Let’s Get Started
Sick Call – Please remember Bob Bouscher, Gerry Korker and Tom Vitale in your prayers.
Pledge and Invocation
B-17, The Flying Fortress
Guest speaker, James Coker, is a WWII veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corp. Stationed
out of Knettishall, England, he flew 30 missions over Germany aboard a B-17, aka the Flying Fortress. The B-17 he flew on, named Lady Godiva, was part of the 388th Bomb Group. Coker was a waist gunner on all missions, except for his last one on which he was the tail gunner. The 388th mainly hit industrial targets because of their precision bombing capabilities. The crew of the Lady Godiva encountered flak
on every mission that they flew, which explained why they were told that they had only a 1 in 4 chance of surviving 25 missions. While on one such precision bombing mission to Amiens/Gilsy Airfield in northern France, the group
encountered barrage flak as well as track and flak. Flying at an altitude of approximately 26,000 feet, the target area was about a 6 – 8 minute run. The Lady Godiva released her bombs but was hit by flak. The #1 engine was on fire and the oxygen had been blown out. They had to peel out of formation to put out the fire in the engine and to get to a lower altitude for oxygen. They made it back to England but not all the way to Knettishall. This photo below shows the “safe” landing that the crew had. Fortunately, no one was injured during the flight or the landing. 
A notable flight was a shuttle mission to Poltava, Russia, on June 21, 1944. It was Coker's next to last flight and they encountered little opposition from the enemy. A force of 114 B-17s which were being escorted by 70 P-51s, bombed an oil plant south of Berlin and then continued on to the Russian bases where the planes would land. The Americans were unaware, however, that a German aircraft had followed the group to the Russian bases and that the German pilot reported that information to his superiors.
Coker said that after landing in Poltava, they were taken to a “tent city”, which would be their quarters for the evening. During the night, acting on the information received earlier that day, the Luftwaffe bombed the airfield at Poltava, damaging every aircraft that was there. Forty-three B-17s and fifteen P-51s were lost that night, including the Lady Godiva.
There were only seven aircraft that were capable of flying after the bombing raid. It was two months before Coker could get out of Russia and during those two months, his family did not hear anything from him.
Coker flew one final mission after the Poltava shuttle run on August 24, 1944. The 388th Bomb Group was inactivated on August 28, 1945.
Additional Photos from the 388th Bomb Group, WWII
More photos! These photos of an open house at Edward’s Air Force Base in Texas were emailed to me by a friend. There are some great photos, including a B-17! 
A Memorial – read by Walt Steinsiek
The
U.S.A.T. Dorchester and the Four Chaplains
U.S.A.T. Dorchester and the Four ChaplainsThe S.S. Dorchester was launched at 2:15 pm on Saturday, March 20, 1926. She was one of three identical ships built for the Merchants and Miners Transportation Company. She was an extraordinary luxury liner with accommodations that rivaled the finest hotels
.
The Dorchester could carry up to 314 passengers, plus 90 crew. Up and
down the eastern seacoast she would carry vacationers, some of them bringing their automobiles, for an extra fee of course! Rooms were equipped with ceiling fans and telephones, though most homes did not have these luxuries in 1926. There was a freezer on board ship and the passengers could enjoy ice cream, even during the warmest weather!
In 1942, the Dorchester entered the war effort and became the troopship U.S.A.T. (United States Army Transport) Dorchester. Having been converted to a troopship, she now carried 906 troops and crew. She was given four 20mm guns, a 3” 50 caliber gun fore, and a 4” 50 caliber gun aft. She was also giving extra lifeboats and life rafts.
U.S. Navy Armed Guards were provided to man the guns and the messaging lights.
The luxury liner S
.S. Dorchester's master, Capt. Kendrick, stayed on after the conversion of his ship for the first five voyages to Greenland in 1942. He retired after that and was replaced by Capt. Hans Danielsen for his first and final voyage. Also on board where four Army Chaplains, Rev. George Fox (Methodist), Father John Washington (Catholic), Rabbi Alexander Goode (Jewish) and Rev. Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed). The U.S.A.T Dorchester carried a compliment of 904 Merchant Marines, Armed Guard and passengers.
On January 22, 1943, the Dorchester departed Staten Island, New York, for Greenland. The Dorchester made a stop in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, where she picked up two freighters and three U.S. Coast Guard cutters, the Tampa, the Comanche and the Escanaba, as escorts. It was a ragged convoy that was sailing its way through the U-boat infested waters of the North Atlantic.
The seas were heavy on this voyage and when the winds would kick up the seas would toss the ships around like toys. The sea spray froze to everything that it came into contact with, including the faces of the men. In addition, the Coast Guard's sonar had determined the presence of a German submarine, putting the entire convoy on edge.
The convoy was inching ever closer to its destination in Greenland on February 2, 1943. Erring on the side of caution, that night Capt. Danielsen ordered the crew to sleep with their clothes and lifebelts on. Many of the men chose not to follow this order because of the heat below decks caused by the massive boilers and because the lifebelts were too uncomfortable. The captains fears were soon realized.
