during that period.

Maybe you have a have father or Grandfather who served on the same ship.  Or maybe your relative was in the 508th Airborne division during the early 1950’s when he reenlisted in the  82nd Airborne with Leo Tyrrell.

I REALLy want to hear from you. I want to piece together more pieces of my Dad’s Military history

I would love to hear from anyone who had family serve aboard these ships and learn more about my Dad. Maybe there is an oral history recorded.

Maybe your Dad or Grandfather told stories of the days escorting battleships across the Atlantic, firing against the German Nazi’s or dodging the Kamikaze planes in the Pacific.

US Naval Destoryers, joining the war at seaJoining the War at Sea 1939-1945: A Destroyer’s Role in World War II Naval Convoys and Invasion Landings [Paperback] [2009] (Author) Franklyn E. Dailey Jr.

The dates and locations below are taken from the book Joining the War at Sea 1939-1945 written by Captain Franklyn Dailey.

When I spoke to him he was 95 years old and I am so honored to have found him and spoken to him several times. To think he knew and worked with my Dad as his Gunnery Officer gives me chills.

Explanation of Service Ribbons

  • Top Left: European African Middle Eastern Campaign
  • Top Middle Asiatic Pacific Campaign
  • Top Right: Victory Medal
  • Bottom Left: American Defense Ribbon
  • Bottom Right: Phillipine Liberation Military Ribbon
WWII and Korean War Veteran Ribbons

Leo T Tyrrell- Date of enlistment branch USNR Sept 23, 1943

The other pins and patches above are from my Dad’s time in the Army Airborne with the 82nd Airborne, he earned his glider patch and was not only a parachute packer but a quartermaster at the end of his service.

I am a little confused about this glider patch though. I vaguely remember my Dad saying he started planes on the deck of a ship by flipping the propellers.

This was while watching the black and white WWII television series in the 1970s. While doing history on the patch it seems to be a WWII era patch, but maybe someone can clear it up for me.

Below is a running chronological listing of dates, coordinating them with the ship of record. I will continue to update this list as I find specific dates and events.

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If you have any information you can add please send me a message at the bottom of this page. Records highlighted in bold reference an official military record which documents a time and place where my Dad was present.

If you click on the date it will bring up a PDF report from Fold 3, part of my Ancestry.com subscription.

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USS Kendrick DD 612 :  The Year 1943

December 3: L. Tyrrell arrives on the USS Kendrick Benson class destroyer from RecS NYK, Auth CSF Ser. 24043 if 11/20/42 rating S2c from Rec Station NYK, Auth: CSF Ser 24043 of 11/20/43

December 28: Kendrick L.Tyrrell AWOL since 11/26/43 Trans. to R/S Pier 92 NYK. Auth BuPers Cir Ltr 160-42 (this appears to be a typo in the records, or they didn’t know he had been transferred to Edison on the 3rd) 

My Dad stayed aboard the Kendrick from December of 1943-April of 1944 when he went aboard the Edison. From what I have read the USS Kendrick was also involved in the

USS Edison Combat Awards The Edison won six battle stars and my Dad received four

  • 1 Star/Sicilian Occupation 9-15 July, August 1943
  • 1 Star/Salerno Landings 9-21 Sept 1943
  • 1 Star/Anzio-Nettuno Advanced Landing 22-13 Jan 1944, Feb 1944 (L. Tyrrell served)
  • 1 Star/Invasion of Southern France Aug 15-Sept 1944 (L. Tyrrell served)
  • Navy Occupation Service Medal from Sept/Oct 1945
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USS Edison DD 439: The Year 1944

52,855 Nautical Miles

I always thought my Dad was at Normandy, he mentioned participating at D-Day, I just didn’t know there was more than one D-Day. 

For Normandy to be successful, the Allies had to assure a supply line to the British Isles and then wrest back control of the Mediterranean from Germany.

He earned four service stars participating in the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaigns, two aboard the Kendrick and the other two on the USS Edison.