On February 3, 1943, at 12:55 am, the German submarine, U-223, fired three torpedoes. The Dorchester was hit on the starboard side, below the water line, and immediately began taking on water rapidly. Realizing that the Dorchester was sinking, Capt. Danielsen gave the order to abandon ship. The Dorchester would slip to its watery grave in less than 20 minutes.
The sonar operator aboard the Coast Guard cutter Comanche, immediately knew what he had heard and the Coast Guard swung into action. All three cutters fired a fusillade of star shells, lighting up the night sky and making themselves sitting ducks for the submarine's periscope.
The Escanaba swung around and began looking for survivors. To help prevent another attack, the Tampa began patrolling for the submarine. The Comanche would continue on as an escort for the freighters.
While the Coast Guard was swinging into action, the scene on board the Dorchester was chaos. Men were racing up from below deck without clothes or lifebelts. Lifeboats and rafts were launched, some with no one on them. Frightened men were jumping into the icy waters to escape the sinking ship.
All accounts of what happened on deck are the same. The Four Chaplains, having located a chest full of lifebelts, stood on deck and handed the belts out to the men th
at didn't have them. When the belts in the chest were all distributed, each Chaplain removed their own belt and gave it to the next man in line. The Chaplains then locked arms with each other and could be heard praying for the safety of the men in the water. The Chaplains were on deck singing and praying as the Dorchester sank into the icy waters of the North Atlantic. The Chaplains and Capt. Danielsen were lost.
As the Tampa was screening the area, the German submarine quietly sat on the ocean's floor. The men on board the sub were terrified as they heard the “ping, ping, ping” of the Tampa's sonar overhead. The crew of the submarine had no way of knowing that the Coast Guard could not put depth charges in the water. That would have meant certain death for all of the men in the water.
The Comanche returned to screen for the Tampa, as it continued on as escort to the freighters. The Escanaba rescued 133 men that February morning. The Comanche rescued 97 men. Eleven Armed Guard, 102 Merchant Marines and 562 Troops were lost in those early morning hours.
The heroic actions of the Coast Guard and the Four Chaplains, ensured the survival of 230 men. The Four Chaplains were posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart. A one-time only posthumous Special Medal for Heroism was authorized by congress and later was awarded by President D.D. Eisenhower. This special medal was intended to have the same honor and hold the same importance as the Medal of Honor.
Carl Sandburg wrote, “Valor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure whether they have it until the test comes.”
Four months after the Dorchester sinking, another tragedy occurred. The Escanaba that performed so valiantly on February 3, 1943, was struck by a torpedo herself. She sank immediately and all 130 crewmen, that so heroically saved the survivors of the Dorchester, went down with her.
http://www.famousquotesandauthors.com/search.html
.
The Dorchester could carry up to 314 passengers, plus 90 crew. Up and
down the eastern seacoast she would carry vacationers, some of them bringing their automobiles, for an extra fee of course! Rooms were equipped with ceiling fans and telephones, though most homes did not have these luxuries in 1926. There was a freezer on board ship and the passengers could enjoy ice cream, even during the warmest weather! In 1942, the Dorchester entered the war effort and became the troopship U.S.A.T. (United States Army Transport) Dorchester. Having been converted to a troopship, she now carried 906 troops and crew. She was given four 20mm guns, a 3” 50 caliber gun fore, and a 4” 50 caliber gun aft. She was also giving extra lifeboats and life rafts.
U.S. Navy Armed Guards were provided to man the guns and the messaging lights.
The luxury liner S
.S. Dorchester's master, Capt. Kendrick, stayed on after the conversion of his ship for the first five voyages to Greenland in 1942. He retired after that and was replaced by Capt. Hans Danielsen for his first and final voyage. Also on board where four Army Chaplains, Rev. George Fox (Methodist), Father John Washington (Catholic), Rabbi Alexander Goode (Jewish) and Rev. Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed). The U.S.A.T Dorchester carried a compliment of 904 Merchant Marines, Armed Guard and passengers. On January 22, 1943, the Dorchester departed Staten Island, New York, for Greenland. The Dorchester made a stop in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, where she picked up two freighters and three U.S. Coast Guard cutters, the Tampa, the Comanche and the Escanaba, as escorts. It was a ragged convoy that was sailing its way through the U-boat infested waters of the North Atlantic.
The seas were heavy on this voyage and when the winds would kick up the seas would toss the ships around like toys. The sea spray froze to everything that it came into contact with, including the faces of the men. In addition, the Coast Guard's sonar had determined the presence of a German submarine, putting the entire convoy on edge.
The convoy was inching ever closer to its destination in Greenland on February 2, 1943. Erring on the side of caution, that night Capt. Danielsen ordered the crew to sleep with their clothes and lifebelts on. Many of the men chose not to follow this order because of the heat below decks caused by the massive boilers and because the lifebelts were too uncomfortable. The captains fears were soon realized.