  • February  : Edison- Algiers, Oran and Casablanca
  • April : Edison- Mediterranean as a decoy for the German spotters in Algeciras to draw attention from the English Channel
  • Log record notes first received on board April 17, 1944 
2nd Division Gunnery Unit
My Dad is seated in the middle
  • August : Edison- Operation Dragoon, Southern France for the 3rd D-Day (didn’t know there was more than one)
  • August 17-22: Edison- Operation Anvil
  • September 15: Edison- Cape Mortola  took out a bridge
  • September 16th: Edison-at work five separate time, gun emplacement, supply warehouse, storage tank, troop concentration
  • September 17th: 89 rounds to five targets
  • September 22: Edison- Ventimiglia Italy

Sicily-Salerno-Anzio: January 1943-June 1944 (History of United States Naval Operations in World War II) (v. 9)With Utmost Spirit: Allied Naval Operations in the Mediterranean, 1942-1945

  • October 1: L. Tyrrell present for muster roll 

USS Edison 439: The Year 1945

51,979 Nautical miles

  • January: Edison-New York yard overhaul
  • May 8: Edison-New York, received news of V-E Day
USS Edison 439 Ship Party May 1945 in World War II, my Dad served on this Destroyer for two years
Click to see full size photo

When Captain Dailey emailed me this photo I couldn’t believe that I could find my Dad. It was obviously his posture. When I compare it to the photo on the ship a year earlier what a change. It appears he had lost weight.

Edison SHip Party May 1945
  • June: Edison- Training with USS Eberle Guantanamo Bay
  • June 27: Panama Canal
  • July 6: San Diego San Diego
  • JULY 24: Dad reported declared straggler after being absent over liberty July 9-13, BNP 60 issued, BNP 641 submitted, published deck court. (Appears he was gone the same time as William L Roden and had some fun in San Diego) Information obtained from Ancestry.com military records
  • August 2: Pearl Harbor engaged in Pacific Fleet training exercises
  • September 1: Sailed for Saipan
  • September 12: Rescued a man overboard from USS Dawson
  • September 13: Arrived in Saipan
  • September 16th: Tanapag Harbor
  • September 22: Sasebo Japan
  • Between September and November made port in the following cities
    • Nagasaki, Japan
    • Nagoya, Japan
    • Matsuyama, Japan
    • Mindanao, Philippines
WWII Peace at Last
Stars & Stripes “WWII Peace at Last”
  • October 1: L.Tyrrell present on muster roll Slc SV6 rating
  • October 25: Battle for Leyte Gulf (reclaiming the Philippines from Japan)
  • November 3: left for Adak Alaska, served as North Pacific weather station
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USS Edison DD 439: 1946

4,973 Nautical Miles

  • January 1: L. Tyrrell present for muster roll 
  • January 2: Left Alaska for the Canal Zone
  • April 1: L. Tyrrell present for muster roll 
  • May 18: Charleston placed out of commission

The World War II Memorial: A Grateful Nation RemembersWorld War 2: The Untold Stories81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska’s Frozen WildernessSoldier’s Heart: The Campaign to Understand My WWII Veteran Father: A Daughter’s Memoir (You’ll Never Know)

I am looking for additional stories of the USS Edison and Kendrick.

There is a small community of family members of Edison veterans who would like to hear anecdotal stories aboard ship.  

If your Dad, Grandfather, or other family member kept a diary, photos I would love to hear more. Please send me a message below.

Filed Under: Military Pride Tagged With: dad, destroyers of WWII, family history, military, military history, navy, navy destroyers, navy history, veterans day, war history, wwii veteran

My Dad a WWII, D-Day Veteran

June 6, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

My Role Honoring Veterans of WWII

WWII Peace at Last

How did you spend your nineteenth birthday? For my Dad on June 7, 1944 he spent that day sitting on a gunner of a destroyer overlooking the beach of France.

It was D-Day, code name Operation Overlord when Allied forces landed on the beaches of France to liberate France from the Nazi Germans.

My Dad was NOT at Normandy, like I thought. But was in Southern France in the third D-Day which lasted several weeks and was a battle at sea.

I didn’t know this when I was a kid, he never told me about his military service. So now my role in honoring veterans of WWII is telling my Dad’s story.

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Life on a Navy Destroyer

I know very little about my Dad’s military life, he rarely spoke about it and when he did I was too occupied as a teenager to really listen and remember.

When I was thirteen we went to Fall River Massachusetts to tour the USS Massachusetts and my Dad was more interested in showing us the  USS JOSEPH P KENNEDY JR DD850 destroyer. We climbed aboard the gunners and that was one of the few times I heard him talk about WWII.

The role of destroyers at Normandy is recounted in detail in an online book Destroyers at Normandy published by the Naval Historical Foundation. Most of which I don’t understand and can’t appreciate due to me know knowing the terminology.

Order USS Fiske DD DDR 842 T Shirt Vintage 90s United States Navy Destroyer Ship 50/50 Mens Size Medium

Through official military records, I have since learned my Dad served on the USS Kendrick DD612 and USS Edison.

He was very young and  first  was a “runner” then became a “gunner”. He wasn’t very big, about 5’8″ and about 125 lbs. His nickname was “Tiny Terry the Terrible” he was a scraper from what I could tell.