On February 3, 1943, at 12:55 am, the German submarine, U-223, fired three torpedoes. The Dorchester was hit on the starboard side, below the water line, and immediately began taking on water rapidly. Realizing that the Dorchester was sinking, Capt. Danielsen gave the order to abandon ship. The Dorchester would slip to its watery grave in less than 20 minutes.
The sonar operator aboard the Coast Guard cutter Comanche, immediately knew what he had heard and the Coast Guard swung into action. All three cutters fired a fusillade of star shells, lighting up the night sky and making themselves sitting ducks for the submarine's periscope.
The Escanaba swung around and began looking for survivors. To help prevent another attack, the Tampa began patrolling for the submarine. The Comanche would continue on as an escort for the freighters.
While the Coast Guard was swinging into action, the scene on board the Dorchester was chaos. Men were racing up from below deck without clothes or lifebelts. Lifeboats and rafts were launched, some with no one on them. Frightened men were jumping into the icy waters to escape the sinking ship.
All accounts of what happened on deck are the same. The Four Chaplains, having located a chest full of lifebelts, stood on deck and handed the belts out to the men th
at didn't have them. When the belts in the chest were all distributed, each Chaplain removed their own belt and gave it to the next man in line. The Chaplains then locked arms with each other and could be heard praying for the safety of the men in the water. The Chaplains were on deck singing and praying as the Dorchester sank into the icy waters of the North Atlantic. The Chaplains and Capt. Danielsen were lost. As the Tampa was screening the area, the German submarine quietly sat on the ocean's floor. The men on board the sub were terrified as they heard the “ping, ping, ping” of the Tampa's sonar overhead. The crew of the submarine had no way of knowing that the Coast Guard could not put depth charges in the water. That would have meant certain death for all of the men in the water.
The Comanche returned to screen for the Tampa, as it continued on as escort to the freighters. The Escanaba rescued 133 men that February morning. The Comanche rescued 97 men. Eleven Armed Guard, 102 Merchant Marines and 562 Troops were lost in those early morning hours.
The heroic actions of the Coast Guard and the Four Chaplains, ensured the survival of 230 men. The Four Chaplains were posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart. A one-time only posthumous Special Medal for Heroism was authorized by congress and later was awarded by President D.D. Eisenhower. This special medal was intended to have the same honor and hold the same importance as the Medal of Honor.
Carl Sandburg wrote, “Valor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure whether they have it until the test comes.”
Four months after the Dorchester sinking, another tragedy occurred. The Escanaba that performed so valiantly on February 3, 1943, was struck by a torpedo herself. She sank immediately and all 130 crewmen, that so heroically saved the survivors of the Dorchester, went down with her.
http://www.famousquotesandauthors.com/search.html
Items of Interest
Did You Know – Our very own Walt Steinsiek is a newspaper columnist. You can see Walt’s bowling column every Wednesday in the St. Lucie News Tribune. Walt will keep you up-to-date on what’s happening in the world of bowling on the Treasure Coast and around the nation. If your league high game or high series didn’t make it to the column, be sure to let Walt know.A Fe
llow Armed Guard Veteran – CA Lloyd recently put me in touch with Dayla Newton from the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Dayla’s father, Richard Lowe, was in the Armed Guard during WWII and he was one of the few that served on a Murmansk run. Dayla has put together a wonderful website in honor of her father’s service in WWII. Click here to see the website for Richard Lowe. I’m sure that you will enjoy going through the site as much as I did. Dayla, thank you for sharing this valuable with the world!Honor Flight – The Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization
whose purpose is to honor our nation's veteran's for their service and sacrifice. The veterans are flown to Washington D.C. to visit their monuments and to reflect on their memories. Priority is given to senior veterans from WWII and those veterans that are terminally ill. If you would like more information about the Honor Flight Network, click here. If you are a south Florida veteran and would like to submit an application for an Honor Flight originating in south Florida, please click here to download the application.
The Pointer - The U.S.N. Armed Guard World War II Veterans Association adopted The Pointer as the name of its publication. The name itself had its origin in the World War II Armed Guard. If you, or someone you know, is interested in viewing The Pointer, issues are available on this website from 2000 onward. There is no cost to receive The Pointer. It is supported solely by donations. If you are interested in donating to The Pointer, please click here.
In The News - On Wednesday, March 3, 2010, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced that a joint program between the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will provide a new way for veterans to learn about benefits and services that may be available to them.
According to Alex Sink, the new Florida VetsConnect initiative will make it easier for Florida’s veterans to receive the benefits they may be entitled to through their brave service. This program, which begins in July, will be available anywhere driver’s permits and state identification cards are issued. To begin receiving the information, the veterans will simply have to mark a box on their driver’s license or identification card application or renewal.
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