My Dad said the deck it was loud and confusing. His hands burned from the heat of the gun and at the time they didn’t really know what was happening.

Remember, this was before the days of instant communication, all they could do was their job, do what they were told, and pray for the best.

WWII and Korean War Veteran Ribbons, us army 82nd airborne division

Because my Dad’s WWII duffel bag was lost, stolen, or lifted immediately upon returning to the United States. He lost all of his medals, paperwork and memorabilia from World War II.

Enlistment in US Army Airborne 

He enlisted into the US Army 82nd airborne Division just five years later. I wonder if his WWII experience with the Army Airborne was part of his desire to become a paratrooper.

Although his medals were lost, his still wore ribbons from his previous service in World War II. It is these military ribbons that hang in my shadowbox on the wall.

Why Dad Decided to Join the Military

PFC Leo T. Tyrrell 1952, US Army Airborne

My father was one of five kids and his Mother had just died during childbirth. Their father was in and out of their lives and at this point had abandoned them.  Dad and his brother Vern Tyrrell (“Jub”) tried raising their sisters on their own, but they were teenagers themselves.

Eventually, the kids were divided between family and the poor farm. At the time being 18 years old was the only requirement to enlist in the navy.

According to official military records, my Dad joined the military on his 18th birthday. However, according to oral family history, he was 16 years old when he joined.

I can’t imagine having one of my sons at age 19 in such a battle. Yes, they are both Marines, but we don’t fight wars as we did back then. Thank goodness. I heard on the radio this morning that over 2,500 men lost their lives on the beaches of Normandy on one day, June 6, 1944.

My Dad died in 1995 and today he would be 89 years old. Happy Birthday, Dad. I miss you and wish you were here to watch your grandsons grow up to be fine young men. He would be so proud of them and they would love to hear your stories.

USS Fiske DD-842 Destroyer “World’s Greatest Navy” Embroidered 2-Sided Blue Satin Jacket

World War 2 Books and References

US Navy Ships Camouflage WWII: Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts - Specials series (6099)US Navy Ships Camouflage WWII: Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts – Specials series (6099)Scurvy Dogs, Green Water and Gunsmoke:Fifty Years in US Navy Destroyers, Vol 1, us navy destroyers ww2Scurvy Dogs, Green Water and Gunsmoke:Fifty Years in US Navy Destroyers, Vol 1US Navy Destroyers WW2, naval destroyer shipsUS Navy Ships
Three Years Aboard A Navy Destroyer, life on a navy destroyerThree Years Aboard A Navy DestroyerDestroyer Captain: Lessons of a First CommandDestroyer Captain: Lessons of a First CommandUnited States Navy Destroyers of World War 2, life on a navy destroyerUnited States Navy Destroyers of World War 2

History of Destroyers in WWII

US Navy Ships Camouflage WWII: Destroyers and …

US Navy Ships Camouflage WWII: Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts – Specials series (6099) book download Al Adcock Download US Navy Ships Camouflage WWII: Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts – Specials series (6099) …

Navy Matters: Warship Design

The 5”/38 was splitting the difference, and for armored mounts on WWII destroyers, needed electrical power for AAW or even rapid surface fire. And there were sailors who swore that the Sumner was much more vulnerable …

TaskForce/Convoy Attacks Pre-1944 Advice Please …

And so were the WWII destroyers. They might have stayed there for 24 hours or even longer. At the end of the war there were destroyers as close escorts and as hunter killer groups. The hunter killer groups were not tied to the …

Navy Matters: Mk45 Assessment

Consider the size of WWII destroyers compared to today’s versions or the size of WWII cargo ships compared to the supertanker size vessels of today. Finally, the 5” gun of WWII was an effective AAW weapon (to the extent that …

Capt. Kirk Takes Command Of Hot New Ship – Really! USS …

We had several WWII Destroyers that took several hits and continued fighting. After the battle they would limp back to port, get repaired, and rejoin the fleet. You could penetrate the hull with a 30 caliber bullet. John Taylor.
 

Filed Under: Military Pride Tagged With: childhood memories, d day veteran, D-Day, family, historical events, history, memories, military, military history, navy, Normandy, veteran, WWII

Where Poppies Grow, In Flanders Field

November 11, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

I could make it to the Elmwood-Murdock Veterans Day program this year, so I’m posting last years tribute from the high school choir. It’s my favorite  and never fails to give me chills.

Thank you to all our veterans who have served and who are now serving in the United States Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Filed Under: Military Pride, Project 365, Small Town Living Tagged With: army, choir, choral, Elmwood-Murdock, Marine Corps, marines, memories, military, music, navy, project365, singing, soldiers, thanks, tradition, troops, veterans day, video, videos

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